Pseudo Dionysius: The Complete Works (Classics of Western Spirituality (Paperback))

I am genuinely grateful to the translator for providing these monumental works, and for that I offer five stars - with a caveat. Call me old fashioned, but I miss the days when a translator or editor offered five or six pages of humble explanation, but those days are clearly gone. Our beloved translator here took 20%, nearly a quarter of the entire book with his thoughts. I made it perhaps ten pages and I flipped, flipped, flipped until I came to the very middle of the book, where the actual book began. But isn’t this the sort of hubris we have come to expect from modern academics? At least the translator didn’t take up 50% of the book! I would have benefitted far more if he simply wrote two pages of how to not lose awareness of the presence of God while washing dishes. Still, I’m thankful for the other work he did.

I have known of Pseudo-Dionysius for some time & have always loved his work. First let me say its a very well made addition, the pages are of high quality thick paper, which is great if your like me & like to highlight certain parts & the whole book is just in general well put together. But about Pseudo-Dionysius, in my view he is one of the best Christian/Neo-platonic writters who have ever lived. He speaks so clearly about the most profound things, he points us in the direction of the source of all things 'the One' explaining what must be done to be lifted up "beyond unknowing & light" & the Bliss of resting in our divine source. This book isnt just for 'Christians' but for any one interested in philosophy, theology, Mysticism, & in particulare platonism. This book is a light in my life, a source of inspiration on my personal spiritual journey & will continue to be for the rest of my life.

Upon reading this book I felt the Holy Spirit was in the Author.

I find the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius refreshing and elevate the mind and heart and soul. However, those who would find it difficult and non-essential would represent the division of minds--those who need the temporal more, and to have more concrete thoughts and explanations in the spiritual life, as opposed to those who are more contemplative and those who may be mystics, as well. For the mystics, the writing is heavenly and clear as the skies, day or night. For the more temporal or feet-on-the-ground Christians, writings more specific and rule-oriented would be meaningful. Or, so it all seems to me.

The book is printed on good quality paper. Print is easy to read. The only complaint I have is about the introductions, which have an agnostic and relativistic bent. However they can be ignored and the sublime writings of Pseudo-Dionysius should be enjoyed without them.

I am almost finished with the reading of this volume as I am also reading the Kindle edition of the Complete Works of Dionysius the Areopagite. This volume presents the reader with a modern translation of the works, a critical apparatus of introductions and notes, and a fairly easy approach to the writings of a great early Christian writer. Often underestimated, this ancient author has a great place in the mystical aspect of Christianity. I highly recommend it to anyone who wishes not only to know more about early Christianity, but wishes also to deepen his or her spirituality.

For all who want to live and understand the contemplative, monastic life. I found reading Golitzin's "Mystagogy A Monastic Reading of Dionysius Areopagita" a big help because of the many views regarding what Dionysius means.

These translations of all the known works of the Ps. Dionysius are probably more thorough than the (partial) translation of Rolt's, that I also write a short review about, but Rolt seems closer to the heart of the matter. I own both, and if you are seriously interested in platonist christianity or christian platonism, you probably should, too.

The surviving works of St. Dionysius the Areopagite (let's forget the modern academic'pseudo'prefix)are wholly saturated with salvific light, transcendent wisdom and profundity. The shortest text here, St Dionysius' 'Mystical Theology' is perhaps the most startling, paradoxical and rationality-confounding in its incredible mystical depth, a perfect encapsulation of the Apophatic theology of the Via Negativa in a few pages, a text which had a tremendous influence, for example in the anonymous English medieval work 'The Cloud of Unknowing'. The 'Celestial Hierarchy is the seminal work on Angelology and exerted a huge influence in the Middle Ages; 'The Divine Names' is a kind of symbolic meditation on various scriptural attributes of God and its vision of the Divinity as comprising All Names whilst nonetheless remaining the Nameless One strikes to the luminous heart of Dionysian mysticism and heavily informed the Christian Cabala of the Renaissance philosopher-magicians. 'The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy' unfolds the Dionysian view of the various Holy Orders and Mysteries of the Church as a continuum in the Chain of Being, receiving pure light from the heavenly hierarchies and the Blessed Trinity. It is remarkable in that it uses a distinctly mysteriosophic language, describing the Mass and other sacraments as operations of 'Theurgy' and relating the perfection of the intiates through the sacramental mysteries of the Ecclesia. Dionysius was a a true Gnostic (in the sense that St Clement of Alexandria defined the perfect Christian as the true Gnostic), a genius who unfolds this astonishing spiritual vision in which Jesus is invoked as 'utterly pure and transcendent Mind' and the study of his work thus opens up apprehension of the dazzling darkness of Divinity, the interior pathway of Christic initiation within the Oriental ecclesiastic tradition.

本書は、キリスト教神秘主義の源泉で、否定神学で有名な偽ディオニシウスの全著作の英訳を収めている。日本語では『神秘神学』、『天上位階論』、『神名論』、『書簡集』が訳されているが、『教会位階論』の訳は現時点ではない。本書には、そのすべてが一冊になっているためとても便利である。註釈も丁寧に付けられており申し分ない。装丁もペーパーバックであるが、背割れがおきにくいものになっており、酷使に耐えるものであり、携帯版としてはとても良い。それに値段が手頃なのも良いだろう。

By comparing Luibheids translation with other translations and with the greek original version i regularly discovered inaccuracy and laxity. If you aim to work on this treatise academically, you should get another translation too, to have a reference. However, if you dont need academical accuracy, this is a good version. Upside: It is affordable and complete. Luibheids translation also has the benefit, that it is easier to read, than other, more professional translations. (sorry for my bad english)

This is a book which everyone should read and contemplate; it contains all the known works of the pagan St Dionysius at a reasonable price. I bought it because I found the writings of Proclus difficult to understand and here St Dionysius has peppered his works with Platonic phrases from the Symposium, Phaedrus, Republic and particularly the Parmenides often with subtle satire; the mark of understanding.Buy the book it is a practical handbook to our pagan origins, which the Emperor Justinian eliminated from Europe, but read other translations as well.A word of caution about translations; Mystical Theology by St Dionysius; Alan Watts translation Moses not only does not see God but does not achieve union with “the One”. Here the translator implies Moses did just this. So did he or didn’t he?The pagan author we now refer to as St Dionysius is very pro Jesus, but I have my doubts he is pro-Moses refer “letter one”.For a solution to this puzzling question we could read John 6;33-34 or even John 1; 17-18.