The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite, vol. 1
Overview
Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite was an influential fifth- and sixth-century Christian author. Although the works falsely attributed to Dionysius in Acts 17:34 aren’t his doing, they’re still incredibly important in the history of Christian doctrine due to their influence on eastern and medieval Christianity and on the Christian contemplative tradition.
The first volume of The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite contains the English translations (from the original Greek) of those falsely attributed with introductions by the translator John Parker.
In the Logos edition, all Scripture passages in the The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite are tagged and appear on mouse-over. This makes this resource more powerful and easier to access than ever before. With the advanced search features of Logos Bible Software, you can perform powerful searches by topic or scripture reference—finding, for example, every mention of “divine” or “heavenly.”
- Contains English translations of the works attributed to Dionysius the Areopagite
- Includes a preface for each work
- Provides 11 of Dionysius the Areopagite’s letters
- Dionysius the Areopagite on Divine Names
- Dionysius the Areopagite on Mystic Theology
- Letters of Dionysius the Areopagite
- Liturgy of St. Dionysius, Bishop of the Athenians
- Objections to Genuineness
Top Highlights
“‘Agnosia’ and ‘Divine Gloom,’ which illustrate a principle running through these writings,—that the negative of abstraction denotes the superlative positive. ‘Divine Gloom’ is the darkness from excessive light; ‘Agnosia’ is neither ignorance nor knowledge intensified: but a supra-knowledge of Him, Who is above all things known. It is ‘the most Divine knowledge of Almighty God, within the union beyond mind, when the mind, having stood apart from all existing things, and then, having dismissed itself, has been united to the superluminous rays—thence and there, being illuminated by the unsearchable wisdom.’” (Page xi)
“Wherefore, before everything, and especially theology, we must begin with prayer, not as though we ourselves were drawing the power, which is everywhere and nowhere present, but as, by our godly reminiscences and invocations, conducting ourselves to, and making ourselves one with, it.” (Page 28)
“He bequeaths a Divine similarity to those who turn to Him” (Page 106)
“The Good indeed is not entirely uncommunicated to any single created being, but benignly sheds forth its superessential ray, persistently fixed in Itself, by illuminations analagous to each several being, and elevates to Its permitted contemplation and communion and likeness, those holy minds, who, as far as is lawful and reverent, strive after It, and who are neither impotently boastful towards that which is higher than the harmoniously imparted Divine manifestation, nor, in regard to a lower level, lapse downward through their inclining to the worse, but who elevate themselves determinately and unwaveringly to the ray shining upon them; and, by their proportioned love of permitted illuminations, are elevated with a holy reverence, prudently and piously, as on new wings.” (Pages 3–4)
Dionysius was a profound and subtle thinker. His works mark the complete interfusion of ecclesiastical Christianity with Oriental mysticism. And his doctrine exerted a powerful influence upon the religious thought of England, from the twelfth century to the sixteenth.
—The Critical Review of Theological and Philosophical Literature
- Title: The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite, vol. 1
- Author: Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite
- Translator: John Parker
- Publisher: James Parker and Co.
- Publication Date: 1897
- Pages: 232
John Parker was vicar of Willoughby and Wysall. He wrote Christianity Chronologically Confirmed and Why am I a Christian?