Comments on MYSTAGOGY: The Dionysian Authorship of the "Corpus Areopagiti...

In the "Scholium" of St. Maximus the Confessor, Ch...

2009-11-19T07:40:41.904-05:00

In the "Scholium" of St. Maximus the Confessor, Ch. 5 of "The Celestial Hierarchy", the issue of St. Dionysius of Alexandria's mention of the Areopagite is also found:

"Why, since the Church says that all the holy angels are of the same being, does the divine Dionysius call the Powers many? The great Dionysius, the bishop of Alexandria, the Rhetor, says in his 'Scholia" to the blessed Dionysius, his namesake, that the external philosophy came into the habit to call 'not born' (agenneton) all the unseen Being and the hypostaseis of the Being; that is why it is said that St. Dionysius used abusively these words, according to those from outside."

Fr. Staniloae comments on this passage: "Here it is affirmed that Dionysius the Areopagite was not totally unknown before the sixth century, since he was commented on by the bishop Dionysius of Alexandria who lived around 260 AD."

Off topic though supporting Dionysius, I also want...

2009-11-14T01:04:42.055-05:00

Off topic though supporting Dionysius, I also wanted to mention that I don't think Lawler made a competely accurate translation of Dionysius. His trnslation of "punishment" is better translated as "purification".

Yes, I absolutely do believe this passage refers t...

2009-11-14T00:57:27.905-05:00

Yes, I absolutely do believe this passage refers to the Areopagite. Who else could it be? Here is the English translation which can be read here:

"One of the Greeks, a man particularly learned in the Scriptures, has explained that the seraphim are certain powers in the heavens which, standing before the tribunal of God, praise him and are sent on various errands and particularly to those who are in need of cleansing and (by reason of former sins) in some measure need punishment."

Lawler, who made this translation, comments that "it is not established to whom this reference is". He also refernces Labourt (1.64) who suggested that perhaps Gregory of Nazianzus or even Origen were possibly being referenced. You can say "perhaps", but this is only avoiding what is obvious, since only the Areopagite goes into such details about the seraphim. Plus, why would Jerome avoid referencing Gregory, since this was his teacher in Constantinople and he mentions his name elsewhere. He also constantly names Origen, either to admire him or condemn him (he did both). The only reason why Dionysius is not mentioned is because these scholars cannot accpt the possibility that the corpus of Dionysius existed prior to the 6th century.

I should also mention that Parker also quotes from the early 6th century "Prologue" of George Scythopolis to his translation of Dionysius into Syriac, in which mentions the (then) extant letter of Dionysius of Alexandria to Pope Sixtus II. This letter, like most of Dionysius of Alexandria's letters, no longer exists but George of Scythopolis does give a lengthy quote showing he referenced the Areopagite by name. Modern scholars dismiss this as "an obvious forgery", though there is absolutely no prrof for them to back up their dismissal.

With these two references alone, we have 3rd and 4th century reference to the existence of the Areopagite's corpus that have not been adequately dismissed by any scholar.

Dear John, Thanks for posting this. It's comfortin...

2009-11-13T20:24:59.801-05:00

Dear John,
Thanks for posting this. It's comforting to see that there are intelligent people who do not fall for what Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina calls "fables manufactured by 'experts' for a gullible public which has no idea of the agnostic atmosphere in which such 'discoveries' are made."{1} One common complaint is that no one refers to the writings of St. Dionysius the Areopagite before the heresiarch Severus of Antioch. As you posted elsewhere, Rev. John Parker mentions St. Jerome quoting St. Dionysius as "quidam Graecorum," without providing the reference. In St. Jerome's 381 Epistle 18:9 to Pope St. Damasus I (I don’t know of an English translation online), the hieromonk describes a certain extremely scripturally erudite Greek who gives a detailed description of the Seraphim. The Latin from Patrologia Latina 22:367 is "Quidam Graecorum in Scripturis apprime eruditis, Seraphim virtutes quasdam in coelis esse exposuit, quae ante tribunal Dei assistentes laudent eum, et in diversa ministeria mittantur, maximeque ad eos qui purgatione indigent, et ob pristina peccata, aliqua ex parte suppliciis purgari merentur."{2}

Do you think this is an early reference to St. Dionysius the Areopagite?

God bless you and yours,
Will R. Huysman

{1} http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/phronema/rose_mind1.aspx.
{2} http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/04z/z_0347-0420__Hieronymus__Epistolae_Secundum_Ordinem_Temporum_Distributae__MLT.pdf.html.