THE EARLIEST SYRIAC RECEPTION OF DIONYSIUS¹

Abstract

This essay examines the earliest Syriac reception of the Corpus Dionysiacum in the first decades of the sixth century. This reception is earlier than the standard Greek reception and moves us closer, I hypothesize, to the original text and context of the CD than do the subsequent Greek edition and commentaries of John of Scythopolis. The principal texts associated with the earliest Syriac reception all betray the influence of “Origenism,” which, I argue, reflects the original milieu of the author of the CD. I conclude this essay with some thoughts on how an acknowledgement of the Origenism of the CD complicates our understanding of “orthodoxy” and “heresy” during this period.

Hyperousios: God ‘Without Being,’ ‘Super‐ Being,' or ‘Unlimited Being’?

“…62 Dionysius could find agreement with a striking image deployed by Levinas: 'The infinite then cannot be tracked down like game by a hunter.' 63 Furthermore we are probably correct to locate Dionysian theology within the parameters of an Origenistic theology 64 and in an interesting commentary on the Lord's Prayer, Origen interprets Epiotrios as 'higher than ousia, supersubstantial.' 65 While Derrida's charge of a hidden 'superbeing' might count against some forms of negative theology, they seem wide of the mark in respect of Dionysius himself.…”

The Experience of God as Revelation and knowledge of the Triune God in the works of Dionysius Areopagite and their use in the theology of Dumitru Stăniloae

“…We will agree with professor Louth and we will refer the names of some notable Christian thinkers who received the influence of Dionysius and they exploited the effect of Dionysius theology in a constructive way within their entire work. Here, we will refer only to some of these who employed Dionysius' influence are Sergius of Reshaina (died 536) 42 , John of Scythopolitis (c. 536-550) 43 , Maximus Confessor (c. 580-662) 44 , Germanus of Constantinople (c. 634-733) 45 , Symeon New Theologian 46 , Nicholas of Cusa 47 , Nicetas Stethatos 48 , and Gregory Palamas 49 . The influence of Dionysius' theology has been received fruitfully in 14 contemporary Orthodox thought as John Romanides 50 , Vladimir Lossky 51 , Sergius Bulgakov 52 , Alexander Golitzin 53 , Christos Yannaras 54 , Andrew Louth 55 , Dimitru Staniloae 56 and many others 57 .…”