Language in Application to God

Maimonides and Aquinas, two incredible spiritual academics from many centuries ago, differ greatly in the names and language which mankind can pertain to God. Maimonides, a Jewish philosopher, took the stance that God can only be expressed by the things or attributes which He is not. The only other way God can begin to be expressed is through His actions, but these actions in no way reflect His true essence. Aquinas, on the other hand, …

…attributed to God can only signify the divine being, and fall altogether short of ever coming close to representing Him. It can be said that these names can only be denoted to Him imperfectly. Bonaventure takes a third stance in his feelings in which one can relate language to God. He felt in order to understand anything in the world, one would need to first come to terms with the essence of the highest being.