Purposive-Hiddenness Doctrine
The doctrine that when Christ hides from the soul’s sensible awareness, he does not withdraw but rather hides more deeply within her (Luke 17:21: the Kingdom is within you) in order to see what the soul does — testing her trust beyond felt consolation, after the canonical pattern of purposive divine testing (Isaiah 45:15: deus absconditus; Deuteronomy 8:2: wilderness proving; Genesis 22:1: Akeda; Wisdom 3:5-6: testing as worthiness-establishment; 1 Peter 1:6-7: faith proven like gold; Psalm 88:14) — while maintaining perfect constancy in love and promise throughout: “I have failed in nothing, neither in promises, nor in love, nor in constancy” (Psalm 10:1; Isaiah 49:15-16). (E)
Anchors: Isaiah 45:15; Psalm 88:14; Psalm 10:1; Deuteronomy 8:2; Genesis 22:1; Wisdom 3:5-6; 1 Peter 1:6-7; Luke 17:21 — Appearances: 221. Full Registry entry.