On the Divine Names and the Mystical Theology — trans. C. E. Rolt
The translator’s English as printed (C. E. Rolt). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
A second modern opinion on the theological teaching of Dionysius is given by that singularly clear and sceptical Frenchman, Vacherot, in his Histoire de l'École d’Alexandrie, 1851, Tome III, ppi-23 He
Vacherot considers the group of treatises ascribed to Dionysius to be the most curious monument of neo-Platonist influence over Christian theology. Philosophy affirms that negations concerning Deity are true on condition that they express nothing definite. In the author’s opinion Theology cannot really give any positive instruction. Dionysius is understood by Vacherot to teach that mystical theology is the suppression of definite thought. To know God we must cease to think of Him. The devout is lost in a mystical obscurity of ignorance. Nothing definite can in reality be said of Deity.
In Vacherot’s opinion the orthodoxy of the Areopagite is more than doubtful.
The Christian conception presents the living personal self-conscious God, Creator and Father of the world, in eternal inseparable relation with His Son and His Spirit, a Trinity inaccessible in itself, but manifested directly in Incarnation.
But in the conception of this neo-Platonist thinker Deity is removed to an infinite distance from the human soul, and the Trinity is reduced to a mere abstraction. We are here far removed from the genuine Christian theology.
Dionysius is to Vacherot a neo-Platonist philosopher in disguise, who while going over to Christianity retained his philosophic ideas which he adroitly combined with the principles of his new belief.
A second modern opinion on the theological teaching of Dionysius is given by that singularly clear and sceptical Frenchman Vacherot, in his Histoire de l'École d’Alexandrie, 1851, Tome III, pp. 1-23. He
Vacherot considers the group of treatises ascribed to Dionysius to be the most curious monument of neo-Platonist influence on Christian theology. Philosophy affirms that negations concerning Deity are true on condition that they express nothing definite. In the author’s view Theology cannot really give any positive instruction. Vacherot understands Dionysius to teach that mystical theology is the suppression of definite thought. To know God we must cease to think of Him. The devout soul is lost in a mystical obscurity of ignorance. Nothing definite can in reality be said of Deity.
In Vacherot’s opinion the orthodoxy of the Areopagite is more than doubtful.
The Christian conception presents the living, personal, self-conscious God, Creator and Father of the world, in eternal and inseparable relation with His Son and His Spirit: a Trinity inaccessible in itself, but manifested directly in the Incarnation.
But in the conception of this neo-Platonist thinker Deity is removed to an infinite distance from the human soul, and the Trinity is reduced to a mere abstraction. Here we are far removed from genuine Christian theology.
To Vacherot, Dionysius is a neo-Platonist philosopher in disguise, who, while going over to Christianity, kept his philosophic ideas and skilfully combined them with the principles of his new faith.