Ep. 3 - Introduction to Divine Names

Romans 1:19-20 

That which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead…

ST I q 39 a 8 resp

Our intellect, which from creatures is led by the hand into knowledge of God, must consider God insofar as it usurps from creatures.”

ST.I.Q12.A12, response to the question,

Whether God can be known in this life by natural reason?

Our natural knowledge begins from sense. Hence our natural knowledge can go as far as it can be led by sensible things. But our mind cannot be led by sense so far as to see the essence of God; because the sensible effects of God do not equal the power of God as their cause. Hence from the knowledge of sensible things the whole power of God cannot be known; nor therefore can His essence be seen. But because they are His effects and depend on their cause, we can be led from them so far as to know of God whether He exists, and to know of Him what must necessarily belong to Him, as the first cause of all things, exceeding all things caused by Him. Hence we know that His relationship with creatures so far as to be the cause of them all; also that creatures differ from Him, inasmuch as He is not in any way part of what is caused by Him; and that creatures are not removed from Him by reason of any defect on His part, but because He superexceeds them all.

Key Takeaway:

A "divine name" is a predicate, the contents of which is taken ("usurped") from creaturely reality, and then affirmed or removed/negated of God.

For example, in the sentence "God is wise," "God" is the subject, and "wise" is the predicate. However, in order to say "God is wise" with any level of understanding, we have to first know what "wisdom" is with us among creatures, and only after that, can we begin the process of saying this divine name "wise/wisdom" of God.