Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names
§ About this work
Writing to his fellow-Presbyter Timothy, Dionysius, having ended the Outlines of Divinity, undertakes an Exposition of the Divine Names, holding that God is celebrated only as the Scriptures reveal, as Super-Essential Cause who is nameless yet named from His beneficent Emanations (Part 1). Part 2 shows the Sacred Writers calling the Godhead both Nameless—citing the vision that rebukes one asking "What is thy name?"—and possessed of all names, human and symbolic. Continuing sections state that qualities pre-exist in the Creative Originals, that the Incarnation of Jesus surpasses all minds, and quote Hierotheus's Elements of Divinity on the Deity of Jesus and on Differentiation; extensive scriptural and editorial notes accompany each part. Chapter 3 opens with invocation of the Trinity, prayer figured by cord and cables, and Dionysius naming Hierotheus his preceptor next to Paul, recalling the gathering where James and Peter were present. Chapter 4 treats Good, Light, Beautiful, and Yearning, then argues at length that Evil is not existent and inheres neither in angels, devils, souls, beasts, nature, bodies, nor matter, being only deficiency of Good. Chapter 5 celebrates "Being" and the Exemplars; Chapter 6, Eternal Life, dismissing Simon; Chapter 7, Wisdom and "Foolish Wisdom"; Chapter 8, Power, Righteousness, Salvation, and Redemption, where the reply confounds Elymas the sorcerer. Chapters 9 and 10 expound Great, Small, Same, Motion, Equality, and "Omnipotent" and "Ancient of Days." Chapter 11 praises Peace and Very Being; Chapter 12, Holy of holies, King of kings, Lord of lords, God of gods. Chapter 13, on "Perfect" and "One," preferring the Negative method, closes the treatise on Intelligible Names, Dionysius asking Timothy to correct it before proceeding to Symbolical Divinity.
The chapter concerns "Peace" and the meaning of "Very Being," "Very Life," "Very Power," and similar phrases. Section 1 opens by praising the Divine Peace as the Source of all mutual attraction that unites, begets, and produces harmonies among all things, which long for It. Through participation in the Divine Peace, the higher Attractive Powers (identified as the Seraphim) are united, and the ranks beneath them are united by them to the one Principle of Universal Peace, which gives all things their laws, limits, and cohesion. The text notes the quality of Divine Peace and Silence that Justus names "Dumbness" and "Immobility," describing how it remains one transcendent Unity even while going forth; it is called "Unutterable" and "Unknowable." Section 2 states God is the Fount of Very Peace, joining all things without confusion; from this Unity the Divine Intelligences and souls derive their union. Section 3 raises an objection that many things rejoice in opposition and would not choose rest; the response is that this preserves individuality and derives from a desire for Peace. Section 4 addresses moving things, whose motion is a desire for Divine Peace. Section 5 addresses those who fall away or rejoice in strife, saying they too are governed by dim shadows of the desire for Peace, and notes Christ's loving-kindness bringing Peace and reconciling us to Himself and the Father. Section 6 responds to the addressed holy man's earlier epistle asking about Very Being, Very Life, and Very Wisdom, and why God is called both "Life" and "Fount of Life." It explains there is no contradiction: some titles derive from existence, others from His transcendence. The passage denies these are Angelic beings or so-called "gods," and concludes God transcends all creatures.
Chapter 11, Section 1aChapter 11, Section 1bChapter 11, Section 1cChapter 11, Section 1dChapter 11, Section 1eChapter 11, Section 1f