Table of Contents
Author's Note xiii
List of Abbreviations xv
Introduction xix
1 A Controversial Figure: A Brief Look at Dionysius' Ecclesial and Scholarly Reception xix
Excursus: A Word on Conspiracy Theories xxviii
2 The Corpus Dionysiacum: Christian Mysticism and Monastic Mystagogy xxxiii
Chapter 1 The Christian Mysticism of Dionysius Areopagita 1
1 Epistle X, "To the Apostle John at Patmos," as an Introduction to the Corpus Dionysiacum: A Response to Apocalyptic Literature and Visionary Practices Directed to a Monastic Audience 1
2 The Celestial Hierarchy: Coordination between Heaven, the Liturgy, and the Soul-A Theme from the Ascetical Literature of Early Syrian Christianity 15
3 The "Architecture" of the Church at Worship hi the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy: "Bracketing" All of Christian Life 25
4 The Divine Names: Notes of Eschatological Anticipation and "Spiritual Fatherhood" as Illustration of the Trinity 29
5 The Mystical Theology: Ascending the "Mountain of the Church" to Approach the Light of Christ, the Shekinah 34
6 Completing the Context of the Mystical Theology: Epistles I-V and Christ the "Sudden" 41
7 A Reply to the Critics: The Revealed "Pattern" of Public Worship and Private Prayer 50
8 A Closing Illustration: The Mosaic of the Transfiguration at Saint Catherine's, Sinai 57
Chapter 2 The Mystery of God: Transcendence and Presence 59
1 Reciprocal Ecstasies: A Preface 60
2 The One and the Many in God: The Divine Differences 65
2.1 God in se: The One and the Three 68
2.2 God ad extra: The Divine Differences and Immanence 73
2.2.1 Procession: a lesser God? 73
2.2.2 Δυναμισ and ενεργεια 79
2.3 Προνοια: God's Love in Motion 83
2.3.1 The divine ερωσ 89
2.3.2 Kινησισ 91
3 The Names: Notional Icons, Resonances of God as Providence 94
4 Summary 100
Chapter 3 The Mystery of the Creature: Toward the Divine Likeness and Union 103
Introduction 103
1 God the Creator 105
1.1 Emanationism? 105
1.2 The Divine λογοι 113
2 The Reason-Endowed Creature as the Mirror or Analog of God's Energies 117
2.1 "Proper Degree": The Creature's αναλογια 117
2.1.1 Στασισ: ever-moving repose 119
2.1.2 Kινησισ 121
2.1.2.1 Angelic motion 123
2.1.2.2 Human motion 129
2.2 The Power of Love: ερωσ 132
2.3 Θεοειδησ and θεομιμιμησισ Potential and Realization 135
2.3.1 Δυναμισ and ενεργεια 137
2.3.2 Προοδοσ and προνοια: procession and providence 140
2.3.3 Γνωσισ 143
3 "Eνωσισ: the Creature εν εκστασει 146
3.1 'Aφαíρεσισ - αποφασισ: Impelling Force 152
3.2 Παθων τα θεια: The Discovery of a Presence 153
3.3 "Eνωσισ: Present Reality and Future Hope 155
3.3.1 In the likeness of the divine εκστασισ 156
3.3.2 The divine energies and ενωσισ as our capax Dei 156
3.3.3 The promise 158
4 Summary 159
Chapter 4 The Mystery of the Worlds: Hierarchy and the Hierarchies 161
Introduction 161
1 The Definition of Hierarchy 163
1.1 A Sacred Order: Hierarchy as ταξισ 164
1.1.1 The analog of providence and the reality of the created worlds 164
1.1.2 By command of God: a question of law 168
1.1.3 'Eικων: hierarchy as revelation and saving presence 172
1.2 The Gift of Light: Hierarchy as Sanctified Knowledge (επιτημη) 176
1.2.1 The knowledge of creation: the true φνσιολογíα 176
1.2.2 The mind of Christ 179
1.2.3 The apportionment of knowledge: a difficulty 181
1.2.4 Knowledge as cooperation and ascent 182
1.3 The Sacred ενεργεια: Hierarchy as the Process of Conformity to Providence 183
1.3.1 Hierarchy = θεωσισ: a share in God's energies 183
1.3.2 Θεομιμησισ 186
1.3.3 Purification-illumination-perfection 188
2 The Hierarchies 191
2.1 The Celestial Hierarchy 191
2.1.1 The Dionysian "intelligible world" 191
2.1.2 A perfected creation: our models for the life in God 195
2.1.3 Our photagogues 198
2.2 The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy 200
2.2.1 The veils 200
2.2.1.1 Matter 201
2.2.1.2 Motion 203
2.2.1.3 Word 205
2.2.2 Our symbols and their apprehension 208
2.2.3 The icon and the ascent: ministers and ministered 210
2.2.3.1 Clergy and laity: a spatial and spiritual ordering 210
2.2.3.2 Altar to doors: the church at prayer, an icon of providence 213
2.2.4 A Gnostic vision? 217
2.2.4.1 The revelation of a divinized cosmos 217
2.2.4.2 The reflection and revelation of Jesus 219
3 Summary 221
Chapter 5 The Mystery and the Mysteries: Christ and the Sacraments as Revelation and Communication of True God and True Man 225
Introduction 225
1 Sinai: The Image of the Ascent and Type of the Church 227
2 The Mystery: God's Dispensation in Christ 238
2.1 Outside the Doors: The Fall and the Devil 238
2.2 The Incarnation: The Restoration of Our Being in Jesus and the Ground of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy 244
3 The Mysteries: From the Doors to the Altar 250
3.1 Baptism: The Mystery of Entry and First Stage of the Ascent 252
3.1.1 The rite 253
3.1.2 Θεωρια and a word on the νοητα 254
3.1.3 The contemplation: a triple reality and revelation 258
3.1.3.1 The soul: direct motion 258
3.1.3.2 Christ 259
3.1.3.3 Icon of providence 261
3.2 The Eucharist: Illumination and the "Sacrament of Sacraments" 261
3.2.1 The central mystery 261
3.2.2 The recapitulation of Providence, of Christ, and of humanity 263
3.2.3 The rite 265
3.2.4 'Yπ' οΦιν: recognition of a real presence 267
3.2.5 The spiral motion 271
3.3 The Sacred Chrism: Union 272
3.3.1 The circular mode 272
3.3.2 The threefold ascents of the clergy 273
3.3.3 The mirror of the angels 276
3.3.4 Jesus, our bond and consecration 277
4 From the Altar to the Doors 278
4.1 Ministers and Ministered 278
4.1.1 The structure 278
4.1.2 Clericalism or charismaticism? 279
4.1.2.1 Arguments for a clerical/charismatic interpretation 280
4.1.2.2 Arguments against a clerical/charismatic interpretation 282
4.1.2.3 An abiding ambiguity 284
4.2 The Mystery of Burial: Once Again outside the Doors; Dionysius' Eschatology 287
4.2.1 Formally correct 287
4.2.2 Consistent with the EH 288
4.2.3 Consistent with the CD as a whole 290
4.2.4 A reply to the problems of law and grace: the nature of an icon 291
4.2.5 The resurrection as fulfillment of the icon 292
5 Summary of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy and the Corpus Dionysiacum 294
5.1 A Series of Icons 294
5.2 Jesus: The Presence of the "Sudden" 298
5.3 The Unity of the Corpus Dionysiacum in the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy 300
5.4 A Christian Vision 302
Chapter 6 Dionysius' Predecessors: Evagrius and Macarius 305
Introduction 305
1 Dionysius and the Egyptian Desert 305
2 Dionysius and Evagrius Ponticus 309
2.1 The Corpus Dionysiacum: A "Neoplatonized Origenism"? 310
2.2 Dionysius and Evagrius on the Nature of Essential Knowledge: εκστασισ vs. κατασταστσ? 314
2.3 Eschatology or Ecstasy? Dionysius and Evagrius on the Experience of God 316
2.4 The Mystery of the Church: Eternal Worship 321
2.5 Dionysius and the Origenism of Syria-Palestine 324
3 Dionysius' Sources in the Syrian Ascetic Tradition 329
3.1 "Singles," "Sons of the Covenant," and "Messalians" 329
3.2 The Liber Graduum 336
3.3 The Macarian Homilies 339
3.4 Between Macarius and the Corpus Dionysiacum: Fifth- and Sixth-Century Notices of the "Little Church" 355
Summary 361
Final Summary and Concluding Remarks 365
1 Recognition of the Church: the Corpus Dionysiacum's Reception 365
2 The Elements of the Dionysian Synthesis 369
3 The Icon of the Mystery 371
3.1 Transfiguration of the Sensible 371
3.2 An "Open" Cycle 372
3.3 Christ the Infinite Center 373
4 An Inherited Inadequacy 374
5 A Prevailing Fidelity 375
6 An Enduring Influence 377
6.1 On Piety and Ascetic Literature: A Sketch of the Dionysian Trajectory 379
6.2 On the Self-Identity of the Christian Oikoumene 397
7 A Last Word and a Little Speculation 399
Bibliography 407
Primary Sources 407
Secondary Sources 410
Biblical Index 435
Dionysius Index 438
Bibliographic Index 451
