Proportion between different realities, enabling them to be qualified by each other or by a single term that is suitable for all because of a certain similarity. In a way, analogy lies between the cataphatic and apophatic approaches (see these words).

The theory of analogy that enables us to speak of God without tainting the transcendence and incomprehensibility of God is found in Thomas Aquinas. Thus, the terms we apply to God and creatures are applied by analogy of proportionality: to say “God is good”, for example, is not to be understood in the same way as to say “this person is good”. God’s goodness is to God as human goodness is to humans, but infinitely superior and perfect.

The analogy is linked to being itself: God is Being in essence, whereas creatures have Being only in a participatory and derivative way.