Pseudo-Dionysius: A Commentary on the Texts and an Introduction to Their Influence

by Paul Rorem

Overview

"Dionysius the Areopagite" is the biblical name chosen by the pseudonymous author of an influential body of Christian theological texts, dating from around 500 C.E. The Celestial Hierarchy, The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, The Divine Names, and The Mystical Theology offer a synthesis of biblical interpretation, liturgical spirituality, and Neoplatonic philosophy. Their central motif, which has made them the charter of Christian mysticism, is the upward progress of the soul toward God through the spiritual interpretation of the Bible and the liturgy. Dionysius continually reminds his readers, however, that all human concepts fall short of the transcendence of God and must therefore be abandoned in negotiations and silence. In this book, Rorem provides a commentary on all of the Dionysian writings, chapter by chapter, and examines especially their complex inner coherence. The Dionysian influence on medieval theology is introduced in essays on specific topics: hierarchy, biblical symbolism, angels, Gothic architecture, liturgical allegory, the scholastic doctrine of God, and the mystical theology of the western Middle Ages. Rorem's book makes these texts more accessible to both scholars and students and includes a comprehensive bibliography of secondary sources.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195076646
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	02/25/1993
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	9.36(w) x 6.38(h) x 0.94(d)

About the Author

Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago

Editorial Reviews

"This magisterial work by Rorem will serve excellently anyone who is interested in knowing better a major molder of Christian thought."—Religious Studies Review

"An excellent book....A major piece of scholarship. We are all in debt to the author for giving us a deeper appreciation of the shadowy figure who so prominently shaped our common Christian tradition."—Augustinian Studies

"The intellectual apparatus of the study is first rate: extensive notes accompany each chapter, and the bibliography is impressive. The lucid style makes difficult concepts accessible. Pseudo-Dionysius: A Commentary on the Texts and an Introduction to Their Influence is a major contribution to the study of Christian mysticism."—Cross Currents

"This commentary is a welcome and authoritative contribution to Dionysian studies. It makes these important texts more accessible to scholars and students. The author's style is engaging and lucid, illuminating a complex subject with clarity and sound scholarship....Rorem has established himself as a foremost authority on Dionysius in our time."—Theology Today

"With this book, Paul Rorem further establishes his reputation as one of the leading experts on Pseudo-Dionysius."—Calvin Theological Journal

From the Publisher