The Mystical Theology

Dionysius the Areopagite

The Mystical Theology

Dionysius the Areopagite

Περὶ μυστικῆς θεολογίας

The Mystical Theology (De mystica theologia) is the shortest and densest treatise of the Corpus Dionysiacum, addressed to Timothy. In five brief chapters it teaches the ascent beyond every affirmation and negation to union with God 'in the divine darkness' of unknowing — the theology of negation that Aquinas cites most among Dionysius's works and that anchors the scholastic doctrine of God's incomprehensibility. Moses' ascent of Sinai and the Apache Bartholomew's 'theology of much and least' frame the movement through causes to the Cause itself, Who is beyond every assertion and every removal. Schola presents the Greek text with the Latin translation of Balthasar Corderius (as printed in Migne PG3, 1857) and the English translation of John Parker (1897).


CAPUT I. Quaenam sit divina caligo.

CAPUT II. Quomodo oporteat etiam uniri, ac laudes referre, omnium auctori, qui est supra omnia.

Κατὰ τοῦτον ἡμεῖς γενέσθαι τὸν ὑπέρφωτον εὐχόμεθα γνόφον, καὶ δι’ ἀβλεψίας καὶ ἀγνωσίας ἰδεῖν, καὶ γνῶναι τὸν ὑπὲρ θέαν καὶ γνῶσιν αὐτῷ τῷ μὴ ἰδεῖν μηδὲ γνῶναι· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ ὄντως ἰδεῖν καὶ γνῶναι· καὶ τὸν ὑπερούσιον ὑπερουσίως ὑμνῆσαι διὰ τῆς πάντων τῶν ὄντων ἀφαιρέσεως, ὥσπερ οἱ αὐτοφυὲς ἄγαλμα ποιοῦντες, ἐξαιροῦντες πάντα τὰ ἐπιπροσθοῦντα τῇ καθαρᾷ τοῦ κρυφίου θέᾳ κωλύματα, καὶ αὐτὸ ἐφ’ ἑαυτοῦ τῇ ἀφαιρέσει μόνῃ τὸ ἀποκεκρυμμένον ἀναφαίνοντες κάλλος. Χρὴ δὲ, ὡς οἶμαι, τὰς ἀφαιρέσεις ἐναντίως ταῖς θέσεσιν ὑμνῆσαι· καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνας μὲν, ἀπὸ τῶν πρωτίστων ἀρχόμενοι, καὶ διὰ μέσων ἐπὶ τὰ ἔσχατα κατιόντες, ἐτίθεμεν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ, ἀπὸ τῶν ἐσχάτων ἐπὶ τὰ ἀρχικώτατα τὰς ἐπαναβάσεις ποιούμενοι, τὰ πάντα ἀφαιροῦμεν, ἵνα ἀπερικαλύπτως γνῶμεν ἐκείνην τὴν ἀγνωσίαν, τὴν ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν γνωστῶν ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς οὖσι περικεκαλυμμένην, καὶ τὸν ὑπερούσιον ἐκεῖνον ἴδωμεν γνόφον, τὸν ὑπὸ παντὸς τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὖσι φωτὸς ἀποκρυπτόμενον.

CAPUT III. Quae sint affirmantes de Deo locutiones, quæ negantes.

CAPUT IV. Quod nihil rerum sensibilium sit is, qui omnis rei sensilis secundum excellentiam est auctor.

CAPUT V. Quod nihil rerum intellectilium sit is qui omnis rei intellectilis secundum excellentiam est auctor.

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