Pseudo-Dionysius as Polemicist: The Development and Purpose of the Angelic Hierarchy in Sixth Century Syria PDF
Preview Pseudo-Dionysius as Polemicist: The Development and Purpose of the Angelic Hierarchy in Sixth Century Syria
PSEUDO-DIONYSIUS AS POLEMICIST ASHGATE NEW CRITICAL THINKING IN RELIGION, THEOLOGY AND BIBLICAL STUDIES The Ashgate New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theology and Biblical Studies series brings high quality research monograph publishing back into focus for authors, international libraries, and student, academic and research readers. Headed by an international editorial advisory board of acclaimed scholars spanning the breadth of religious studies, theology and biblical studies, this open-ended monograph series presents cu(cid:308)ing-edge research from both established and new authors in the field. With specialist focus yet clear contextual presentation of contemporary research, books in the series take research into important new directions and open the field to new critical debate within the discipline, in areas of related study, and in key areas for contemporary society. Series Editorial Board: Jeff Astley, North of England Institute for Christian Education, Durham, UK David Jasper, University of Glasgow, UK James Beckford, University of Warwick, UK Raymond Williams, Wabash College, Crawfordsville, USA Geoffrey Samuel, University of Newcastle, Australia Richard Hutch, University of Queensland, Australia Paul Fiddes, Regent’s Park College, University of Oxford, UK Anthony Thiselton, University of No(cid:308)ingham, UK Tim Gorringe, University of Exeter, UK Adrian Thatcher, College of St Mark and St John, UK Alan Torrance, University of St Andrews, UK Terrance Tilley, University of Dayton, USA Miroslav Volf, Yale Divinity School, USA Stanley Grenz, Baylor University and True(cid:308) Seminary, USA Vincent Brummer, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands Gerhard Sauter, University of Bonn, Germany Other Titles in the Series: Wol(cid:290)art Pannenberg on Human Destiny Kam Ming Wong Postmodernism and the Ethics of Theological Knowledge Justin Thacker Pseudo-Dionysius as Polemicist The Development and Purpose of the Angelic Hierarchy in Sixth Century Syria ROSEMARY A. ARTHUR First published 2008 by Ashgate Publishing Published 2016 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Copyright© 2008 Rosemary A. Arthur Rosemary A. Arthur has asserted her moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Arthur, Rosemary A. Pseudo-Dionysius as polemicist: the development and purpose of the angelic hierarchy in sixth century Syria. – (Ashgate new critical thinking in religion, theology and biblical studies) 1. Pseudo-Dionysius, the Areopagite – Literary style 2. Pseudo-Dionysius, the Areopagite – Criticism and interpretation 3. Angels – Christianity – History of doctrines – Early church,ca. 30–600 4. Theology, Doctrinal – History – Early church, ca. 30–600 I. Title 270.2’092 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Arthur, Rosemary A. Pseudo-Dionysius as polemicist: the development and purpose of the angelic hierarchy insixth century Syria / Rosemary A. Arthur. p. cm. – (Ashgate new critical thinking in religion, theology and biblical studies) ISBN 978-0-7546-6258-7 (hardcover: alk. paper) 1. Pseudo-Dionysius, the Areopagite. 2. Angels–Christianity. 3. Theology–History–Early church, ca. 30–600. I. Title. BR65.D66A78 2007 230’.14092–dc22 2007021337 ISBN 9780754662587 (hbk) Contents List of Abbreviations vii Preface ix 1 Christian and Non-Christian Sources 1 2 The Angelic Hierarchy 43 3 The Unknowability of God 71 4 The Monophysite Connection 101 5 Summa or Polemic? 141 6 Conclusion 175 Bibliography 199 Index 211 This page intentionally left blank List of Abbreviations ANCL Ante Nicene Christian Library CH Ps-Dionysius: Celestial Hierarchy CSCO Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium CWS Classics of Western Spirituality DN Ps-Dionysius: Divine Names DS Dictionnaire de Spiritualité EH Ps-Dionysius: Ecclesiastical Hierarchy Ep. Ps-Dionysius: Le(cid:308)ers HH Stephen Bar Sudhaili: The Book of the Holy Hierotheos JTS Journal of Theological Studies MT Ps-Dionysius: Mystical Theology NHL Nag Hammadi Library NTS New Testament Studies PG Patrologia Graeca PO Patrologia Orientalis SC Sources Chrétiennes This page intentionally left blank Preface When I returned to re-read Ps-Dionysius after a year spent studying mediaeval English, what struck me quite forcibly was not so much the theological aspects of his writing, but the linguistic ones. The strange choice of vocabulary, the plethora of derogatory adjectives and the repetitious nature of the material all puzzled me and made me wonder about his intended audience. The amount of invective indicated that he was not writing for the benefit of those with whom he was on entirely cordial terms. The vocabulary could almost have been that of a message in code. The amount of repetition suggested a degree of frustration with failuretoreceiveanimportantmessage. Anauthor’smotiveforwritingmattersbecauseitdetermineshowwe listen to him. If a work is a straightforward exposition of doctrine, we aremorelikelytoacceptitstruthifwearemembersofthesamereligious group (or one compatible with it) than if the author is of a faith about which we have reservations, or of which we actively disapprove. If we believe him to be of the same faith as ourselves, we will be more likely to hear him than if we know that he is not. If we know that a work is polemical, we may be prepared to listen, provided that we do not feel personally attacked; we may sympathize with the writer’s point of viewwithoutnecessarilyagreeingwithhimdoctrinally. Consequently,the safest course of action for an author who is desperate for his message to beheard(particularlyifthemessageisatallunpalatable)istopresenthis workasasummaratherthanasovertpolemic–andtopublishitunderthe pseudonymofanundoubtedauthority. Thepracticewasnotuncommon inEuropeduringtheearlyMiddleAges. A grounding in palaeography made me suspicious of the documents usedbyscholarstodeducethedatingofthecorpus. Ithereforedecidedto re-examinethewholequestionofdating. Why,forexample,isDionysius so frequently dated to ‘round about 500AD’, rather than ‘round about 530AD’? In view of the first public quotation from the corpus occurring in 532AD, why should terminus post quem take precedence over terminus
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