Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite ~ Perfect Silence and Unknowing

A selection of verses taken from various texts from the works of
Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite.  Pseudo-Dionysius the
Areopagite, (flourished c. 500), probably a Syrian monk who,
known only by his pseudonym, wrote a series of Greek treatises
and letters for the purpose of uniting Neoplatonic philosophy
with Christian theology and mystical experience.  In the
early sixth century, a series of writings of a mystical nature,
known as the Corpus Areopagiticum or Corpus Dionysiacum was
ascribed to the Areopagite. They have long been recognized as
pseudepigrapha, and their author is now called "Pseudo-Dionysius
the Areopagite". The author pseudepigraphically identifies
himself in the corpus as "Dionysius", portraying himself as
Dionysius the Areopagite, the Athenian convert of Paul the
Apostle mentioned in Acts 17:34  According to
Pseudo-Dionysius, God is better characterized and approached by
negations than by affirmations. All names and theological
representations must be negated. According to pseudo-Dionysius,
when all names are negated, "divine silence, darkness, and
unknowing" will follow.  The Dionysian corpus was absorbed
into Greek and Eastern Christian theologies and also influenced
mystics in the Western church, such as Meister Eckhart. Thomas
Aquinas was among those who wrote commentaries on the works.
There remains for the Christian reader no theologian or scholar
quite as enigmatic as Pseudo-Dionysius.


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