Apophasis and Pseudonymity in Dionysius the Areopagite

This book argues that the pseudonym, Dionysius the Areopagite, and the influence of Paul together constitute the best interpretive lens for understanding the Corpus Dionysiacum [CD]. This book demonstrates how Paul in fact animates the entire corpus, that the influence of Paul illuminates such centr...

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Главный автор: M. Stang, Charles
Формат: Online
Язык:английский
Опубликовано: Oxford University Press 2021
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author M. Stang, Charles
author_browse M. Stang, Charles
author_facet M. Stang, Charles
author_sort M. Stang, Charles
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description This book argues that the pseudonym, Dionysius the Areopagite, and the influence of Paul together constitute the best interpretive lens for understanding the Corpus Dionysiacum [CD]. This book demonstrates how Paul in fact animates the entire corpus, that the influence of Paul illuminates such central themes of the CD as hierarchy, theurgy, deification, Christology, affirmation (kataphasis) and negation (apophasis), dissimilar similarities, and unknowing. Most importantly, Paul serves as a fulcrum for the expression of a new theological anthropology, an “apophatic anthropology.” Dionysius figures Paul as the premier apostolic witness to this apophatic anthropology, as the ecstatic lover of the divine who confesses to the rupture of his self and the indwelling of the divine in Gal 2:20: “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Building on this notion of apophatic anthropology, the book forwards an explanation for why this sixth‐century author chose to write under an apostolic pseudonym. It argues that the very practice of pseudonymous writing itself serves as an ecstatic devotional exercise whereby the writer becomes split in two and thereby open to the indwelling of the divine. Pseudonymity is on this interpretation integral and internal to the aims of the wider mystical enterprise. Thus this book aims to question the distinction between “theory” and “practice” by demonstrating that negative theology—often figured as a speculative and rarefied theory regarding the transcendence of God—is in fact best understood as a kind of asceticism, a devotional practice aiming for the total transformation of the Christian subject.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-363662025-01-28T07:54:40Z Apophasis and Pseudonymity in Dionysius the Areopagite M. Stang, Charles pseudo-dionysius dionysius the areopagite st. paul apophasis mysticism corpus dionysiacum pseudonymity negative theology apophatic anthropology Creative Commons God Jesus Late antiquity Neoplatonism Paul the Apostle Theurgy thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRA Religion: general::QRAX History of religion thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRV Aspects of religion::QRVG Theology thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRV Aspects of religion::QRVK Spirituality and religious experience::QRVK2 Mysticism This book argues that the pseudonym, Dionysius the Areopagite, and the influence of Paul together constitute the best interpretive lens for understanding the Corpus Dionysiacum [CD]. This book demonstrates how Paul in fact animates the entire corpus, that the influence of Paul illuminates such central themes of the CD as hierarchy, theurgy, deification, Christology, affirmation (kataphasis) and negation (apophasis), dissimilar similarities, and unknowing. Most importantly, Paul serves as a fulcrum for the expression of a new theological anthropology, an “apophatic anthropology.” Dionysius figures Paul as the premier apostolic witness to this apophatic anthropology, as the ecstatic lover of the divine who confesses to the rupture of his self and the indwelling of the divine in Gal 2:20: “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Building on this notion of apophatic anthropology, the book forwards an explanation for why this sixth‐century author chose to write under an apostolic pseudonym. It argues that the very practice of pseudonymous writing itself serves as an ecstatic devotional exercise whereby the writer becomes split in two and thereby open to the indwelling of the divine. Pseudonymity is on this interpretation integral and internal to the aims of the wider mystical enterprise. Thus this book aims to question the distinction between “theory” and “practice” by demonstrating that negative theology—often figured as a speculative and rarefied theory regarding the transcendence of God—is in fact best understood as a kind of asceticism, a devotional practice aiming for the total transformation of the Christian subject. 2021-02-10T12:58:18Z 2013-12-31 23:55:55 2018-10-03 09:09:28 2020-04-01T14:58:35Z 2012 book 453480 OCN: 1030815291 http://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/33853 9780199640423 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/36366 eng THE OXFORD EARLY CHRISTIAN STUDIES open access image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/33853/1/453480.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/33853/1/453480.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/33853/1/453480.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/33853/1/453480.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/33853/1/453480.pdf Oxford University Press 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199640423.001.0001 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199640423.001.0001 db4e319f-ca9f-449a-bcf2-37d7c6f885b1 OAPEN-UK 9780199640423 OAPEN-UK 245 open access
spellingShingle pseudo-dionysius
dionysius the areopagite
st. paul
apophasis
mysticism
corpus dionysiacum
pseudonymity
negative theology
apophatic anthropology
Creative Commons
God
Jesus
Late antiquity
Neoplatonism
Paul the Apostle
Theurgy
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRA Religion: general::QRAX History of religion
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRV Aspects of religion::QRVG Theology
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRV Aspects of religion::QRVK Spirituality and religious experience::QRVK2 Mysticism
M. Stang, Charles
Apophasis and Pseudonymity in Dionysius the Areopagite
title Apophasis and Pseudonymity in Dionysius the Areopagite
title_full Apophasis and Pseudonymity in Dionysius the Areopagite
title_fullStr Apophasis and Pseudonymity in Dionysius the Areopagite
title_full_unstemmed Apophasis and Pseudonymity in Dionysius the Areopagite
title_short Apophasis and Pseudonymity in Dionysius the Areopagite
title_sort apophasis and pseudonymity in dionysius the areopagite
topic pseudo-dionysius
dionysius the areopagite
st. paul
apophasis
mysticism
corpus dionysiacum
pseudonymity
negative theology
apophatic anthropology
Creative Commons
God
Jesus
Late antiquity
Neoplatonism
Paul the Apostle
Theurgy
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRA Religion: general::QRAX History of religion
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRV Aspects of religion::QRVG Theology
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRV Aspects of religion::QRVK Spirituality and religious experience::QRVK2 Mysticism
topic_facet pseudo-dionysius
dionysius the areopagite
st. paul
apophasis
mysticism
corpus dionysiacum
pseudonymity
negative theology
apophatic anthropology
Creative Commons
God
Jesus
Late antiquity
Neoplatonism
Paul the Apostle
Theurgy
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRA Religion: general::QRAX History of religion
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRV Aspects of religion::QRVG Theology
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRV Aspects of religion::QRVK Spirituality and religious experience::QRVK2 Mysticism
url 453480
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