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Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names · 14 of 15 · tr. C.E. Rolt

Chapter 1, Section 1n

82 ἐν θειοτέρᾳ μιμήσει τῶν ὑπερουρανίων νοῶν—i. e. the angels. 83 Luke xx. 36 84 Meditation leads on to Contemplation; and the higher kind of Contemplation is performed by the Via Negativa. 85 i.e. The Angels. I have throughout translated ὑπερουράνιος “celestial” instead of “super-celestial.” Presumably the meaning is “beyond the material sky,” or “celestial in a transcendent sense.” 86 The whole of this passage shows that there is a positive element in Unknowing. 87 παντῶν . . . προληπτική—i.e. contains them eternally before their creation. 88 ἃς εἴτε ἐπιβολὰς εἴτε παραδοχὰς χρῆ φάναι—i. e. according as we describe the act from above or below. God sends the impulse, the angels receive it. 89 οἱ θεοειδεῖς . . . νόες—i.e. human minds. 90 ἀγγελομιμητῶς. “In a manner which imitates the angels.” Cf. Wordsworth, Prelude, xiv. 108, 102: “Like angels stopped upon the wing by sound of harmony from heaven’s remotest spheres.” 91 This shows that the Via Negativa is based on experience and not on mere speculation. 92 ὅ τι ποτέ ἐστιν ἡ τῆς ὑπεραγαθότητος ὑπερύπαρξις. 93 “Union” (ἕνωσις). This word has more than one meaning in D., and hence occasional ambiguity. It may = (1) Unity (i. e. that which makes an individual thing to be one thing); (2) Mental or Spiritual intercourse; (3) Physical intercourse; (4) Sense perception. Here it = either (1) or (2), probably (1). 94 ἀγαθότητος ὕπαρξις—i. e. the ultimate Essence in which goodness consists. 95 Man—Animal—Vegetable—Inorganic Matter. For the thought of this whole passage, cf. Shelley, Adonais: “That Light whose smile kindles the universe.” “The property of mere existence” = οὐσιώδη καὶ ἑκτικὴν ἐπιτηδειότητα. οὐσία = an individual existence. Its highest meaning is a “personality,” its lowest a “thing.” οὐσιώδης refers generally to its lowest meaning and = “possessing mere existence,” i. e. “belonging to the realm of inorganic matter.” See Intr., p. 4. 96 This shows that there is a positive element in D.‘s Via Negativa. 97 Judges xiii. 18 . 98 Phil. ii. 9 ; Eph. i. 21 .
Themes
◆Apophatic Theologytheology

Describing the divine only by negation—God transcends all positive categories and concepts; the via negativa.

The passage explicitly defines higher Contemplation as performed by the Via Negativa, emphasizing negation over positive categories.

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◆Body As Obstacleanthropology

The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return.

The text contrasts 'celestial' beings with 'inorganic matter,' implying the material realm is deficient compared to higher levels of being.

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◆Divine Hiddennesstheology

The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.

The text describes God as unknowable ('Unknowing') and sending impulses that are received by angels rather than directly perceived.

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◆Emanation Hierarchycosmology

A chain of divine beings or principles flowing downward from a single transcendent source (the One or the Father), each level less perfect than the one above.

The passage outlines a hierarchy from God to Angels to Human Minds, describing how divine attributes flow downward.

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◆Evil As Privationtheology

Augustinian and Plotinian doctrine that evil has no positive being of its own but is a lack, distortion, or absence of the good — denying ontological dualism while preserving moral seriousness.

The commentary notes that there is a positive element in Unknowing and that goodness consists in the ultimate Essence rather than a separate evil principle.

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◆Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.

The text emphasizes the Via Negativa as a method of higher Contemplation based on experience rather than mere speculation.

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◆Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

God is described as actively sending impulses and containing beings eternally before their creation.

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◆Meditationpraxis

Disciplined inward attention — sitting, focused, or open-awareness practice — as a stand-alone term that umbrellas active_contemplation, inner_silence, and dhyana-style sitting.

The passage explicitly links Meditation to Contemplation and describes the Via Negativa as a method of higher contemplation.

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◆Mystical Unionsoteriology

The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.

The concept of 'Union' (ἕνωσις) is mentioned as a key term for the relationship between God and the highest beings.

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◆Return To Sourcesoteriology

The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.

The Via Negativa implies a movement back toward the unknowable divine source through negation.

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◆Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

The progression from Meditation to Contemplation represents an upward journey of the soul toward higher levels of divine knowledge.

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Related passages · 2 parallels
◆jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter LXXI
“LXXI. Two earlier visions of Enoch . CHAPTER LXXI. 1. And it came to pass after this that my spirit was translated And it ascended into the heavens: And I saw the holy sons of God . They were stepping on flames of fire: Their garments were…”
Both passages describe a mystical ascent involving angels and divine beings, emphasizing the transcendent nature of the divine and the experience of the mystical union. They share themes of contemplation, divine hierarchy, and the positive elements within the via negativa or unknowing.
◆neoplatonism|Iamblichus: On the Mysteries|Chapter V
“Moreover, that which purifies souls is perfect in the Gods; but in archangels it is anagogic. Angels alone dissolve the bond of generation. Dæmons draw souls down into nature; but heroes lead them to a providential attention to sensible wor…”
Both passages discuss the hierarchical structure of celestial beings and their roles in relation to the divine and the material world. They share a common theme of the Via Negativa and the purification of souls, indicating a genuine conceptual parallel.