Dionysius the Areopagite, Christianity

By "Dionysius the Areopagite" is usually understood the judge of the Areopagus who, as related in Acts, xvii, 34, was converted to Christianity by the preaching of St. Paul, and according to Dionysius of Corinth (Eusebius, Hist. Eccl., III, iv) was Bishop of Athens. In the course of time, however, two errors of far-reaching import arose in connection with this name. In the first place, a series of famous writings of a rather peculiar nature was ascribed to the Areopagite and, secondly, he was popularly identified with the holy martyr of Gaul, Dionysius, the first Bishop of Paris. It is not our purpose to take up directly the latter point; we shall concern ourselves here (1) with the person of the Peudo-Areopagite; (2) with the classification, contents, and characteristics of his writing; (3) with their history and transmission; under this head the question as to the genuineness of, origin, first acceptance, and gradual spread of these writings will be answered.

Christianity, Abbot Vasilios of Iveron Monastery, Angela of Foligno, Appolonius Of Tyana, Athenagoras, Bible, Corpus Hermetica, Dante Alighieri, Desert Fathers, Diadochos of Photiki, Dionysius the Areopagite, Heinrich Suso, Hesychius of Jerusalem, Hippolytus, Jean Pierre de Caussade, Jesus Christ, John Ruusbroec, Martin Luther King, Meister Eckhart, Mother Teresa, Nicephorus the Solitary, Nicholas of Cusa, Saint Augustine, Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Evagrios the Solitary, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Saint Gregory Palamas, Saint Hesychios the Priest, Saint Isaac the Syrian, Saint John of the Cross, Saint Macarius of Egypt, Saint Mark the Ascetic, Saint Paul, Saint Seraphim de Sarov, Saint Symeon the New Theologian, Saint Teresa of Avila, Simon Magus, The Philokalia, Thomas a Kempis, Thomas Traherne, Unknown, etc.