Des trois connaissances théologiques aux trois sagesses selon Hugues de Balma, Guigues du Pont et Denys le Chartreux Étapes d’une épistémologie cartusienne de la théologie

Abstract
Hugh of Balma theorizes the status of mystical theology, which he places at the summit of all knowledge of God. Her anagogical elevations are supposed to achieve an affective union with God without prior or concomitant knowledge. How, then, should we think of her relationship with other types of theology, that of the philosophers and the theologians? Balma distinguishes it from the theology of Richard of St. Victor, going back to God through the mirror of creatures, and Augustine’s theology of causes. Aware of the problem, Guigues du Pont, few decades later contrasts speculative (intellectual and affirmative) and anagogical (affective and negative) contemplations. He distinguishes three contemplations: physical, in the mirror of creatures, scholastic, in the mirror of the Scriptures, infused, in the mirror of divine gifts, which one will be tempted to relate respectively to philosophers, theologians and mystics. But under these conditions, is the anagogical union, as Balma claimed, within the reach of the faith of the vetula, or does it suppose exceptional graces? Denys the Carthusian, proposes a way out of this contradiction, relating the theology of philosophers to natural light, that of theologians to a charismatic grace, while only mystical theology requires sanctifying grace.