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Dionysius
Dionysius (6) the Pseudo-Areopagite (c.500), mystical theologian. The name given to the author of a body of theological writings to which the supporters of Severus, Patr. of Antioch, appealed in 533, attributing them to Dionysius (1) of Athens. The author is thought to have written in the early 6th cent., probably in Syria. His extant writings are: the ‘Celestial Hierarchy’, which explains how the nine orders of angels mediate God to man; the ‘Ecclesiastical Hierarchy’, which deals with the Sacraments and the orders of clergy and laity; the ‘Divine Names’, which examines the being and attributes of God; the ‘Mystical Theology’, which describes the ascent of the soul to God; and ten letters.
The aim of Dionysius' works is the union of the whole created order with God, which union is the final stage of a threefold process of purification, illumination, and perfection or union. One aspect of the way to such union or deification is concerned with the use of the sensible created order; this embraces both the use of images as metaphors in theology (e.g. ‘God is a consuming fire’) and the use of material elements in sacramental action. Another aspect concerns the perfecting of our intellectual concepts in their application to God. Both of these reveal that God is beyond symbols and concepts, and this discovery points to ‘apophatic’ theology, in which the soul, passing beyond the perceptions of the senses as well as the reasoning of the intellect, is united with the ‘ray of divine darkness’ and comes to know God through unknowing. Because of their supposed apostolic authority, as well as their intrinsic value, these writings exerted a profound influence on medieval theology in both E. and W. |
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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-DionysiusthePseudoAreopgt.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-DionysiusthePseudoAreopgt.html |
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Dionysius
Dionysius the pseudo-Areopagite (c.500). The name given to the author of a corpus of theological writings; until the end of the 19th cent., their authorship was generally ascribed to the Dionysius whom Paul had converted (Acts 17. 34).
Four of his works (The Celestial Hierarchy, The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, The Divine Names, and The Mystical Theology) and ten letters are extant. The central characteristic of these works is the synthesis of Christian and Neoplatonic thought. The leading theme is that of the intimate union (henōsis) of God and the soul, and the progressive deification of the human (theiōsis), by a process of unknowing in an ascent to God through the three ways of the spiritual life: purgative, illuminative, and unitive. Dionysius exerted a profound influence on Christianity. See also NEOPLATONISM. |
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JOHN BOWKER. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Dionysius.html JOHN BOWKER. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Dionysius.html |
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Dionysius
Dionysius (4) the Great, St (d.c.264), Bp. of Alexandria from 248. He fled from the city in the Decian persecution (250) and was banished in that of Valerian (257). He took part in various important controversies. He decided to readmit to the Church those who had lapsed under persecution and, with Pope Stephen, not to rebaptize heretics and schismatics. He attacked Sabellianism but was accused of tritheism by Dionysius (5) of Rome, who accepted his defence. Feast day, 17 Nov.
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Cite this article
E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-DionysiustheGreatSt.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-DionysiustheGreatSt.html |
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Dionysius
Dionysius (8) the Carthusian ( Denys van Leeuwen, Denys Ryckel) (1402–71), theologian and mystic. Besides commentaries on the Bible, he edited or commented on the works of Boethius, Peter Lombard, John Climacus, and Dionysius, the Pseudo-Areopagite, and he wrote on moral theology and ecclesiastical discipline.
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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-DionysiustheCarthusian.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-DionysiustheCarthusian.html |
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Dionysius
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W. R. F. BROWNING. "Dionysius." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. W. R. F. BROWNING. "Dionysius." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-Dionysius.html W. R. F. BROWNING. "Dionysius." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-Dionysius.html |
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Dionysius
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Cite this article
E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-DionysiustheAreopagite.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-DionysiustheAreopagite.html |
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Dionysius
Dionysius (5), St (d. 268), Bp. of Rome from 259. Little is known of him apart from his controversy on Subordinationism with Dionysius (4) of Alexandria. Feast day, 26 Dec.
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Cite this article
E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-DionysiusSt.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-DionysiusSt.html |
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Dionysius
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Cite this article
E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-Dionysius.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Dionysius." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-Dionysius.html |
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Dionysius
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"Dionysius." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Dionysius." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-Dionysius.html "Dionysius." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-Dionysius.html |
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Dionysius
Dionysius ♂ Latin form of Dennis.
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PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Dionysius." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Dionysius." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Dionysius.html PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Dionysius." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Dionysius.html |
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Dionysius
Dionysius
•Bierce, fierce, Pearce, Peirce, pierce, tierce
•Fabius, scabious
•Eusebius
•amphibious, Polybius
•dubious • Thaddeus • compendious
•radius • tedious
•fastidious, hideous, insidious, invidious, perfidious
•Claudius
•commodious, melodious, odious
•studious • Cepheus
•Morpheus, Orpheus
•Pelagius • callipygous • Vitellius
•alias, Sibelius, Vesalius
•Aurelius, Berzelius, contumelious, Cornelius, Delius
•bilious, punctilious, supercilious
•coleus • Julius • nucleus • Equuleus
•abstemious
•Ennius, Nennius
•contemporaneous, cutaneous, extemporaneous, extraneous, instantaneous, miscellaneous, Pausanias, porcellaneous, simultaneous, spontaneous, subcutaneous
•genius, heterogeneous, homogeneous, ingenious
•consanguineous, ignominious, Phineas, sanguineous
•igneous, ligneous
•Vilnius
•acrimonious, antimonious, ceremonious, erroneous, euphonious, felonious, harmonious, parsimonious, Petronius, sanctimonious, Suetonius
•Apollonius • impecunious
•calumnious • Asclepius • impious
•Scorpius
•copious, Gropius, Procopius
•Marius • pancreas • retiarius
•Aquarius, calcareous, Darius, denarius, gregarious, hilarious, multifarious, nefarious, omnifarious, precarious, Sagittarius, senarius, Stradivarius, temerarious, various, vicarious
•Atreus
•delirious, Sirius
•vitreous
•censorious, glorious, laborious, meritorious, notorious, uproarious, uxorious, vainglorious, victorious
•opprobrious
•lugubrious, salubrious
•illustrious, industrious
•cinereous, deleterious, imperious, mysterious, Nereus, serious, Tiberius
•curious, furious, injurious, luxurious, penurious, perjurious, spurious, sulphureous (US sulfureous), usurious
•Cassius, gaseous
•Alcaeus • Celsius
•Theseus, Tiresias
•osseous, Roscius
•nauseous
•caduceus, Lucius
•Perseus • Statius • Propertius
•Deo gratias • plenteous • piteous
•bounteous
•Grotius, Photius, Proteus
•beauteous, duteous
•courteous, sestertius
•Boethius, Prometheus
•envious • Octavius
•devious, previous
•lascivious, niveous, oblivious
•obvious
•Vesuvius, Vitruvius
•impervious, pervious
•aqueous • subaqueous • obsequious
•Dionysius
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"Dionysius." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Dionysius." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Dionysius.html "Dionysius." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Dionysius.html |
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