The mystical path toward the "ray of divine darkness" according to pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite

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Published: Jul 6, 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/ethiki.30732
Keywords:
Apophaticism; Mystical Theology; Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite; Early Christianity; Divine Gloom (Theios Gnofos); Neoplatonism; Ecstasy; Deification (Theosis)
Evangelos Giatroutsikos-Prattos
Abstract

This article outlines the theological thought of pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, focusing specifically on his work On Mystical Theology. The author examines the historical context of the Areopagite writings, noting they were likely composed in the late 5th century AD to bridge Christian thought with Neoplatonism. The core of the analysis centers on the inability to know God through logic or the senses, using the archetypal ascent of Moses on Mount Sinai as a model for the soul's journey into "divine darkness". The text explores the distinction between cataphatic (affirmative) and apophatic (negative) theology, identifying the latter as the "perfect path" because it acknowledges God’s nature as essentially unknowable and beyond being. Finally, the article discusses how this apophatic approach leads to an "ontology of the person," where the human relationship with the Triadic God is viewed as an experiential, existential event of love rather than a mere intellectual process.

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References
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