Dionysius the Areopagite and the Neoplatonist Tradition (Ashgate Studies in Philosophy & Theology in Late Antiquity)

153 Pages·2007·0.54 MB·English

by  Sarah Klitenic Wear

DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE AND THE
NEOPLATONIST TRADITION
‘Dionysius the Areopagite’ is arguably one of the most mysterious and intriguing
figures to emerge from the late antique world. Writing probably around 500 CE, and
possibly connected with the circle of Severus of Antioch, Dionysius manipulates
a Platonic metaphysics to describe a hierarchical universe: as with the Hellenic
Platonists, he arranges the celestial and material cosmos into a series of triadic strata.
These strata emanate from one unified being and contain beings that range from
superior to inferior, depending on their proximity to God. Not only do all things in
the hierarchy participate in God, but also all things are inter-connected, so that the
lower hierarchies fully participate in the higher ones. This metaphysics lends itself
to a sacramental system similar to that of the Hellenic ritual, theurgy. Theurgy allows
humans to reach the divine by examining the divine as it exists in creation.
Although Dionysius’ metaphysics and religion are similar to that of Iamblichus
and Proclus in many ways, Pseudo-Dionysius differs fundamentally in his use of
an ecclesiastical cosmos, rather than that of the Platonic Timaean cosmos of the
Hellenes. This book discusses the Christian Platonist’s adaptation of Hellenic
metaphysics, language, and religious ritual. While Dionysius clearly works within
the Hellenic tradition, he innovates to integrate Hellenic and Christian thought.
ASHGATE STUDIES IN PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY
IN LATE ANTIQUITY
Series Editors
Dr Mark Edwards, Oxford University, UK
Professor Patricia Cox Miller, Syracuse University, USA
Professor Christoph Riedweg, Zurich University, Switzerland
The Ashgate Studies in Philosophy & Theology in Late Antiquity series focuses
on major theologians, not as representatives of a ‘tradition’, whether Christian or
classical, but as individuals immersed in the intellectual culture of their day. Each
book concentrates on the arguments, not merely the opinions, of a single Christian
writer or group of writers from the period AD 100–600 and compares and contrasts
these arguments with those of pagan contemporaries who addressed similar questions.
By study of the political, cultural and social milieu, contributors to the series show
what external factors led to the convergence or divergence of Christianity and pagan
thought in particular localities or periods. Pagan and Christian teachings are set out
in a clear and systematic form making it possible to bring to light the true originality
of the author’s thought and to estimate the value of his work for modern times. This
high profile research series offers an important contribution to areas of contemporary
research in the patristic period, as well as providing new links into later periods,
particularly the medieval and reformation.
Other titles published in this series:
Origen Against Plato
Mark Julian Edwards
Dionysius the Areopagite and the
Neoplatonist Tradition
Despoiling the Hellenes
SARAH KLITENIC WEAR
Franciscan University of Steubenville, USA
and
JOHN DILLON
Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
© Sarah Klitenic Wear and John Dillon 2007
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording
or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
Sarah Klitenic Wear and John Dillon have asserted their moral right under the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the authors of this work.
Published by
Ashgate Publishing Limited Ashgate Publishing Company
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Croft Road 101 Cherry Street
Aldershot Burlington, VT 05401-4405
Hampshire GU11 3HR USA
England
Ashgate website: http://www.ashgate.com
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Dillon, John M.
Dionysius the Areopagite and the Neoplatonist tradition : despoiling the Hellenes. –
(Ashgate studies in philosophy & theology in late antiquity)
1. Pseudo-Dionysius, the Areopagite 2. Neoplatonism
I. Title II. Klitenic Wear, Sarah
270.2’092

ISBN-13: 9780754603856
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Dillon, John M.
Dionysius the Areopagite and the Neoplatonist tradition : despoiling the Hellenes / John
Dillon and Sarah Klitenic Wear.
p. cm. – (Ashgate studies in philosophy & theology in late antiquity)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and indexes.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7546-0385-6 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Pseudo-Dionysius, the Areopagite. 2. Neoplatonism.
I. Klitenic Wear, Sarah. II. Title.
BR65.D66D55 2007
230’.14092–dc22
2006029283
ISBN 978-0-7546-0385-6
Printed and bound in Great Britain by MPG Books Ltd, Bodmin, Cornwall.
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
List of Abbreviations ix
1 Introduction 1
2 God as Monad in the Divine Names 15
3 God as Trinity in the Divine Names 33
4 On Hierarchy 51
5 The Problem of Evil 75
6 Scriptural Interpretation [Theoria] as Onomastic Theurgy 85
7 Hierourgia and Theourgia in Sacramental Activity 99
8 Union and Return to God: The Mystical Theology and the
First Hypothesis of the Parmenides 117
9 Conclusion 131
Bibliography 135
Index 141
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Acknowledgements
The original idea for this book was conceived by Sarah Lloyd of Ashgate, who
some years ago invited JMD to contribute a volume to the series Ashgate Studies in
Philosophy & Theology in Late Antiquity on the relationship between Dionysius the
Areopagite and the Neoplatonic School of Athens. Not being in a position to take
up this challenge at the time, JMD passed the task on to SKW, who was at that time
completing a doctoral thesis with him on the Neoplatonist Syrianus, a major figure
of the Athenian School, and who had previously herself worked on Dionysius. SKW
bravely took up the challenge, selected the topics to be dealt with, and composed the
great bulk of the text, with JMD merely exercising a supervisory and advisory role,
and contributing some sections.
In view of the topic that it was asked to address, this book has a somewhat
restricted focus, and it is one that cannot be expected to please all lovers of the
Areopagite. The authors are, after all, approaching him from a predominantly
Neoplatonic, rather than a Patristic perspective, and will thus tend to view patterns of
influence somewhat differently from someone with the latter background. We would
be the first to admit that, in most cases (the topic of Evil being a notable exception),
Dionysius contrives to make it less than perspicuous just where he is getting his
ideas and formulations from, but we feel that we have at least located the broad
ambience from which he is drawing his inspiration. His actual identity must always
remain a mystery, as he would have wished, but we feel that he can be located with
reasonable probability in a certain time and space, and we have expressed our views
on that subject in Chapter 1.
The authors are most grateful for the support of their respective spouses, Kenneth
Wear and Jean Dillon. Because of the distance between Lincoln, Nebraska and
Dublin, Ireland, much of the collaborative work was accomplished during ten very
intensive days in January 2006 in Dublin. This ‘Dionysius boot camp’ would not
have been possible without Kenneth Wear, who took a week off work to watch two
baby girls, and Jean Dillon, a most hospitable host and wife.
We wish also to record our thanks to the Press’s anonymous reader, who made
many useful suggestions, and to our ever-patient editor, Sarah Lloyd.
For translations of the works of Dionysius, we have generally made use of the
translation of Colm Luibhéid and Paul Rorem, in their Classics of Western Spirituality
edition (see Bibliography), with minor alterations.
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List of Abbreviations
Pseudo-Dionysius
CH Celestial Hierarchy
DN Divine Names
EH Ecclesiastical Hierarchy
Ep. Epistulae (Letters)
MT Mystical Theology
Other Authors
ARISTOTLE
Met. Metaphysics
BASILOF CAESAREA
Adv. Mac. Adversus Macarium
C. Eunom. Contra Eunomium
De Spir. De Spiritu
Chald. Or. Chaldaean Oracles
CYRILOF ALEXANDRIA
C. Julian. Contra Julianum
CYRILOF JERUSALEM
Com. in Joh. Commentarius in Johannem
DAMASCIUS
De Princ. De Principiis (On First Principles)
GREGORYOF NAZIANZUS
Or. Orationes
GREGORYOF NYSSA
De diff. ess. et hyp. De differentia essentiae et hypostaseos
De s. Trin. De sancta Trinitate
Ex comm. not. Ad Graecos (ex communibus notionibus)
Or. cat. m. Oratio catechetica magna
IAMBLICHUS
DM De Mysteriis
De An. De Anima (On the Soul)
In Phaedr. In Phaedrum Commentarius