The Difference Of Theology and Some Philosophies of Nothing

This article argues that theology thinks differently than philosophy because it is able to think an ontological difference and differences. Theology is able to do this, I argue, because of a trinitarian understanding of creation. A trinitarian understanding of creation does not rest upon any dualism which could domesticate difference. For example, according to Aquinas, creation is not a change. Consequently, there is no dualism of before and after. This means that God does not look to some external register from which to understand what difference is (as is the case with the Neoplatonist One, who can 'create' only one effect, and must do so necessarily). God creates difference qua difference, from divine unity. Furthermore, I argue that all knowledge is related to difference. For this reason, knowledge is itself an eschatological anticipation of the beatific vision.