Dark Light: The Mystical Theology of St. Edith Stein

St. Edith Stein's theory of religious language holds that concepts share something objective with what they signify, yet remain mere representations of reality. When mystics describe addressing God "without words or images," Stein argues this does not imply anti-realism or non-cognitivism; rather, words become unnecessary when the thing itself is directly present in mystical experience. The article examines Stein's distinctive version of univocity, rooted in negative theology and early phenomenology, showing how her philosophical and mystical background informs this position.

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Abstract

In this article, I will examine St. Edith Stein’s theory of religious language. Stein, who was both a professional philosopher and a mystic, and deeply rooted both in the tradition of negative theology and early phenomenology, held a peculiar version of univocity with regard to religious language. On the one hand, our concepts have something objectively in common with the thing they signify. On the other hand, our concepts are merely representations of the real. Therefore, when mystics say that God can be addressed “without words or images,” this does not entail anti-realism or non-cognitivism. Instead, according to Stein, this only means that words are not needed when the thing itself is present without mediation in the mystical experience.