The Mystical Theology

DionysiustheAreopagite

THEMYSTICALTHEOLOGY

CHAPTERI

WhatistheDivineDarkness?

SupernalTriad,Deityaboveallessence,knowledgeandgoodness;GuideofChristianstoDivineWisdom;directourpathtotheultimatesummitofyourmysticalknowledge,mostincomprehensible,mostluminousandmostexalted,wherethepure,absoluteandimmutablemysteriesoftheologyareveiledinthedazzlingobscurityofthesecretSilence,outshiningallbrilliancewiththeintensityoftheirDarkness,andsurchargingourblindedintellectswiththeutterlyimpalpableandinvisiblefairnessofgloriessurpassingallbeauty.

Letthisbemyprayer;butdo,dearTimothy,inthediligentexerciseofmysticalcontemplation,leavebehindthesensesandtheoperationsoftheintellect,andallthingssensibleandintellectual,andallthingsintheworldofbeingandnonbeing,thatyoumayarisebyunknowingtowardstheunion,asfarasisattainable,withitthattranscendsallbeingandallknowledge.(1)Forbytheunceasingandabsoluterenunciationofyourselfandofallthingsyoumaybeborneonhigh,throughpureandentireself-abnegation,intothesuperessentialRadianceoftheDivineDarkness.(2)

Butthesethingsarenottobedisclosedtotheuninitiated,bywhomImeanthoseattachedtotheobjectsofhumanthought,andwho——

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believethereisnosuperessentialRealitybeyond,andwhoimaginethatbytheirownunderstandingtheyknowitthathasmadeDarknessItssecretplace.AndiftheprinciplesofthedivineMysteriesarebeyondtheunderstandingofthese,whatistobesaidofothersstillmoreincapablethereof,whodescribethetranscendentalFirstCauseofallbycharacteristicsdrawnfromthelowestorderofbeings,whiletheydenythatitisinanywayabovetheimageswhichtheyfashionaftervariousdesigns;whereastheyshouldaffirmthat,whileitpossessesallthepositiveattributesoftheuniverse(beingtheUniversalCause)yet,inamorestrictsense,itdoesnotpossessthem,sinceittranscendsthemall;whereforethereisnocontradictionbetweentheaffirmationsandthenegations,inasmuchasitinfinitelyprecedesallconceptionsofdeprivation,beingbeyondallpositiveandnegativedistinctions.

ThustheblessedBartholomewassertsthatthedivinescienceisbothvastandminute,andthattheGospelisgreatandbroad,yetconciseandshort;signifyingbythis,thatthebeneficentCauseofallismosteloquent,yetuttersfewwords,orratherisaltogethersilent,ashavingneither(human)speechnor(human)understanding,becauseitissuper-essentiallyexaltedabovecreatedthings,andrevealsitselfinItsnakedTruthtothosealonewhopassbeyondallthatispureorimpure,andascendabovethetopmostaltitudesofholythings,andwho,leavingbehindthemalldivinelightandsoundandheavenlyutterances,plungeintotheDarknesswheretrulydwells,astheOraclesdeclare,thatONEwhoisbeyondall.(3)

ItwasnotwithoutreasonthattheblessedMoseswascommandedfirsttopurifyhimselfandthemtoseparatehimselffromthosewhohadnotundergonepurifcation;andaftertheentirepurification——

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heardmanytrumpetsandsawmanylightsstreamingforthwithpureandmanifoldrays;andthathewasthereafterseparatedfromthemultitude,withtheelectpriests,andpressedforwardtothesummitofthedivineascent.Nevertheless,hedidnotattaintothePresenceofGoditself;hesawnotit(foritcannotbelookedupon)butthePlacewhereitdwells.AndthisItaketosignifythatthedivinestandhighestthingsseenbytheeyesorcontemplatedbythemindarebutthesymbolicalexpressionsofthosethatareimmediatelybeneathitthatisaboveall.Throughthese,ItsincomprehensiblePresenceismanifesteduponthoseheightsofItsHolyPlaces;thatthenItbreaksforth,evenfromthatwhichisseenandthatwhichsees,andplungesthemysticintotheDarknessofUnknowing,whenceallperfectionofunderstandingisexcluded,andheisenwrappedinthatwhichisaltogetherintangible,whollyabsorbedinitthatisbeyondall,andinnoneelse(whetherhimselforanother);andthroughtheinactivityofallhisreasoningpowersisunitedbyhishighestfacultytoitthatiswhollyunknowable;thusbyknowingnothingheknowsThatwhichisbeyondhisknowledge.(4)

CHAPTERII

ThenecessityofbeingunitedwithandofrenderingpraisetoitthatistheCauseofallandaboveall.

WepraythatwemaycomeuntothisDarknesswhichisbeyondlight,and,withoutseeingandwithoutknowing,toseeandtoknowthatwhichisabovevisionandknowledgethroughtherealizationthatbynot-seeingandbyunknowingweattaintotruevisionandknowledge;andthuspraise,superessentially,itthatis——

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superessential,bythetranscendenceofallthings;evenasthosewho,carvingastatueoutofmarble,abstractorremoveallthesurroundingmaterialthathindersthevisionwhichthemarbleconcealsand,bythatabstraction,bringtolightthehiddenbeauty.(5)

Itisnecessarytodistinguishthisnegativemethodofabstractionfromthepositivemethodofaffirmation,inwhichwedealwiththeDivineAttributes.Forwiththeselatterwebeginwiththeuniversalandprimary,andpassthroughtheintermediateandsecondarytotheparticularandultimateattributes;butnowweascendfromtheparticulartotheuniversalconceptions,abstractingallattributesinorderthat,withoutveil,wemayknowthatUnknowingwhichisenshroudedunderallthatisknownandallthatcanbeknown,andthatwemaybegintocontemplatethesuperessentialDarknesswhichishiddenbyallthelightthatisinexistingthings.

CHAPTERIII

WhataretheaffirmationsandthenegationsconcerningGod?

IntheTheologicalOutlines(6)wehavesetforththeprincipalaffirmativeexpressionsconcerningGod,andhaveshowninwhatsenseGod-sHolyNatureisOne,andinwhatsenseThree;whatiswithinItwhichiscalledPaternity,whatFiliation,andwhatissignifiedbythenameSpirit;howfromtheuncreatedandindivisibleGood,theblessedandperfectRaysofitsGoodnessproceed,andyetabideimmutablyonebothwithintheirOriginandwithinthemselvesandeachother,co-eternalwiththeactbywhichthey——

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springfromit;howthesuperessentialJesusentersinessentialstateinwhichthetruthsofhumannaturemeet;andothermattersmadeknownbytheOraclesareexpoundedinthesameplace.

Again,inthetreatiseonDivineNames,wehaveconsideredthemeaning,asconcerningGod,ofthetitlesofGood,ofBeing,ofLife,ofWisdom,ofPower,andofsuchothernamesasareappliedtoit;further,inSymbolicalTheologywehaveconsideredwhatarethemetaphoricaltitlesdrawnfromtheworldofsenseandappliedtothenatureofGod;whatismeantbythematerialandintellectualimagesweformofit,orthefunctionsandinstrumentsofactivityattributedtoit;whataretheplaceswhereitdwellsandtheraimentinwhichitisadorned;whatismeantbyGod-sanger,griefandindignation,orthedivineinebriation;whatismeantbyGod-soathsandthreats,byItsslumberandwaking;andallsacredandsymbolicalrepresentations.Anditwillbeobservedhowfarmorecopiousanddiffusedarethelasttermsthanthefirst,forthetheologicaldoctrineandtheexpositionoftheDivineNamesarenecessarilymorebriefthantheSymbolicalTheology.

Forthehigherwesoarincontemplationthemorelimitedbecomeourexpressionsofthatwhichispurelyintelligible;evenasnow,whenplungingintotheDarknessthatisabovetheintellect,wepassnotmerelyintobrevityofspeech,butevenintoabsolutesilenceofthoughtsandofwords.Thus,intheformerdiscourse,ourcontemplationsdescendedfromthehighesttothelowest,embracinganever-wideningnumberofconceptions,whichincreasedateachstageofthedescent;butinthepresentdiscoursewemountupwardsfrombelowtothatwhichisthehighest,and,accordingtothedegreeoftranscendence,soourspeechisrestraineduntil,theentireascentbeingaccomplished,webecomewhollyvoiceless,inasmuchasweareabsorbedinitthatistotallyineffable.Butwhy,youwillask,——

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doestheaffirmativemethodbeginfromthehighestattributions,andthenegativemethodwiththelowestabstractions?-Thereasonisbecause,whenaffirmingthesubsistenceofThatwhichtranscendsallaffirmation,wenecessarilystartfromtheattributesmostcloselyrelatedtoItanduponwhichtheremainingaffirmationsdepend;butwhenpursuingthenegativemethodtoreachThatwhichisbeyondallabstraction,wemustbeginbyapplyingournegationstothingswhicharemostremotefromIt.

ForisitnotmoretruetoaffirmthatGodisLifeandGoodnessthanthatGodisairorstone;andmustwenotdenytoGodmoreemphaticallytheattributesofinebriationandwraththantheapplicationsofhumanspeechandthought?

CHAPTERIV

Thatitthatisthepre-eminentCauseofallthingssensiblyperceivedisnotitselfanyofthosethings.

WethereforemaintainthattheuniversalandtranscendentCauseofallthingsisneitherwithoutbeingnorwithoutlife,norwithoutreasonorintelligence;norisitabody,norhasitformorshape,quality,quantityorweight;norhasitanylocalized,visibleortangibleexistence;itisnotsensibleorperceptible;norisitsubjecttoanydisorderorinordinationnorinfluencedbyanyearthlypassion;neitherisitrenderedimpotentthroughtheeffectsofmaterialcausesandevents;itneedsnolight;itsuffersnochange,corruption,division,privationorflux;noneofthesethingscaneitherbeidentifiedwithorattributeduntoit——

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CHAPTERV

Thatitthatisthepre-eminentCauseofallthingsintelligiblyperceivedisnotitselfanyofthosethings.

Again,ascendingyethigher,wemaintainthatitisneithersoulnorintellect;norhasitimagination,opinionreasonorunderstanding;norcanitbeexpressedorconceived,sinceitisneithernumbernororder;norgreatnessnorsmallness;norequalitynorinequality;norsimilaritynordissimilarity;neitherisitstanding,normoving,noratrest;neitherhasitpowernorispower,norislight;neitherdoesitlivenorisitlife;neitherisitessence,noreternitynortime;norisitsubjecttointelligiblecontact;norisitsciencenortruth,norkingshipnorwisdom;neitheronenoroneness,norgodheadnorgoodness;norisitspiritaccordingtoourunderstanding,norfiliation,norpaternity;noranythingelseknowntousortoanyotherbeingsofthethingsthatareorthethingsthatarenot;neitherdoesanythingthatisknowitasitis;nordoesitknowexistingthingsaccordingtoexistingknowledge;neithercanthereasonattaintoit,nornameit,norknowit;neitherisitdarknessnorlight,northefalsenorthetrue;norcananyaffirmationornegationbeappliedtoit,foralthoughwemayaffirmordenythethingsbelowit,wecanneitheraffirmnordenyit,inasmuchastheall-perfectanduniqueCauseofallthingstranscendsallaffirmation,andthesimplepre-eminenceofItsabsolutenatureisoutsideofeverynegation-freefromeverylimitationandbeyondthemall——

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NOTES

(1)Unknowing,oragnosia,isnotignoranceornescienceasordinarilyunderstood,butrathertherealizationthatnofiniteknowledgecanfullyknowtheInfiniteOne,andthatthereforeitisonlytrulytobeapproachedbyagnosia,orbythatwhichisbeyondandaboveknowledge.Therearetwomainkindsofdarkness:thesubdarknessandthesuper-darkness,betweenwhichlies,asitwere,anoctaveoflight.Butthenether-darknessandtheDivineDarknessarenotthesamedarkness,fortheformerisabsenceoflight,whilethelatterisexcessoflight.Theonesymbolizesmereignorance,andtheotheratranscendentunknowing-asuperknowledgenotobtainedbymeansofthediscursivereason.

(2)-OftheFirstPrinciple,-saysDamascius,-theancientEgyptianssaidnothing,butcelebrateditasaDarknessbeyondallintellectualorspiritualperception-aThrice-unknownDarkness-ThisisforeveraboutthePavilionsofthatgreatLightUnapproachable.ItiscausedbythesuperabundanceofLightandnotbytheabsenceoflumination:itis-adeepbutdazzlingDarkness-(HenryVaughan)-Thelightshinethinthedarkness-(St.John,1,5)-InThylightweshallseelight-(Psalm36,9).

(3)St.JohnoftheCross,forinstance,wroteofotherkindsofdarkness;forexample,thedarknessofthenightofpurgation,andthedarknightofthesoul,buttheDivineDarknessisinadifferentcategoryfromthese.

(4)Particularlyimportanthereistheconceptofbeyond-being,therecognitionthatwhatisknownintheunknowingisbeyondtherealmofbeingandcannotbeadequatelydescribed,althoughnegationcomescloserthanaffirmation——

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(5)Comparethewell-knownanalogyofPlotinus:-

Withdrawintoyourselfandlook;andifyoudonotfindyourselfbeautifulasyet,doasdoesthesculptorofastatuecutawayallthatisexcessive,straightenallthatiscrooked,bringlighttoallthatisshadoweddonotceaseuntilthereshallshineoutonyoutheGodlikeSplendourofBeauty;untilyouseetemperancesurelyestablishedinthestainlessshrine-(Ennead,1,6,9).

(6)Dionysiusreferstoseveralofhistreatises,butbesidestheMysticalTheologytheotherextantworksofhisareDivineNames,TheCelestialHierarchies,EcclesiasticalHierarchy,andvariousepistles.SeeTheCompleteWorks,ColmLuibheid,trs.,(PaulistPress:1987),now,unfortunately,outofprint.