Podcasts about pseudo dionysius

Spiritual warfare, in a Christian context, refers to the concept of engaging in a battle against evil spiritual forces, often understood as demonic or satanic entities, to protect individuals and promote God's kingdom. While this can be a literal, physical war, it is always a spiritual struggle that involves prayer, faith, and relying on God's power to overcome negative influences. But what are these negative beings? Bo from The BUMP Podcast connects with Joel in this exciting episode aimed at finding out who the enemy of this world is and what their plan is for our lives. They unravel the mystery of the Nephilim and their dead spirits which now roam the earth seeking vessels to inhabit. They then take a look at Pseudo-Dionysius and his version of Angelology and if those same hierarchies translate over to the enemy's camp as well. Lastly, they explore how to combat these evil forces and the hope that Jesus gave us all. Army of God: Pocket Guide: Purchase Here The BUMP Podcast: Website Buy Me A Coffee: Donate Website: https://linktr.ee/joelthomasmedia Follow: Instagram | X | Facebook Watch: YouTube | Rumble Music: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music Films: merkelfilms.com Email: freetherabbitspodcast@gmail.com Distributed by: merkel.media Produced by: @jack_theproducer INTRO MUSIC Joel Thomas - Free The Rabbits YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify OUTRO MUSIC Joel Thomas - Plato's Cave YouTube | Apple | Spotify

In this special crossover episode of The Sacramentalists Podcast and The Classical Mind Podcast, we dive deep into St. Bonaventure's The Journey of the Mind to God—a spiritual and philosophical masterpiece that maps the soul's ascent to divine union. Together, we explore Bonaventure's vision of contemplation, the role of intellect and love in knowing God, and the ways in which his thought is deeply sacramental, drawing from both Scripture and the broader Catholic tradition. Join us as we discuss the structure of Bonaventure's journey, the influence of St. Augustine and Pseudo-Dionysius, and how this medieval classic speaks to modern Christians seeking a deeper, more mystical encounter with God. Whether you're new to Bonaventure or a longtime admirer, this episode will challenge and inspire you to see creation, reason, and revelation as pathways to divine illumination. Get full access to The Classical Mind at www.theclassicalmind.com/subscribe

In this episode, we tackle one of the most important figures in the history of religion, philosophy, mysticism & the esoteric - the writer calling himself Dionysios, and who would create a synthesis between Neoplatonic philosophy and Christianity in ways the echoed down the centuries.Check out the Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast (SHWEP) for more Dionysius content: https://shwep.netFind me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Lossky, Vladimir (1944). "The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church". James Clarke & Co.Luibheid, Colm (Translated by) (1987). "Pseudo-Dionysius: The Complete Works". Classics of Western Spirituality. Paulist Press International.McGinn, Bernard. "The Presence of God" Series, in several volumes. Perhaps the best and most comprehensive introduction to Christian mysticism. Published by Crossroad Publishing Co.McGinn, Bernard (2001). "The Mystical Thought of Meister Eckhart: The Man From Whom God Hid Nothing". Crossroad Publishing Co.The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Entry on Pseudo-Dionysius: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pseudo-dionysius-areopagite/Earl's section:Human and celestial hierarchies compared: EH 373AB, 376BC; CH 208BCD; EH 501A-D.Angelic triads: CH 200D: 3 threefold groups of angels, as taught by Pseudo-D's sacred initiator (i.e. Hierotheos); CH 257C: each angelic triad has Iamblichean-style first and last terms with a necessary median term. Cf. Iamb. De myst. V.8.225.5-8; CH 273C ditto; EH 501A: triads au go-go.Angelic mediation between humans and god: CH 180A. God never appears without intermendiaries, even to the saints: m180C. Even to Jesus: 181C. Long discussion of Isaiah and the Seraphim: 300B ff. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Salt takes the reigns on an introduction to basic angelic magic. Covering some basic theory following Pseudo-Dionysius, he considers the implications of working with angels on a number of metaphysical levels, and explores with the gang some of the most user-friendly ways of doing so, from the famous Drawing Spirits into Crystals to John Dee's scrying experiments. Support us on patreon.com/TheFrightfulHowls and follow us at twitter.com/FrightfulHowls.

How do you classify Angels? Is any system correct or is it all anarchy? --- Join and support the community: https://www.creationspaths.com/ In this discussion, Charlie and Brian explore the enigmatic nature of angels, their classifications, and their roles across different belief systems. They examine historical and spiritual perspectives, such as the celestial hierarchies of Pseudo-Dionysius and Hermetic Kabbalah, discussing their implications in mystical and magical practices. By highlighting the fluidity and context-dependent nature of angelic systems, they argue for embracing multiple paradigms rather than rigidly adhering to a single framework. The conversation also touches on the differences between angels, otherworldly beings, and demons, emphasizing the necessity of understanding the purpose and intent behind engaging with these energies. Thank you for Liking and Subscribing to this podcast Thank you for sharing this episode with your loved ones, friends and community --- Thank you for Tips or Donations: https://ko-fi.com/cedorsett https://patreon.com/cedorsett Substack: https://www.creationspaths.com/ For all of the things we are doing at The Seraphic Grove go to Creation's Paths https://www.creationspaths.com/ For Educational Resource: https://wisdomscry.com Guided Meditations Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV0C8kiTKv0J2QAAlD1uaIJvQ3Sr9sIqO Christopagan Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV0C8kiTKv0ISXDQkZBRB7EHrUUJgXlGN The Everything Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV0C8kiTKv0Ln3eGW-tDk2R68PM6c182O Creation's Paths Podcast: http://www.creationspaths.com/podcast Church of the Oak Podcast: http://churchoftheoak.com/ Hallowstead Podcast: http://hallowstead.com/ Social Connections: BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/creationspaths.com Threads https://www.threads.net/@creationspaths Instagram https://www.instagram.com/creationspaths/ ## Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Angels 00:45 Meet the Hosts 00:59 Classifications of Spirits 01:32 Understanding Angelic Hierarchies 03:18 The Science of Classification 04:01 Celestial Hierarchies and Mystical Kabbalah 11:21 Angels and Free Will 14:20 The Conflation of Devils in History 14:51 The Nature of Angels and Demons 16:36 The Complexity of Angelology 19:06 Fluidity in Spiritual Systems 21:57 The Importance of Context in Magic 26:56 Engagement and Support 28:08 Closing Invocation

Pseudo Dionysius was a 5th century Syrian monk who wrote in Greek The Mystical Theology, his most famous work. It's like the Heart Sutra of Christianity, the via negativa, the nyeti nyeti (not this not that) of Advaita Vedanta. An appropriate reading for the holiday season.

Whenever you see “Pseudo-“ in front of a name like this, it means we don't really know who the person was. This Church father wrote under the name of Dionysius the Areopagite, a convert of St. Paul mentioned in the book of Acts. But the documents attributed to him were written hundreds of years later. Nevertheless, this unknown pseudonymous author was hugely influential for some of the most important fathers and doctors of the Church. The medieval scholastics and mystics found these writings especially inspiring. Links To listen to Mike Aquilina's episode on other anonymous Church fathers: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/episode-6-whats-in-name-anonymous-texts-from-early-church/ To go deeper into the case of Dionysius the Areopagite, with some more cautions about this author's theology and its use throughout history, see the New Advent article: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05013a.htm To read Pseudo-Dionysius' treatise, The Divine Names: https://ccel.org/ccel/rolt/dionysius/dionysius.iv.ii.html To read Pseudo-Dionysius' treatise, The Mystical Theology: https://ccel.org/ccel/rolt/dionysius/dionysius.v.html For more general information on the historical context of the early Church, see the book: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: https://sophiainstitute.com/product/reading-the-church-fathers/ SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's Newsletter:  https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters/ DONATE at:  http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio To connect with Dr. James Papandrea, On YouTube - The Original Church:  https://www.youtube.com/@TheOriginalChurch Join the conversation in the Original Church Community on Locals:  https://theoriginalchurch.locals.com/ Dr. Papandrea's Homepage:  http://www.jimpapandrea.com   Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed:  https://www.ccwatershed.org/  

Full Text of ReadingsWednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 463The Saint of the day is Saint Denis and CompanionsSaint Denis and Companions' Story This martyr and patron of France is regarded as the first bishop of Paris. His popularity is due to a series of legends, especially those connecting him with the great abbey church of St. Denis in Paris. He was for a time confused with the writer now called Pseudo-Dionysius. The best hypothesis contends that Denis was sent to Gaul from Rome in the third century and beheaded in the persecution under Emperor Valerius in 258. According to one of the legends, after he was martyred on Montmartre—literally, “mountain of martyrs”—in Paris, he carried his head to a village northeast of the city. Saint Genevieve built a basilica over his tomb at the beginning of the sixth century. Reflection Again, we have the case of a saint about whom almost nothing is known, yet one whose cult has been a vigorous part of the Church's history for centuries. We can only conclude that the deep impression the saint made on the people of his day reflected a life of unusual holiness. In all such cases, there are two fundamental facts: A great man gave his life for Christ, and the Church has never forgotten him—a human symbol of God's eternal mindfulness. Saint Denis is the Patron Saint of: France Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Upon meeting the Holy Virgin Mary, St. Dionysius the Areopagite wrote to the Apostle Paul about his experience with her. This letter is found in the Great Collection of the Lives of Saints of the Orthodox Church on the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, August 15th. https://panagiaquicktohear.com/2016/09/05/the-theotokos-and-st-dionysius-the-aeropagite/

Atheists, Agnostics & Mystics: Crossing the Divide A Fireside Lecture given on August 30, 2017 by Fr. Vincent Pizzuto, Ph.D. St. Columba's Episcopal Church and Retreat House, Inverness, CA Synopsis This public lecture, originally delivered by Fr. Vincent Pizzuto, Ph.D. on August 30, 2017, was one in a series of “Fireside Chats” he introduced in his inaugural year as Vicar of St. Columba's Church & Retreat House in Inverness, California. The series was designed to bring a range of topics into conversation with the Christian spiritual and intellectual tradition. In this lecture, Pizzuto draws upon the framework of “Negative Theology” (apophaticism), to explore Christian mystical language about God from Pseudo-Dionysius to Augustine to Aquinas. In his Boetium de Trinitate, for example, Aquinas observed, “In the end we know God as unknown.” Thus, any God we can imagine can be nothing more than an imaginary God. The language of Negative Theology (i.e., knowing God through a process of negation) may find atheists, agnostics, and mystics in unexpectedly close quarters. Pizzuto concludes that “The rise of modern atheism in the West along with the precipitous decline in church attendance must be understood, at least in part, as a purifying corrective to the spiritual, moral, and imaginative failures of our religious institutions. The consequence of these failures is the church's diminishing capacity to convey beauty. It is, after all, beauty that attracts the human spirit and beauty that compels the human conscience toward the good, not the dry, rigid formulas of doctrine, nor the clinical dissection of biblical texts, nor the ethical demands to love even before we ourselves have been made to understand not only that we are lovable…but that we are indeed love itself.” (Contemplating Christ, 40). Artwork: "Into the Unknown" by Lorraine Almeida (used with permission).

Full Text of ReadingsMonday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 461The Saint of the day is Saint Denis and CompanionsSaint Denis and Companions' Story This martyr and patron of France is regarded as the first bishop of Paris. His popularity is due to a series of legends, especially those connecting him with the great abbey church of St. Denis in Paris. He was for a time confused with the writer now called Pseudo-Dionysius. The best hypothesis contends that Denis was sent to Gaul from Rome in the third century and beheaded in the persecution under Emperor Valerius in 258. According to one of the legends, after he was martyred on Montmartre—literally, “mountain of martyrs”—in Paris, he carried his head to a village northeast of the city. Saint Genevieve built a basilica over his tomb at the beginning of the sixth century. Reflection Again, we have the case of a saint about whom almost nothing is known, yet one whose cult has been a vigorous part of the Church's history for centuries. We can only conclude that the deep impression the saint made on the people of his day reflected a life of unusual holiness. In all such cases, there are two fundamental facts: A great man gave his life for Christ, and the Church has never forgotten him—a human symbol of God's eternal mindfulness. Saint Denis is the Patron Saint of: France Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Dr. John Vervaeke and Brendan Graham Dempsey explore the intricacies of meaning, spirituality, and the human experience. The episode commences with a succinct recap of their previous discussion, touching on Neoplatonism and Zen, before diving into Brendan's recent work on the concept of meaning. The conversation spans a wide array of topics, from the epistemic aspects of meaning to the philosophical underpinnings of mindfulness and meditation. The duo also delves into the influence of historical figures like Plotinus, Dante, and Proclus, examining how their ideas can be integrated into a modern understanding of spirituality. With a focus on the potential for a synthesis between cutting-edge science and ancient wisdom, this episode offers a fresh perspective on some of the most pressing questions of our time.  Brendan Graham Dempsey is a respected voice in the realm of metamodern spirituality. With a BA from the University of Vermont and a master's degree in religion from Yale, he brings a strong academic background to his work. Authoring the influential 7-volume "Metamodern Spirituality Series" and host of its companion podcast, Dempsey is a thought leader who navigates the intricate corridors of post-postmodern culture.   Resources:   Brendan Graham Dempsey: Website | YouTube | Facebook   Books: Aspects of Truth: A New Religious Metaphysics - Catherine Pickstock  Bonaventure: The Soul's Journey into God, The Tree of Life, The Life of St. Francis Routledge Handbook on the Philosophy of Meditation - Rick Repetti (Editor) God Without Being - Jean-Luc Marion Plato's Critique of Impure Reason: On Goodness and Truth in the Republic - D.C. Schindler   Publications: The phenomenological given and the hermeneutic exchange: which holds priority? - Catherine Pickstock   Videos: Metamodern Spirituality | Updating Neoplatonic Spirituality (w/ John Vervaeke) Part 1 Neoplatonism and the Path of Transformation | Dr. John Vervaeke  The Cognitive Science Show | Transcendent Naturalism Series   Misc: PLOTINUS, Ennead, Volume IV Auguries of Innocence by William Blake | Poetry Foundation   People: Gregg Henriques Martin Heidegger John Hick Benedict De Spinoza Immanuel Kant  Dante Alighieri Alicia Juarrero Emmanuel Levinas Martin Buber Ludwig Wittgenstein   Timecodes: 00:00:20 — Dr. John Vervaeke introduces Brendan Graham Dempsey and revisits the topics of Neoplatonism and Zen from the previous conversation, which can be found on Dempsey's YouTube channel. 00:02:30 — Dempsey outlines his work in metamodern spirituality and post-postmodernism.  00:06:35 — Dr. Vervaeke discusses the model of meaning, focusing on its epistemic aspects.  00:08:20 — Adding a layer of depth to the conversation, especially regarding a cosmological view, Brendan shares his fascination with historical figures like Plotinus, Pseudo-Dionysius, and Dante. 00:10:00 — A constructivist Piagetian developmental framework is introduced by Dempsey, shifting the conversation towards understanding the developmental aspects of meaning. 00:14:00 — The topic shifts to conformity as Vervaeke discusses its role in drawing something out of the subject. He also calls for more discourse around the Neoplatonic framework. 00:15:20 — Brendan expresses excitement about the potential of Neoplatonism in contemporary times. 00:21:00 — A mystical experience from the Ennead, IV by Plotinus, is brought up, opening the door to a discussion on the nature of mystical experiences. Dr. Vervaeke responds with an analogy about complexification, adding scientific rigor to the spiritual discussion. 00:28:11 — Dempsey introduces the concept of a principle of differentiation, suggesting that experiencing this principle could lead to a mystical experience. 00:30:44 — Referencing his work on mindfulness and the philosophy of meditation, Vervaeke introduces the idea of two movements in mindfulness practice. 00:37:36 — Dr. Vervaeke expands on Brendan's point about the contextual relationship of an individual's experience, discussing the idea of complexification. 00:44:10 — Dante's work is discussed and the concept of agape, a form of love that alters the direction of relevance realization. 00:51:28 — Brendan Graham Dempsey discusses the face as a representation of meaning, suggesting that it acts as a portal to increasing meaning. 00:58:30 — Dr. Vervaeke discusses the limitations of science when it comes to probing into its own presuppositions, introducing the concept of truths that are only disclosed through significant transformation. 01:01:03 — Brendan introduces the topic of the narrative that science provides about the origins of the universe, including the Big Bang, adding a cosmological layer to the discussion. 01:09:25 — The conversation shifts to exclusivity claims and how they can mislead us into believing something is more than just indispensable, but rather metaphysically necessary.

This podcast focuses on seeing God in unexpected places, but today we discuss an essential theological concept- "apophatic" or "negative theology". Following the thought of great theologians like St. Gregory of Nyssa, Pseudo-Dionysius, and St. Maximus the Confessor, we discuss God's transcendence and unknowability. Join us to discover what this ancient theology can teach us about prayer, discernment, and humility.

In this episode, Fr. Stephen and John discuss what is known about spiritual or angelic beings, and what is purely speculative theology. They draw from sources such as the Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite's De Coelesti Hierarchia, St. Thomas Aquinas, Sacred Scripture, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.Have something you'd love to hear Fr. Stephen and John talk about? Email us at myfriendthefriar@gmail.com or click here!

Selected excerpts from the text, "The Cloud of Unknowing" - formatted for meditation/contemplation. A number of translations have been used but most were taken from Carmen Acevedo Butcher's translation. The Cloud of Unknowing is an anonymous work of Christian mysticism, most likely a Carthusian monk, written in Middle English in the latter half of the 14th century. The text is a spiritual guide on contemplative prayer in the Late Middle Ages. The underlying message of this work suggests that the way to know God is to abandon consideration of God's particular activities and attributes, and be courageous enough to surrender one's mind and ego to the realm of "unknowing", at which point one may begin to glimpse the nature of God. The Cloud of Unknowing draws on the mystical tradition of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite and Christian Neoplatonism, which focuses on the via negativa road to discovering God as a pure entity, beyond any capacity of mental conception and so without any definitive image or form.

Discover the profound wisdom of the Neo-Platonic Christian Tradition in this episode of After Socrates. Dive into the works of thinkers like St. Bonaventure, John Scotus Eriugena, and Nicholas of Cusa, and explore the concepts of dialectical contemplation, solipsistic skepticism, and ontological depth perception. Guests featured: St. Augustine, Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Jonathan Pageau, and more.

In Episode 12 of Dr. John Vervaeke's "After Socrates," titled "The Way of the Logos," we delve deep into the world of Plotinus and his concept of dialectic, exploring how the intelligible world can be understood through a study of the nature and interconnection of real being. This episode examines the evolution of cognition and its relation to the grammar of reality, providing insights into Aristotle's conformity theory, transcendental argument, and solipsism. We also discuss the notion of epiphenomenalism, where we learn that some things can be real without being actual or causally interactive. This episode further explores the concept of Dia-Logos, which focuses on improving the generative grammar of cognition to better track the through line generated by the grammar of being. Throughout the episode, various philosophers and their works are referenced, including Proclus, Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, and St. Augustine of Hippo. The episode concludes by touching upon the topic of Theurgia, setting the stage for a more in-depth exploration in future episodes. Join Dr. Vervaeke in this fascinating exploration of the intellectual journey we must pursue to understand the intelligible world and its relation to our cognitive evolution. Please join our Patreon to support our work! https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke -- You are invited to join John, Guy, and Christopher live, online, at the next Circling & Dialogos Workshop where we discuss & practice the tools involved in both Philosophical Fellowship & Dialectic into Dialogos. You can find more information, and register, here:   https://circlinginstitute.com/circlin... --- After Socrates is a series about how to create the theory, the practice, and the ecology of practices such that we can live and grow and develop through a Socratic way of life. The core argument is; the combination of the theoretical framework and the pedagogical program of practices can properly conduct us into the Socratic way of life. We believe that the Socratic way of life is what is most needed today because it is the one that can most help us cultivate wisdom in a way that is simultaneously respectful to spiritual tradition and to current scientific work.

A selection of verses taken from various texts from the works of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, (flourished c. 500), probably a Syrian monk who, known only by his pseudonym, wrote a series of Greek treatises and letters for the purpose of uniting Neoplatonic philosophy with Christian theology and mystical experience. In the early sixth century, a series of writings of a mystical nature, known as the Corpus Areopagiticum or Corpus Dionysiacum was ascribed to the Areopagite. They have long been recognized as pseudepigrapha, and their author is now called "Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite". The author pseudepigraphically identifies himself in the corpus as "Dionysius", portraying himself as Dionysius the Areopagite, the Athenian convert of Paul the Apostle mentioned in Acts 17:34 According to Pseudo-Dionysius, God is better characterized and approached by negations than by affirmations. All names and theological representations must be negated. According to pseudo-Dionysius, when all names are negated, "divine silence, darkness, and unknowing" will follow. The Dionysian corpus was absorbed into Greek and Eastern Christian theologies and also influenced mystics in the Western church, such as Meister Eckhart. Thomas Aquinas was among those who wrote commentaries on the works. There remains for the Christian reader no theologian or scholar quite as enigmatic as Pseudo-Dionysius.

Have the great Christian saints, over millennia, been in agreement about some central points and practices if we hope to continue our growth? One scholar says they have been indeed. Dave Schmelzer runs down some key points of interest, not least the happy surprise that, if we keep at this, our reward will be an overflowing playfulness in our lives. Mentioned on this podcast:Jason M. Baxter's book An Introduction to Christian Mysticism; Recovering the Wildness of Spiritual LifePete Holmes on not knowingSome mystics who come up: Hildegard of Bingen, Gregory of Nyssa, Meister Eckhart, Thomas Merton, Evagrius, Nicholas of Cusa, Pseudo-Dionysius, Augustine, Francis of Assisi, John Ruusbroec, Evelyn Underhill, C.S. Lewis

Full Text of ReadingsTwenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 144All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint Denis and CompanionsThis martyr and patron of France is regarded as the first bishop of Paris. His popularity is due to a series of legends, especially those connecting him with the great abbey church of St. Denis in Paris. He was for a time confused with the writer now called Pseudo-Dionysius. The best hypothesis contends that Denis was sent to Gaul from Rome in the third century and beheaded in the persecution under Emperor Valerius in 258. According to one of the legends, after he was martyred on Montmartre—literally, “mountain of martyrs”—in Paris, he carried his head to a village northeast of the city. Saint Genevieve built a basilica over his tomb at the beginning of the sixth century. Reflection Again, we have the case of a saint about whom almost nothing is known, yet one whose cult has been a vigorous part of the Church's history for centuries. We can only conclude that the deep impression the saint made on the people of his day reflected a life of unusual holiness. In all such cases, there are two fundamental facts: A great man gave his life for Christ, and the Church has never forgotten him—a human symbol of God's eternal mindfulness. Saint Denis is the Patron Saint of: France Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Today's meditation comes from The Book Of Acts in The New Testament and from the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius, with music by Stephen Keech.

The six Enneads are the collected writings of the Neoplatonic philosopher Plotinus, arranged by his student Porphyry into fifty-four books with each Ennead containing nine. Plotinus was a student of Ammonius Saccas and the founder of Neoplatonism. His work, through Augustine of Hippo, the Cappadocian Fathers, Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite and several subsequent thinkers, has greatly influenced Western thought.The translator Kenneth Sylvan Guthrie arranged these books chronologically rather than according to Porphyry's numeration. This recording is organized according to Porphyry's numeration with Roman numerals indicating the Ennead and numerals indicating the book e.g. VI.9 would be the ninth book of the sixth Ennead. A hyperlinked table of contents at Volume 1 Page 3 of the gutenberg.org text will enable you to jump to the specific Ennead if you wish to read along with the recording.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The six Enneads are the collected writings of the Neoplatonic philosopher Plotinus, arranged by his student Porphyry into fifty-four books with each Ennead containing nine. Plotinus was a student of Ammonius Saccas and the founder of Neoplatonism. His work, through Augustine of Hippo, the Cappadocian Fathers, Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite and several subsequent thinkers, has greatly influenced Western thought.The translator Kenneth Sylvan Guthrie arranged these books chronologically rather than according to Porphyry's numeration. This recording is organized according to Porphyry's numeration with Roman numerals indicating the Ennead and numerals indicating the book e.g. VI.9 would be the ninth book of the sixth Ennead. A hyperlinked table of contents at Volume 1 Page 3 of the gutenberg.org text will enable you to jump to the specific Ennead if you wish to read along with the recording.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to Quotomania on Simplecast or search for Quotomania on your favorite podcast app!Hugh of Saint-Victor, also called Hugo of Saint-Victor, (born 1096—died Feb. 11, 1141, Paris, France), was an eminent scholastic theologian who began the tradition of mysticism that made the school of Saint-Victor, Paris, famous throughout the 12th century.Of noble birth, Hugh joined the Augustinian canons at the monastery of Hamersleben, near Halberstadt (now in Germany). He went to Paris (c. 1115) with his uncle, Archdeacon Reinhard of Halberstadt, and settled at Saint-Victor Abbey. From 1133 until his death, the school of Saint-Victor flourished under Hugh's guidance.His mystical treatises were strongly influenced by Bishop St. Augustine of Hippo, whose practical teachings on contemplative life Hugh blended with the theoretical writings of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. Hugh's somewhat innovative style of exegesis made an important contribution to the development of natural theology: he based his arguments for God's existence on external and internal experience and added a teleological proof originating from the facts of experience. His chief work on dogmatic theology was De sacramentis Christianae fidei (“The Sacraments of the Christian Faith”), which anticipated some of the works of St. Thomas Aquinas.Unlike some of his contemporaries, Hugh upheld secular learning by promoting knowledge as an introduction to contemplative life: “Learn everything,” he said, “and you will see afterward that nothing is useless.” A prolific writer, Hugh wrote the Didascalicon, a remarkably comprehensive early encyclopedia, as well as commentaries on the Scriptures and on the Celestial Hierarchy of Pseudo-Dionysius. The edition of Hugh's work by the canons of Saint-Victor (1648) was reprinted in J.-P. Migne's Patrologiae Cursus Completus (Series Latina), 1844–64.From https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hugh-of-Saint-Victor. For more information about Hugo of St. Victor:“The Didascalicon”: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-didascalicon-of-hugh-of-saint-victor-jerome-taylor/1130545158“Hugh of St. Victor”: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/an-introduction-to-medieval-theology/hugh-of-st-victor/2AA438FA249415DD975D3E3A27E78383

This episode we deal with our first incognito secret-agent pseudonymous theologian, Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, the way he blends Christianity with Neoplatonism, and how this impacts his demonology. Pseudo-Dionysius, The Complete Works(Free online version.)Marilena Vlad, “Dionysius the Areopagite on Angels: Self-Constitution vs. Constituting Gifts” in Neoplatonic Demons and Angels, ed. Luc BrissonKevin Corrigan and L. Michael Harrington, “Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite” at the Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyChristoph Helmig and Carlos Steel, “Proclus,” at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Colleen Hubbard's new novel, Housebreaking, on sale now

Christianity has many unknowns, which makes possible many differing beliefs. This can be discouraging. There are limits in the extent of our reasoning, something Immanuel Kant explored in his theory of antinomies. And there are limits in the answers resolvable in scripture, in response to which Pseudo-Dionysius admonished that theology must remain within the bounds of revelation. But the unknowns need not stop us from knowing God. Key is to persist in way of holiness and nurture a life with the Holy Spirit.

John Vervaeke and Paul VanderKlay come together for a dialogue on neoplatonism, evolution, and Christianity. This is my third dialogue with John Vervaeke and the first appearance of Paul on my channel. We mention Adam Friended, David Sloan Wilson, Bret Weinstein, Thomas Aquinas, the Apostle Paul, Jacob Faturechi, Origen of Alexandria, Plotinus, Philo of Alexandria, John Scotus Eriugena, Proclus, Maximus the Confessor, Porphyry, Noam Chomsky, Northrop Frye, CS Lewis, Iamblichus, Gregory Shaw, Pseudo-Dionysius, Jonathan Pageau, Numenius, Alvin Platinga, Daniel Dennett, Donald Hoffman, Joscha Bach, Paul Anleitner (aka Deep Talks ), Sevilla King (aka A Quality Existence ), Cornelius Platinga, David Bentley Hart, sigmund freud, Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Hagel, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, DC Schlinder, Von Balthasar, and more.

The very brief chapter four and five of Pseudo Dionysius' Mystical Theology. Uploading to slowly. Was hard to even get to Podbean to download. Christmas day connectivity logjam I guess. - dc

Full Text of ReadingsSaturday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 466All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint Denis and CompanionsThis martyr and patron of France is regarded as the first bishop of Paris. His popularity is due to a series of legends, especially those connecting him with the great abbey church of St. Denis in Paris. He was for a time confused with the writer now called Pseudo-Dionysius. The best hypothesis contends that Denis was sent to Gaul from Rome in the third century and beheaded in the persecution under Emperor Valerius in 258. According to one of the legends, after he was martyred on Montmartre—literally, “mountain of martyrs”—in Paris, he carried his head to a village northeast of the city. Saint Genevieve built a basilica over his tomb at the beginning of the sixth century. Reflection Again, we have the case of a saint about whom almost nothing is known, yet one whose cult has been a vigorous part of the Church's history for centuries. We can only conclude that the deep impression the saint made on the people of his day reflected a life of unusual holiness. In all such cases, there are two fundamental facts: A great man gave his life for Christ, and the Church has never forgotten him—a human symbol of God's eternal mindfulness. Saint Denis is the Patron Saint of: France Saint of the Day Copyright Franciscan Media

In part two of this series exploring the intersection of theology & cognitive science via the work of John Vervaeke, we'll examine the potential points of intersection between Vervaeke's work and the work of Christian theologians & philosophers such as David Bentley Hart, Pseudo-Dionysius, Søren Kierkegaard, & Miroslav Volf. We'll consider the nature of consciousness, how even mystical experiences may stop short of true metanoia/repentance, and what to look for as marks of genuine spiritual awakening using insights from theology and cognitive science. John Vervaeke and I have had two wonderful discussions in the past. You can check them out here: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-cuaty-f7d11a and here: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-q3ccv-107e94b     AS I MENTION IN TODAY'S EPISODE, there a free visual aides you can download here : https://www.patreon.com/posts/visual-aides-for-54677036?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copy_to_clipboard&utm_camp   -------------- TAGS: John Vervaeke, David Bentley Hart, David Bentley Hart consciousness, Consciousness Being Bliss, Awakening from the Meaning Crisis John Vervaeke, Soren Kierkegaard, Miroslav Volf, meaning crisis, cognitive science and theology, theology and science, post-secular, Christian mysticism, Christian mystics, Mystic theology, mysticism, meditation and contemplation ------------------ If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE AN PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

In this interview, I am joined by Professor Arthur Versluis, a professor and Department Chair of Religious Studies in the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University, author of over 25 books on subjects ranging from Western esotericism, magic, Christian Theosophy, ancient mystery schools, and more. In this episode we discuss Arthur's latest book, ‘Conversations In Apocalyptic Times' and trace a thread of esoteric Christianity that stretches back to the mystery schools of Ancient Greece. We discover fascinating figures such as shoemaker and mystic Jakob Böhme; priest, alchemist, and astrologer John Pordage; and learn about the negative theology of Christian Neoplatanist Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, contrasting it with Buddhist notions of emptiness and the ‘neti neti' method advocated by Shankara. Arthur also explains the differences between historical and a-historical lineages and discusses the recurring friction between the religious mystic and the religious institution. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/ep106-arthur-versluis-phd-conversations-in-apocalyptic-times/ 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:04 - Arthur's academic and popular writing 02:30 - Arthur's childhood interest in the unknown 03:59 - Jakob Böhme, John Pordage, and Christian Theosophy 07:33 - Lineage and ahistorical continuity 10:00 - Christianity as a Mystery Tradition 18:28 - Christian Theosophy as an alchemical, contemplative path 24:32 - Why are mystics persecuted by the institutions? 30:04 - Negative theology, mystical transcendence, and Platonic mysticism 35:53 - Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite 39:39 - Comparisons and differences between negative theology and shunyata 44:43 - How are a-historical lineages revived and reconstructed? 49:35 - Robert Fass' synthesis of Western psychology and Christian Theosophy ... To find out more about Dr Arthur Versluis, visit: - https://arthurversluis.com/ 
For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

John Vervaeke is a Professor of Cognitive Science and Psychology at the University of Toronto. He has an excellent youtube channel and I would particularly recommend his series "Awakening from the Meaning Crisis". Awakening from the Meaning Crisis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54l8_ewcOlY&list=PLND1JCRq8Vuh3f0P5qjrSdb5eC1ZfZwWJ In this conversation we talk about what Neoplatonism was, how it interacted with Christianity, and how it is relevant today. We mention Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Carl Jung, Pierre Hadot, Plotinus, Hypatia, D. T. Suzuki, John H Spencer, The Stoics, Porphyry, Iamblichus, Proclus, Sir Roger Penrose, William Lane Craig, Alfred North Whitehead, Owen Gilbert, Keith Stanovich, Jules Evans, Polar Bears, Bret Weinstein, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, Evan Thompson, Christopher Mastropietro, Pseudo Dionysius, John Scotus Eriugena, Heraclitus, Jonathan Pageau, Augustine, and Paul Vanderklay.

Pseudo-Dionysius - On the Heavenly Hierarchy This book was the inspiration for most of Thomas Aquinas hierarchy on angels. It also inspired the gothic architecture, with Abbot Suger in Saint-Denis.

On this episode of The Alchemical Mind, I take a look at the Eastern influence on early Christian thought, and the similarities between mystical experience and the recognition of the divine and the self. We will take a look at the Kena Upanishad along with some of the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius The Aeropagite to make connections between these two traditions, and how the neti neti method - or agnosia as Pseudo-Dionysius called it - can be used to understand who we really are. The website is now live - https://thealchemicalmind.com. There you can also find links to our Discord channel as well as the Patreon which will be launching officially this week. If you'd like to check in touch, follow the podcast on Twitter, @MindAlchemical, or just leave a voicemail directly on Anchor.fm. If you haven't subscribed yet, be sure to do so: Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1511325742 Google Podcasts - https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8xYjRmN2JlYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw== Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2ZOhy8aSpJEU5mtfT5ia2T RSS - https://anchor.fm/s/1b4f7bec/podcast/rss Leave a review, and share the podcast with a friend. Music provided by Kabbalistic Village (https://kabbalisticvillage.com/) --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-alchemical-mind/support

The history of demons is back! Yes, my favorite topic and segment on the show returns this week with a look at the powerful Asmodeus and the hierarchy of angels and demons. We also take a look at Charles Berbiguier, a man with a sorted past filled with demons. But let's start with Asmodeus! He was a demon, of course, who was also known by Asmoday, who was often portrayed as beast with three heads, a man, a bull, and a ram. He was a handsome fella to say the least. He's also regarded as a powerful demon, even being considered as one of the rulers, or kings of the nine hells. He was also a demon obsessed with a woman by the name of Sarah, who he forbade from ever marrying - in fact the jealousy became so much that when she did marry, he simply killed her husband. This happened seven times by many accounts.  The hierarchy of the angels and demons can be broken down into nine areas, or choirs, with three different branches. The top sphere consists of those closest closest to the Throne of God, to the lower sphere, which consists of those closest to the physical realm. This hierarchy was created by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in his work the Celestial Hierarchy in the 4th or 5th century. Lastly, we have Charles Berbiguier, whose name I have a hard time pronouncing, so I anglicized the crap out of it. He was an interesting character who believed to have been haunted and tormented by demons of varying degrees. He also claimed to have communed with said demons on the regular, before publishing his very own autobiography, which detailed many of these encounters. Many scholars of the time dismissed him to a point, yet his work would be the central point of research and inspiration for other scholars in the field. It's all about interpretation, I suppose. Whether Berbiguier was honest in his claims, or simply mentally disturbed is up for debate. But, if you want to know more, feel free to listen to he episode in full!  Also! Don't forget to check out, and support if you can Elizabeth McCafferty's project on Indiegogo, HERE. Our sponsor: www.morbidlybeautiful.com Merch: www.redbubble.com/people/HorrorShots Youtube Twitch: www.twitch.tv/muskyfaux Website: www.horrorshots.com Instagram: ominousoriginspod Twitter: @horrorshotsprod Facebook: Horrorshots Patreon: www.patreon.com/horrorshots

An webinar lecture with Professor Torrance Kirby (McGill University), delivered August 11, 2020. Part of our summer webinar series on "Reason and Beauty in Renaissance Christian Thought and Culture," presented in collaboration with the American Cusanus Society Richard Hooker (1554-1600) was a preeminent theologian and philosopher of the Elizabethan Church. His seminal book, Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity (1593), set out a path for Anglican theology that was distinct from both Puritan and Roman Catholic thought. In Book I, Hooker identifies Law with Holy Wisdom and his treatment echoes the sapiential books of Scripture, viz. Proverbs, Job, and the Wisdom of Solomon. Hooker also appeals to a hierarchical disposition of the species of law in the medieval scholastic conception of the ‘lex divinitatis', especially as formulated by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite and later by Thomas Aquinas. For Hooker, the First Eternal Law concealed in the ‘Bosome of God' is unutterable, while its external emanation, the Second Eternal Law, is a ‘Voyce' whose utterance constitutes the beautiful ‘Harmony of the Worlde'. This distinction between two species of Eternal Law owes much to the ancient Neoplatonic metaphysics of Proclus. Both Hooker's sapiential theology and his invocation of the law of the ‘great chain' stand in creative tension with his professed adherence to doctrine expressed by the Elizabethan Articles of Religion (1571). In this webinar, Professor Torrance Kirby will examine the tension between Hooker's sources and his theology and will ask whether Hooker is successful in reconciling his legal metaphysics with his Reformed soteriology.

Fast-paced intro to the History of Mysticism in under 10, strap in • (Prehistory) Birth – One with Nature - 1:17Animism, Shamanism, Indigenous/Native Traditions, Egyptian, Proto Indo-Iranian, Proto Indo-European, Vedic and Mesopotamian Religion • (1000BCE) Infancy - 1:36Judaism, Hinduism, Jainism, Zoroaster, Greco-Roman Mysteries • (500bce) Discovering Self - 2:07Upanishads, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Hebrew prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel, Greek Philosophers Pythagoras, Parmenedies and Plato, Taoism - Lao tzu • (0) Rebellious age - 3:08Early Jewish Mysticism: Essenes, Qumran, Hasideans, Therapeutae, Apocalypticism, Merkava, Hechalot. Philo - Middle Platonism. Early Christian Mysticism: Paul, Ignatius, Irenaeus, Origen, Augustine, Pseudo Dionysius, Christian East: Maximus the Confessor. Gnosticism and Hermeticism. Neoplatonism: Plotinus, Porphyry, Iamblichus. East: The Bhagavad Gita. Theravada and later Mahayana Buddhism • (5th – 10th/11th) Dark Night / Death of Mysticism - 4:14One exception in the West: John Scotus. Sufism: Al-Hallaj and Al-Farabi. East: Shankara, Advaita Vedanta. Zen and Tibetan Buddhism • (12th-15th) the Rebirth – Renaissance - 5:14Christian Mystics: Francis of Assisi, Albertus Magnus, Mesiter Ekhart, Raymond Llull, Nicolas of Cusa. Jewish Mystics: Ibn Gabirol, Isaac the Blind, Chasidei Ashkenaz, Eleazar of Worms, Avrohom ben HaRambam, Azriel of Gerona, Avrohom Abulafia, Nahmanides, Publicising of the Zohar, Joseph Gikatilla's Shaarei Orah. Sufis: Rumi, Ibn Arabi. Sikhism. Christian Kabbalists: Marsilo Ficino, Pico della Mirandola, Giordano Bruno • (1500s) Growth - 6:14Safed Kabbalists: Joseph Karo, Shlomo Alkabetz, Moses Cordovero, Isaac Luria, Hayim Vital. Christian Mystics: Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross • (1600s) - 6:45Spinoza - Pantheism. George Fox - Quakers. Mulla Sadra - Illuminationism • (18th) Enlightenment – Waking up, Mirror Phase Newton, Rosicrucianism, Swedenborg, William Blake, Yisrael Baal Shem - Hasidism, Jakob Böhme - Bohemian Theosophy. Idealism & Romanticism: Berkeley, Fichte, Schelling, Hegel and Schopenhauer • (1800s) - 7:32Transcendentalism, Emerson and Thoreau. Occultism: Eliphas Levi, Madam Blavatsky and Manly P. Hall - Theosophical Society • (1900s) Rudolf Steiner - Anthroposophy, Gurdjieff - Fourth Way, René Guénon - Traditionalism. Modern Perennialists: William Jame, Aldous Huxley. Neohasidism: Hillel Zeitlin, Martin Buber, Avraham Yeshua Heschel, Zalman Schecher-Shalomi. Buddhist Modernism and NeoVedanta: Alan Watts, Professor Suzuki, Christmas Humphreys. New Age. Modern study of Mysticism • [Summary] - 7:55 • (2019:) You #ProjectUnity Let me know which of these periods, traditions, movements or mystics you want to hear covered in a future episode. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This week's episode revolves around St. Thomas Aquinas, starting off with Christine absolutely fan-girling over Thomas' teacher and mentor, St. Albertus Magnus. Seth and Erica follow my discussing Thomas, his Summa Theologica, and the most essential things to know about what Thomas meant to Western Civ, Christian thought, and what he actually wrote.Also mentioned in this Episode: Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, Dante, The Avengers, Tony Stark, Brice Banner, JARVIS, Alchemy, Nicholas Flamel, The Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter, robots, androids, Fat Saints, Jacked Saints, Steampunk, Mad Scientists, Science, Dominicans, arsenic, photography, sailors, Abelard, Pseudo-Dionysius, Pirated Language, Law, Natural Law, Human Law, Divine Law, Eternal Law, Christine's Amazing Hair day, many cheetos possibly being stolen, bonobos, chimpanzees, r/K Selection Theory, and pretzels.

On episode 143 of the Brew Theology podcast, Janel Apps Ramsey, Ryan Miller and Mark Donato continue the conversation with Eric Peter on Centering Prayer (Part 1) and more... This tradition was handed on by the Hesychasts of the Eastern Orthodox tradition, in particular by the sixth-century Syrian monk known as Pseudo-Dionysius; Meister Eckhardt, John Ruysbroeck, and the Rhineland mystics in the Middle ages; the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing in the fourteenth century; later by the Carmelite tradition exemplified by Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Therese of Lisieux, and Elizabeth of the Trinity; and in the last century by Thomas Merton. Although traditionally a Christian prayer practice, Centering Prayer welcomes all interested in developing or strengthening their relationship with God. Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer; rather it casts a new light and depth of meaning to them. It is at the same time a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. Eric Peter has been studying and practicing a wide range of meditation techniques for almost 20 years. He has been a part of Contemplative Outreach for 15 years and has served as a facilitator of Centering Prayer, a volunteer in the Prison Ministry Program and as a presenter of Introductory Workshops. He has been a Benedictine Oblate since 2014 and makes his living as a bee keeper If you are a fan of this episode and/or other Brew Theology shows, give this episode a share on the interwebs, rate Brew Theology on iTunes and give BT a brewtastic review! Head over to the Brew Theology website, www.brewtheology.org to learn more, and/or become a local partner, sponsor and financial contributor. Questions & inquiries about Brew Theology, the alliance/network, Denver community or podcast, contact Ryan Miller: ryan@brewtheology.org &/ or janel@brewtheology.org. /// Follow us on Facebook & Instagram (@brewtheology) & Twitter (@brew_theology) Brew Theology swag HERE. T-shirts, tanks, hoodies, V-neck's, women's, etc. all in multiple colors.

On episode 142 of the Brew Theology podcast, Janel Apps Ramsey, Ryan Miller and Mark Donato talk to Eric Peter on Centering Prayer (Part 1) and more... This tradition was handed on by the Hesychasts of the Eastern Orthodox tradition, in particular by the sixth-century Syrian monk known as Pseudo-Dionysius; Meister Eckhardt, John Ruysbroeck, and the Rhineland mystics in the Middle ages; the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing in the fourteenth century; later by the Carmelite tradition exemplified by Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Therese of Lisieux, and Elizabeth of the Trinity; and in the last century by Thomas Merton. Although traditionally a Christian prayer practice, Centering Prayer welcomes all interested in developing or strengthening their relationship with God. Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer; rather it casts a new light and depth of meaning to them. It is at the same time a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. Eric Peter has been studying and practicing a wide range of meditation techniques for almost 20 years. He has been a part of Contemplative Outreach for 15 years and has served as a facilitator of Centering Prayer, a volunteer in the Prison Ministry Program and as a presenter of Introductory Workshops. He has been a Benedictine Oblate since 2014 and makes his living as a bee keeper If you are a fan of this episode and/or other Brew Theology shows, give this episode a share on the interwebs, rate Brew Theology on iTunes and give BT a brewtastic review! Head over to the Brew Theology website, www.brewtheology.org to learn more, and/or become a local partner, sponsor and financial contributor. Questions & inquiries about Brew Theology, the alliance/network, Denver community or podcast, contact Ryan Miller: ryan@brewtheology.org &/ or janel@brewtheology.org. /// Follow us on Facebook & Instagram (@brewtheology) & Twitter (@brew_theology) Brew Theology swag HERE. T-shirts, tanks, hoodies, V-neck's, women's, etc. all in multiple colors.    

In this episode the Pilgrim looks deep into the eyes of Beatrice (symbolic of Divine Knowledge and Theology), and sees the reflection of a light which one also would see, if one looks deep into the source of the "motion" of the Primo Mobile. He then sees the Beatific Vision with the source of Light in the center, and nine circles of Angelical Beings representing in some ways spiritual forces from messengers, to sovereign territory powers, to divine powers, to concepts like streams of knowledge and pure Love. Dante is referring this to the writings of Dionysius the Aeropagite, later found to be "Pseudo-Dionysius" the Aeropagite, in the 5th or 6th century AD. The treaty "On the Celestial Hierarchy" is here: https://archive.org/details/worksofdionysius02pseu This chapter also re-presents the structure of the book and the Journey through Paradise, towards a fuller understanding of the Divine Essence! Thanks for listening, and enjoy! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode, we get a world-historical overview of the term "theurgy" from German classicist and friend of the podcast, Leonte Maisel! We hop around from Iamblichus to Porphyry to Plotinus to Pseudo-Dionysius to Augustine to... well you get the point. Enjoy! Thanks to Thrpii's for the exit track this week. You can find them on Spotify, or check out their Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/thrpii/ Don't forget, if you like what we're doing, and you want to lend us some monetary support, visit Patreon.com/PTRPodcast !

In this episode we follow an unknown man into unknown and unknowable territory--the realm beyond language and comprehension.

The mystical theologian Pseudo-Dionysius may remain a mystery, but the influence of his work upon the theology of the Eastern and Western Church is quite evident. From the theology of the Angels, to Christology, to Prayer, Pseudo-Dionysius left the stamp of his thought upon the Church. Links: Icon of the original Dionysius the Areopagite. Pope […]

It's time for our Patreon-selected topic for the quarter, and this one's so big it'll take up two episodes! Our topic this week is angels, and with so much material to work with we just had to break this topic up. This episode has relatively little pure gaming content, because we had to push all of that off until next week! First, though, we talk about recording another session with City on a Hill Gaming, and Peter's side quest episode, as well as a brief note about Grant's upcoming Vampire game. Our Patreon question this week comes from Kenning, who asks, "What is your favorite movie to talk about? Not necessarily a good movie, but an interesting one to talk about?" After quite a lot of Scripture to read—turns out there's plenty of verses about angels!—we tackle our main topic: Angels and angelology! What even are angels? What's their purpose? What do we know about them, and from what sources? How do they appear in popular culture? And why do we care about the opinions of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite on the matter? Mentioned in this episode: Gustav Davidson’s A Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels, Gill's Exposition of the Bible, STG 110, "Spiritual Warfare (with Rev. Derek White)", Min/Max Podcast #83, "Devastation: By Kobold" Scripture: Genesis 3:23-24, 2 Kings 6:17, Isaiah 6:1-4, Ezekiel 1:4-21, Daniel 10:5-14, Luke 2:8-14, Colossians 1:16

Jeff Waddington previews his address for the 2018 Theology Conference. He speaks about Pseudo-Dionysius, a key influence upon Thomas Aquinas. Dionysius attempted to integrate neoplatonism with Christianity. The result was a Christianization of the great chain of being. Register for the upcoming conference. Reading List Daria Spezzano, The Glory of God's Grace: Deification According to St. Thomas Aquinas Dominic Legge: The Trinitarian Christology of St. Thomas Aquinas Lawrence Feingold: The Natural Desire to See God According to St. Thomas and His Interpreters Hans Boersma, Seeing God: The Beatific Vision in Christian Tradition [embed]https://youtu.be/L4sTPjFyBPU[/embed]

Was Hegel a medieval thinker? In The Birth of Theory (University of Chicago Press, 2014), Andrew Cole puts forward a reexamination of Hegelian dialectics that embeds Hegel in a long tradition of medieval dialectical thinking and suggests that it is precisely Hegel's engagement with medieval modes of thought that make his work a productive source for Marx and the later thinkers who develop dialectical thinking into theory as we know it today. The Birth of Theory challenges readers with insights won from strenuous contests with the writing of history, philosophy, religion, literature, and political economy. As he makes the case for rereading Hegelian dialectics based on the essentially feudal social and economic organization of Germany in Hegel's moment, Cole drives at the arbitrary distinctions between medieval and modern but also those between dialectical and anti-dialectical thinking, writing a long arc of intellectual history that renegotiates theory's relationship to Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Hegel, Marx, Heidegger, Deleuze and many others in between (xviii). Along the way, the argument asks readers to dispense with a host of critical cliches as it winds deftly between close readings of Pseudo-Dionysius and Nietzsche's Birth of Tragedy to comparative readings of Hegel on the Eucharist and Marx on the commodity, closing with focused and revelatory attention on the legacy established by Hegel in using medieval genres in response to the modern condition. Carl Nellis is an academic editor and writing instructor working north of Boston, where he researches contemporary American community formation around appropriations of medieval European culture. You can learn more about Carls work at carlnellis.wordpress.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was Hegel a medieval thinker? In The Birth of Theory (University of Chicago Press, 2014), Andrew Cole puts forward a reexamination of Hegelian dialectics that embeds Hegel in a long tradition of medieval dialectical thinking and suggests that it is precisely Hegel’s engagement with medieval modes of thought that make his work a productive source for Marx and the later thinkers who develop dialectical thinking into theory as we know it today. The Birth of Theory challenges readers with insights won from strenuous contests with the writing of history, philosophy, religion, literature, and political economy. As he makes the case for rereading Hegelian dialectics based on the essentially feudal social and economic organization of Germany in Hegel’s moment, Cole drives at the arbitrary distinctions between medieval and modern but also those between dialectical and anti-dialectical thinking, writing a long arc of intellectual history that renegotiates theory’s relationship to Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Hegel, Marx, Heidegger, Deleuze and many others in between (xviii). Along the way, the argument asks readers to dispense with a host of critical cliches as it winds deftly between close readings of Pseudo-Dionysius and Nietzsche’s Birth of Tragedy to comparative readings of Hegel on the Eucharist and Marx on the commodity, closing with focused and revelatory attention on the legacy established by Hegel in using medieval genres in response to the modern condition. Carl Nellis is an academic editor and writing instructor working north of Boston, where he researches contemporary American community formation around appropriations of medieval European culture. You can learn more about Carls work at carlnellis.wordpress.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was Hegel a medieval thinker? In The Birth of Theory (University of Chicago Press, 2014), Andrew Cole puts forward a reexamination of Hegelian dialectics that embeds Hegel in a long tradition of medieval dialectical thinking and suggests that it is precisely Hegel’s engagement with medieval modes of thought that make his work a productive source for Marx and the later thinkers who develop dialectical thinking into theory as we know it today. The Birth of Theory challenges readers with insights won from strenuous contests with the writing of history, philosophy, religion, literature, and political economy. As he makes the case for rereading Hegelian dialectics based on the essentially feudal social and economic organization of Germany in Hegel’s moment, Cole drives at the arbitrary distinctions between medieval and modern but also those between dialectical and anti-dialectical thinking, writing a long arc of intellectual history that renegotiates theory’s relationship to Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Hegel, Marx, Heidegger, Deleuze and many others in between (xviii). Along the way, the argument asks readers to dispense with a host of critical cliches as it winds deftly between close readings of Pseudo-Dionysius and Nietzsche’s Birth of Tragedy to comparative readings of Hegel on the Eucharist and Marx on the commodity, closing with focused and revelatory attention on the legacy established by Hegel in using medieval genres in response to the modern condition. Carl Nellis is an academic editor and writing instructor working north of Boston, where he researches contemporary American community formation around appropriations of medieval European culture. You can learn more about Carls work at carlnellis.wordpress.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was Hegel a medieval thinker? In The Birth of Theory (University of Chicago Press, 2014), Andrew Cole puts forward a reexamination of Hegelian dialectics that embeds Hegel in a long tradition of medieval dialectical thinking and suggests that it is precisely Hegel’s engagement with medieval modes of thought that make his work a productive source for Marx and the later thinkers who develop dialectical thinking into theory as we know it today. The Birth of Theory challenges readers with insights won from strenuous contests with the writing of history, philosophy, religion, literature, and political economy. As he makes the case for rereading Hegelian dialectics based on the essentially feudal social and economic organization of Germany in Hegel’s moment, Cole drives at the arbitrary distinctions between medieval and modern but also those between dialectical and anti-dialectical thinking, writing a long arc of intellectual history that renegotiates theory’s relationship to Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Hegel, Marx, Heidegger, Deleuze and many others in between (xviii). Along the way, the argument asks readers to dispense with a host of critical cliches as it winds deftly between close readings of Pseudo-Dionysius and Nietzsche’s Birth of Tragedy to comparative readings of Hegel on the Eucharist and Marx on the commodity, closing with focused and revelatory attention on the legacy established by Hegel in using medieval genres in response to the modern condition. Carl Nellis is an academic editor and writing instructor working north of Boston, where he researches contemporary American community formation around appropriations of medieval European culture. You can learn more about Carls work at carlnellis.wordpress.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was Hegel a medieval thinker? In The Birth of Theory (University of Chicago Press, 2014), Andrew Cole puts forward a reexamination of Hegelian dialectics that embeds Hegel in a long tradition of medieval dialectical thinking and suggests that it is precisely Hegel’s engagement with medieval modes of thought that make his work a productive source for Marx and the later thinkers who develop dialectical thinking into theory as we know it today. The Birth of Theory challenges readers with insights won from strenuous contests with the writing of history, philosophy, religion, literature, and political economy. As he makes the case for rereading Hegelian dialectics based on the essentially feudal social and economic organization of Germany in Hegel’s moment, Cole drives at the arbitrary distinctions between medieval and modern but also those between dialectical and anti-dialectical thinking, writing a long arc of intellectual history that renegotiates theory’s relationship to Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Hegel, Marx, Heidegger, Deleuze and many others in between (xviii). Along the way, the argument asks readers to dispense with a host of critical cliches as it winds deftly between close readings of Pseudo-Dionysius and Nietzsche’s Birth of Tragedy to comparative readings of Hegel on the Eucharist and Marx on the commodity, closing with focused and revelatory attention on the legacy established by Hegel in using medieval genres in response to the modern condition. Carl Nellis is an academic editor and writing instructor working north of Boston, where he researches contemporary American community formation around appropriations of medieval European culture. You can learn more about Carls work at carlnellis.wordpress.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

God Talk: Kataphasis and Apophasis in Pseudo-Dionysius - Dr. Kupperman takes us through an exploration of Kataphatic and Apophatic Theology in Pesudo-Dionysius at Conclave 2015

God Talk: Kataphasis and Apophasis in Pseudo-Dionysius - Dr. Kupperman takes us through an exploration of Kataphatic and Apophatic Theology in Pesudo-Dionysius at Conclave 2015

Neoplatonism and Liturgy with Dr. Jeffrey Kupperman  See http://www.academia.edu/7147306/The_Anagogic_Role_of_Sunthemata_in_the_Sacramental_Liturgy_of_Pseudo-Dionysius

A mysterious author calling himself Dionysius fuses Neoplatonism with Christianity

This episode of CS is, “Crazy Stuff” because . . . we'll you'll see as we get into it.A short while back, we took at look at the Iconoclast Controversy that took place in the Eastern, Greek Orthodox church during the 8th & 9th Cs.While we understand the basic point of controversy between the icon-smashers, called iconoclasts, and the icon-supporters, the iconodules; the theology the iconodules used to support the on-going use of icons is somewhat complex.The iconoclasts considered the veneration of religious images as simple idolatry. The iconodules developed a theology that not only allowed, it encouraged the use of icons while avoiding the charge of idolatry. They said such images were to be respected; venerated even – but not worshiped. Though, for all practical purposes, in the minds of most worshipers, there was no real difference between veneration & the adoration of worship.The acceptance of icons as intrinsic to worship marked the entrance of a decidedly mystical slant that entered the Orthodox Church at this time, and has remained ever since. All of this was seen in the career of an author now known as PSEUDO-DIONYSIUS the Areopagite. He's called Pseudo-Dionysius because while we know his writings were produced in the early 6th C in Syria, they claim to have been written by the 1st C Dionysius mentioned in Acts 17 who came to faith when Paul preached on the Mars Hill in Athens.Pseudo-Dionysius' most famous works were titled The Divine Names, Mystical Theology, & The Celestial Hierarchy.  The Monophysite Christians of Alexandria were the first to draw inspiration from his work, supposing them to be genuine works of one of the Apostle Paul's disciples. The Byzantines followed suit & incorporated some of his ideas. Then, in 649 when Pope Gregory I and the Lateran Council accepted them as dating to the 1st C, they became more widely looked to as informing Christian theology.Pseudo-Dionysius' writings merged Christianity w/Neo-Platonism.  He saw the universe as divided into a hierarchy of spirits and believed the Church ought to be organized in a similar way as this spiritual hierarchy. Where Pseudo-Dionysius deviated from the Neo-Platonists was in his rejection of the idea that the goal of each human individual was to lose their individuality by re-uniting with the Creator. He went 180 degrees the other way and said it was the individual's goal to grow through mystical moments of revelation so that the person emerged into a divine state; more god-like than human. Pseudo-Dionysius taught that these mystical moments were bursts of revelation that brought enlightenment and advanced the soul's journey to a near-deity. But they weren't moments of revelation INTO divine knowledge so much as they were a stripping away of it. While early cults like the Docetists & Gnostics had made the acquisition of secret knowledge that imparted enlightenment the hallmark of their creed, Pseudo-Dionysius said knowledge stood in the way of enlightenment. The mind was a barrier to spiritual advancement, not a tool to attain it. He claimed the path to salvation, which he cast as “spiritual fulfillment,” proceeded through 3 stages—Purification, Illumination, and Union.First, the seeker needed to strip him/herself of all earthly and fleshly entanglements. Then by extreme forms of meditation in which the goal was to wipe the mind clean, the special moment would arrive when the person would achieve illumination & realize their union with the divine. If this sounds a bit like Gnosticism and the esoteric offerings of Eastern religion, that's because they are similar.This synthesis of Christianity & Neo-Platonist concepts had a huge impact on Byzantine theologies of mysticism and liturgy, on Western mystics, scholastics & Renaissance thinkers. Pseudo-Dionysius' writings were translated from Greek into Latin about 850.They were rejected as inconsistent with the Bible by the Protestant Reformers and exposed as 6th Century forgeries when scholars dug into their origin. But their emphasis on the mystical had already done its damage in the Eastern Church which continued to hold onto many of Pseudo-Dionysius' ideas. Even to this day, salvation in the Greek Orthodox Church means something rather different than it does in the Western Church, where it's conceived as redemption from sin and reconciliation to God. In the Eastern Church, salvation is regarded as a return to a process of spiritual transformation enhanced by the Church; it's priesthood, icons, and rituals, to a destiny that produces a being that is much more than human though not quite attaining to deity. The Eastern idea is that the Redeemed won't be God, but will be certainly be god-like.Now, this is an over-simplification, but may help make THE crucial distinction between the ways the Western and Eastern Churches understand salvation. The West sees the work of Christ primarily as Salvation FROM sin, while the East understands it as Salvation TO glory.  Again—that's a maybe gross reduction of the complex soteriology of the Eastern and Western theological traditions, but pretty accurate nonetheless. It's all in where the emphasis is placed.The Bible does say Adam and Eve were created in God's image. And we know Christ came to restore what they lost in the Fall. Certainly, the redeemed in glory will appear as glorious creatures that dwarf the shades humans are now. We are, as one musical artist sang – like ghosts on the earth, compared to the glory that was once Adam's & will be ours yet again. But in Greek Orthodox theology, salvation seems to be not just a restoration of what was lost so much as a promotion into something new; something even more glorious than the first man and woman enjoyed. Again, something above human if not quite divine.And the emphasis on the mystical in the Eastern Church is all about how to make that leap, that spiritual form of evolutionary advance.In 650, as Pseudo-Dionysius' views were being heavily imbibed in the East, a church leader named Constantine (obviously not the Emperor of the 4th C) resurrected some of the errors of the Gnostics. Constantine and his followers rejected the formal­ism of the Byzantine State church, claiming a desire to return to the simplicity of the Early Church.  We might respond; “Wait! In 650 they wanted to return to the dynamism of the early church? Isn't THAT the early church?  That was 1400 years ago!”Constantine based his beliefs on the Gospels and letters of Paul alone. He claimed an evil deity inspired the rest of the NT and all the Old. In a reprise of Gnosticism, he claimed this evil deity was the creator and god of this world. The true God of heaven was opposed to the physical universe; that material world was unalterably evil. In order to save people's spirits from the wickedness of the physical world, the true God sent an angel who appeared as a man named Jesus.A little history taught church leaders how to shut down Constantine's re-emergent Gnosticism. All they had to do was go back and read of the early church's struggle with the Gnostics and how all these ideas were old hat with no basis in Scripture. While a few church leaders did just that and waged an apologetic battle with Constantine's followers, the State Church persecuted & at times executed them.Constantine changed his name to Silas, one of the Apostle Paul's associates. After Constantine-Silas was stoned to death, the next leader of the sect took the name Titus, another of Paul's assistants. When he was burned to death, a third leader took the name Timothy. The next adopted the name Tychicus. All this lead to the sect being called the Paulicians.During the Iconoclast Contro­versy of the 8th C, the persecution of the Paulicians eased a bit. One of the Emperors may even have been a Paulician. But in the 9th C, the Empress Theodora ordered the Paulicians eradicated. Tens of thousands were killed, most in Armenia.In reaction, the Paulicians formed armies which proved quite capable in battle. So, unable to conquer them outright, the Byzantines offered them independence if they'd move to the troubled border w/the Slavs & Bulgars giving the Empire grief.The Paulicians ended up having a major religious impact on the Bulgars. These Bulgar-Paulicians became known as the Bogomils¸ named after their first leader. In the mid 10th C he taught that the first-born son of God was Satan. Because of Satan's pride, he was expelled from heaven. God then made a new heaven and earth, in which he placed Adam and Eve. Satan had sex with Eve which union produced Cain, the source of all evil among humans. Moses and John the Baptist, according to the Bogomils, were both servants of Satan. But God sent the Logos, his second Son, Jesus to save humanity from the control of Satan. Although Satan killed Jesus, his spiritual body was resurrected and returned to the right hand of God. Satan was in this way defeated; or so said Bogomilism.Some of our listeners may find all of this similar to another religious group headquartered today in a certain State of the US, that has great skiing during the winter and a capital located next to a large, salty inland sea. Turns out, Solomon was right; there really isn't anything new under the sun.The Bogomils adopted a rigidly ascetic life-style. They despised marriage, although they permitted it in the case of less-than-perfect believers. They condemned the eating of meat and the consumption of wine. They rejected baptism and communion as Satanic rituals  since they used material things.Bogomilism flourished in Bul­garia while it was an independent country in the 10th C, then again in the 13th. Bogomilian ideas spread to Western Europe where they influenced the Cathars and Albigensians. When the Turks destroyed the Bulgarian Empire in 1393, the Bogomils disappeared.The Paulicians continued in minor enclaves in Armenia all the way into the 19th C. It's possible that in some tiny corner of rural communities, Paulicianism continues to find adherents.And now you see why I chose to title this episode, “Crazy Stuff.”

This episode is titled – The Divide.I begin with a quote from a man known to scholars as Pseudo Dionysius the Areopagite. In a commentary on the names of God he wrote . . .The One is a Unity which is the unifying Source of all unity and a Super-Essential Essence, a Mind beyond the reach of mind and a Word beyond utterance, eluding Discourse, Intuition, Name, and every kind of being. It is the Universal Cause of existence while Itself existing not, for It is beyond all Being and such that It alone could give a revelation of Itself.If that sounds more like something an Eastern guru would come up with, don't worry, you're right. Dionysius isn't called Pseudo for nothing.We'll get to him a bit deeper into this episode.The late 5th & 6th Cs saw important developments in the Eastern church. It's the time of the premier Byzantine Emperor, Justinian. But 2 contemporaries of his also made important contributions to the most important institutions of the medieval church in the West. One of them we've already mentioned in brief, the other we'll devote an episode to; Benedict of Nursia & Pope Gregory the Great.By the end of the 6th C, the unique characteristics of the Eastern and Western churches had coalesced in two different traditions. While the West remained loyal to the pattern held at Rome, the East emerged in 3 directions.The major Councils held at Ephesus & Chalcedon to decide the issue raised by the debate between Cyril of Alexandria & Nestorius, bishop of Constantinople, over the nature of Christ, produced a 3-way split in the Eastern church. That split continues to this day and is seen in what's called the . . .(1) Chalcedonian or Byzantine Orthodox church(2) Those called Monophysites or Oriental Orthodox, which follows the theological line of Cyril &(3) The Nestorian Church of the East.Without going into all the intricate details of the debates, suffice it to say the Eastern Church wasn't satisfied with the Western-inspired formula describing the nature of Jesus adopted at the Council of Chalcedon in 451. In a scenario reminiscent of what had happened all the way back at the first council at Nicaea in 325, while they concluded the council at Chalcedon with an agreed creed, some bishops later hemmed & hawed over the verbiage. To those Eastern bishops beholden to Cyril, Chalcedon sounded too Nestorian to swallow. Chalcedon said Jesus was “1 person in 2 natures.” The balking bishops wanted to alter that to say he was “out of 2 natures” before the incarnation, but after he was 1 nature.Now, for those listening to several of these podcasts in a row rather than spaced out over several weeks, I know this is repetitious. In a brief summary let me recap Cyril's & Nestorius' views. Regarding how to understand who Jesus is; that is, how His identities as both God & Man related to each other . . .Cyril said he was both God & Man, but that the divine so overwhelmed the human it became virtually meaningless. The analogy was that his humanity was a drop of ink in the ocean of His divinity. Therefore, Mary was the Theotokos – the mother of God.Nestorius, balked at that title, saying Mary was Jesus human mother who became the means by which Jesus was human but that she should not be called the mother of God. Nestorius said Jesus was both human & divine and emphasized his humanity and the role it played in the redemption of lost sinners.Because Nestorius reacted to what he considered the aberrant position of Cyril, and because he lacked tact and a knew when to shut up, his opponents claimed he taught Jesus wasn't just of 2 natures but was 2 persons living in the same body. For this, he was branded a heretic.But when the Council of Chalcedon finally issued its official stand on what compromised Christian orthodoxy regarding the person & natures of Christ, Nestorius said they'd only articulated what he'd always taught.So it's little wonder post-Chalcedon bishops of the Cyrillian slant rejected Chalcedon. Their view left the humanity of Christ as an abstract and impersonal dimension of His nature. Because they SO emphasized His deity, at the cost of his humanity, they were branded as “Monophysites” or sometimes you'll hear it pronounced as “muh-noph–uh-sites.” Sadly, just as those labeled Nestorian weren't heretical as the name came to mean, the term Monophysite is also inaccurate because they did not DENY Jesus' humanity.The Greek prefix mono implies “only one” nature. A better descriptor is monophysite. Hen- is the Greek prefix meaning one, but without the “only” limiter.But the Eastern push-back on Chalcedon wasn't just theological; it was also nationalistic. The church in Egypt went into revolt after the Council because their patriarch Dioscorus was deposed!Then in Canon 28 of the Council's creed, Constantinople was elevated as 2nd only to Rome in terms of prestige, so both Alexandria & Antioch got their togas in a bunch. Those bishops who supported Chalcedon were labeled “Melchites,” meaning royalists because they supported the Imperial church.We've noted that while the Western Emperor was out of the picture by this time, so that the Roman pope stood as a kind of lone figure leading the West, the Eastern Emperor at Constantinople still wielded tremendous authority in the Church. We might wonder therefore why they didn't step in to settle the issue about the nature of Christ.  They wanted to. Several of them would have liked to repudiate Chalcedon, but their hands were tied, because there was one part of the Council they wanted to keep – Canon 28, setting up Constantinople as technically Rome's second, but in reality, her equal.Now, as I studied the material that follows the debates between the Henophysites & Chalcedonians I found myself at a loss on how to relate it without boring the bejeebers out of you. I spent quite a bit of time working, editing, re-editing, deleting, restoring, and deleting again before deciding to just say that in the East during the 5th & 6th Cs, just about everybody was caught up in this thing. Emperors, bishops, patriarchs, metropolitans, monks, priests, & the common people. There are technical words like Encyclion, Henoticon, Severan, Acacian that are employed to define the different sides taken in the debate, and those who tried to forge a compromise. And let me tell you – THOSE guys failed miserably in working a compromise. They got hammered by BOTH sides.Regarding the long debate over the natures of Christ in the East, Everett Ferguson says that the irony is that the Chalcedonians, Henophysites, and the Church of the East were really trying to say the same thing about Jesus. He was somehow at the same time 2 somethings, but a single individual. Their different starting points gave different formulations their opponents couldn't accept for theological reasons and wouldn't for political reasons.Switching gears: Around 500 one of the most influential thinkers in Greek Orthodox spirituality made his mark, Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. His real name is unknown. He claimed to be Dionysius, one of Paul's Athenian converts mentioned in Acts 17. His contemporaries accepted his writings as legit. We know now they weren't.Pseudo-Dionysius combined Christianity & Neoplatonism into a mish-mash slap-dash theology that appealed to both Chalcedonians and Henophysites. Probably because when you read it you inwardly say, “What?” but had to nod your head saying how amazing it was so you wouldn't appear stupid. Like when I read or listen to Stephen Hawking waxing eloquent on some tangent of astrophysics; I say, “Wow! That guy's brilliant!” But don't ask me to explain what I just heard. He speaks English, but it might as well be ancient Akkadian.Besides being a Neoplatonist, Pseudo-Dionysius was also a mystic, meaning someone who claimed to have had an experience of union with God, not just a deep sense of connection to Him, but an actual uniting with the essence of deity. Pseudo-Dionysius became the author of a branch of Christian mysticism that was hugely influential in Eastern Christianity. When his work was translated into Latin in the 9th C, he became influential in the West as well.Pseudo-Dionysius writings stressed a tendency already found in Greek Christian authors like Origen, Athanasius, and Gregory of Nyssa who said the goal of human salvation was a kind of making humans divine.We need to be careful here, because as soon as I say that, all the Western Christians say, “Wait! What?!!?!? Back the truck up Billy Bob. I think we just ran over something.”There is in Eastern Orthodoxy a different understanding of salvation from that of Roman Catholicism & Classic Protestantism.Eastern Orthodoxy understands that the saved are destined to a level of glory in heaven that is on an order of existence that can only properly be described as divine.No; humans don't become gods; not like the one true and only Creator God. But they were created in His image and will be restored to & completed in that image so that they will be as much LIKE God as a created being can be and still not be God.This quasi-deification is attained by purification, illumination, and perfection, meaning union with God, which became the three stages of enlightenment espoused by classic mysticism.Okay, hang with me as we go deep. Pseudo-Dionysius identified three stages in how someone seeking the fullness of salvation can describe God:1) Giving Him a name was affirmative theology.2) Denying that name was negative theology. And …3) Then reconciling the contradiction by looking beyond language was superlative theology.The way of negation led to the contemplation that marks mystical theology, which was considered a simpler and purer way to understand God. In other words, it's easier to know who and what God is by concentrating on what He's not. And if that seems backward and nonsensical – welcome to the club of those who aren't mystics and just scratch their heads when the mystics start talking.Pseudo-Dionysius' arrangement of angels into nine levels became the basis for the medieval doctrine of angels.Reading Pseudo-Dionysius can be frustrating for those who try to parse out his logic and seek to discern in his words some profound truths. While all very spiritual sounding, they're typical of many such mystical tomes; a cascade of words that defy interpreting. The mind is set in a place of trying to reconcile competing, and ultimately contradictory ideas. This tension causes the reader to mentally shut down, and it's in that state of suspended reason that the soul is supposed to be able to connect to God. It's the same effect as repeated mantras and eastern style meditation.Still, Pseudo-Dionysius was extremely influential in shaping how countless Christians of the 6th through 10th Cs went about seeking to grow in their relationship with God. Today, we dismiss him by calling him Pseudo-, Fake-, Fraud-, Poser-Dionysius.