Any consideration or exploration of contemplative spirituality, mystical spirituality, or spirituality in general in Christianity will eventually point back to Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. His writings have proven incredibly influential.

In The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite, you can consider his writings for yourself.

The historical Dionysius the Areopagite was the man mentioned in Acts 17:34 as having been converted in Athens by Paul’s preaching around 51. While there are many who wish to believe the historical Dionysius the Areopagite was responsible for the works preserved under his name, they all betray a far more developed Christology and comfort with Neoplatonic philosophy than would be expected from such a first century convert.

Instead, by common confession, the works preserved in this compilation - On Divine Names, Mystical Theology, Liturgy, On the Heavenly Hierarchy, Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, and the Letters - come from likely a Syrian monk in the fifth (or perhaps early sixth) century well versed in the theology and Christology of the time and the Neoplatonic philosophy of Plotinus and Proclus. Thus we speak of him as Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite.

In Mystical Theology, the author would come to emphasize what is known as apophatic theology, approaching God more by negation of what is not God rather than affirmation of what God is. In this way the author becomes the first to really lay out a mystical approach to theology. Moderns find his books on hierarchies taxing, but they provided comfort and assurance to previous generations in understanding where everyone fit and how one might draw near to God. He was no doubt a major synthesizer of the Christian and Hellenistic traditions, giving a Neoplatonic voice and framework to Christian theology.

So much of Pseudo-Dionysius’ thought would become incorporated into Christian theology, East and West, that it can be hard to appreciate him fully. What he has said you can find explicated in greater detail elsewhere. Even though he claimed to be honoring and popularizing the instruction of “Hierotheus” his master, it is he and his works which have become most popular and continually quoted and referenced ever since the middle of the sixth century. He is worth considering on account of that heritage of popularity alone. ( )

The introductions, usually a big draw in the Classics of Western Spirituality series, were a disappointment. The translations, though, seemed a cut above another resource I used. ( )

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