A History of the Christian Church (Part 22) Introduction to Season Two - Dionysius the Areopagite. Telling Us What God is Not.

Welcome to Season Two of the History of the Christian Church Podcast!

In Season One, we traced the journey of the early church—from its apostolic foundations through persecution, the rise of Christian doctrine, and the establishment of Christianity as the dominant faith of the Roman Empire. We explored the theological battles that shaped orthodoxy and followed the church’s expansion through the first five centuries.

Now, in Season Two, we turn our attention eastward. While much of Western Christianity evolved under the influence of Rome, the Eastern Christian tradition developed along a different path—one shaped by Byzantine power, monastic spirituality, and theological debates that would define the future of Christendom. We will explore the towering figures of the Eastern Fathers, the rise of Constantinople as the "New Rome," the controversies over icons, and the Great Schism that divided the church.

Episode Notes: Dionysius the Areopagite - Telling Us What God is Not

In this episode, we begin our exploration of the Eastern Christian tradition by examining the enigmatic figure of Dionysius the Areopagite. Who was he? What did he teach? And why has his influence endured for centuries?

Dionysius is known for his apophatic (or "negative") theology, which emphasizes describing God by what He is not rather than attempting to define what He is. His works, written around 500 AD, were immensely influential in shaping mystical theology and were long thought to have been penned by the first-century Athenian judge mentioned in Acts 17:34. Today, we recognize the author as Pseudo-Dionysius, but his writings remain foundational to Christian thought.

Key topics covered in this episode:

• The historical context of the Eastern Christian tradition
• The mystery surrounding Dionysius and the question of authorship
• The core works of Dionysius: Divine Names, Mystical Theology, The Heavenly Hierarchy, and Ecclesiastical Hierarchy
• The influence of Neoplatonism on his theology
• The "negative way"—understanding God through what He is not

Dionysius' ideas continue to shape Christian mysticism and theology, challenging us to recognize that God is beyond human comprehension. Join me as we explore his impact on the Christian faith.

Stay tuned for more episodes as in season two we journey through the history of the Eastern Church!

Transcript

Welcome.

In Season One, we traced the journey of the early church—from its apostolic foundations through the rise of Christian doctrine, the struggles against persecution, and the establishment of Christianity as the dominant faith of the Roman Empire. We explored the theological battles that shaped orthodoxy and followed the church’s expansion through the first five centuries of its history.

Now, in Season Two, we turn our attention eastward. While much of Western Christianity evolved under the influence of Rome, the Eastern Christian tradition developed along a different path—one shaped by Byzantine power, monastic spirituality, and theological debates that would define the future of Christendom. From the towering figures of the Eastern Fathers to the rise of Constantinople as the "New Rome," from the controversies over icons to the great schism that would divide the church, we’ll be diving deep into a world where faith, empire, and culture collided.

This season, we’ll uncover the richness of Eastern Christianity, exploring its worship, its theology, and its lasting influence on the church as we know it today. So join me as we step into a world of emperors and theologians, monks and mystics, councils and controversies—a world where the Eastern Church carved its place in Christian history.

Welcome to Season Two of the History of the Christian Church Podcast—and the journey continues….

Introduction. 

Welcome to Season Two of The History of the Christian Church Podcast! If you've been with us since the beginning, you’ll remember that in Season One, we traced the emergence of the apostolic church, its survival through persecution, its rise to prominence in the Roman Empire, and its theological battles up to around 500 AD. Now, in Season Two, we turn our focus eastward to explore the fascinating and often overlooked history of the Eastern Christian tradition.

By the late first century, Christianity’s center of gravity had shifted into the Greek-speaking world. While the Latin West was growing in influence, it was still playing catch-up. Even as Augustine was shaping Western theology, the East remained the intellectual and theological heart of Christendom. The collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century set the West back even further, while the Eastern Byzantine Empire remained strong, with its capital in Constantinople—formerly known as Byzantium, and today, Istanbul.

Unlike the West, which often sees the Middle Ages as a long period of decline and revival, the Eastern Church did not experience the same kind of collapse. After the era of the Church Fathers, the Eastern Christian world continued to flourish under the Byzantine Empire. It was a time of imperial authority over the church, with emperors playing a crucial role in shaping doctrine and practice. One of the greatest of these rulers, Justinian, reigned from 527 to 565 AD, overseeing what many consider the height of the Byzantine Empire. But by the following century, external pressures began to reshape the Eastern Christian world.

The rapid expansion of Islam in the 7th century reshaped the religious and political landscape. Within a few years of Muhammad’s death in 632, Muslim armies had overrun vast swathes of the Byzantine Empire, taking territory from modern-day Turkey through North Africa. By 1453, Constantinople itself fell, marking a dramatic turning point. Yet, despite these losses, the Eastern Church endured. Under Muslim rule, Christians were often tolerated as second-class citizens, though they faced restrictions—most notably, they were forbidden from converting Muslims. Even so, the Eastern Church survived and even expanded, particularly with the conversion of Russia to Orthodox Christianity in the 10th century.

Meanwhile, theological disputes over the nature of Christ continued to divide the Eastern Church. After the Council of Chalcedon in 451, a major rift developed between those who accepted its conclusions and those who did not, particularly in Egypt and parts of the Middle East. This placed the Byzantine emperors in a difficult position—should they seek unity with the West at the risk of alienating large portions of their own empire, or attempt reconciliation with the dissenting groups at the expense of their relationship with Rome? In the end, the rise of Islam resolved this dilemma in an unexpected way, as many of these dissident Christian communities found themselves outside Byzantine control altogether.

Over time, the Eastern Church became deeply committed to preserving its traditions. Theology, worship, and liturgy became increasingly fixed, with a strong emphasis on maintaining continuity with the teachings of the early Church Fathers. This process culminated in the writings of John of Damascus, who systematically compiled the teachings of the past into a definitive Eastern theological framework.

By the dawn of the Middle Ages, a key difference between East and West had emerged in terms of authority. In the West, the Bishop of Rome—eventually known as the Pope—claimed a unique and supreme authority. In the East, no single bishop held dominance. Instead, the leading bishops of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem—known as patriarchs—shared authority. Moreover, while the Western Church saw increasing independence from political rulers, the Eastern Church remained under the firm control of the Byzantine emperors.

For Eastern Orthodoxy, the highest authority lay not in a single leader but in the ecumenical councils. These councils, convened by emperors, defined the core beliefs of the Church. The Orthodox Church recognizes only seven such councils, including Nicaea (325), Constantinople (381), Ephesus (431), Chalcedon (451), and three more between the 6th and 8th centuries. They consider these councils to represent the "Undivided Church" before the final break with Rome.

Language also played a role in the growing division between East and West. By the 3rd century, Latin had become dominant in the West, while Greek remained the language of the East. Doctrinal disputes—especially those concerning the Trinity—deepened the divide. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the two halves of Christendom drifted further apart. While Eastern emperors maintained an interest in Rome for centuries, by the 11th century, the situation changed. The papacy had undergone reform, aligning itself more with Western Europe than with the Eastern emperors.

One major flashpoint was the addition of the Filioque clause to the Nicene Creed in the West, which stated that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son. This change, made without Eastern approval, became a major theological sticking point. In 1054, a formal split occurred when mutual excommunications were declared between the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople. This event, known as the Great Schism, cemented the division between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.

Attempts at reconciliation were made, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries, as Constantinople faced imminent conquest by Muslim forces. However, these efforts ultimately failed, largely due to the East’s refusal to accept papal supremacy. When the city finally fell to the Ottomans in 1453, the Byzantine Christian Empire came to an end—but the Eastern Orthodox Church lived on, remaining a distinct and enduring branch of Christianity.

In this coming season, we will delve into the rich history, theology, and culture of the Eastern Christian tradition. We will explore its enduring legacy, its key figures, and the dramatic events that shaped its destiny. Join me as we uncover the story of a church that stood at the crossroads of empire, faith, and tradition.

So, this is Season Two of The History of the Christian Church Podcast—and the journey continues now with story of Dionysius the Aeropagite, the man who told us what God is not.

Dionysius the Areopagite. Telling Us What God is Not.

In the heart of the Eastern Christian tradition lies a mysterious and enigmatic figure—Dionysius the Areopagite. Who was he? What did he teach? And why has his influence endured for centuries?

Dionysius is famous for his apophatic—or "negative"—theology, which emphasizes what God is not, rather than attempting to define what He is. This approach shaped Eastern Christian thought in profound ways, insisting that all human language and concepts fall short when describing the divine.

Join me as we explore the emergence of the Eastern tradition with the writings of Dionysius. His influence on mystical theology, and how his ideas continue to shape Christian thought today.

The original Dionysius the Areopagite was an Athenian judge at the Areopagus Court in Athens, who lived in the first century. 

As related in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 17:34), he was converted to Christianity by the preaching of Paul the Apostle, documented as being first stirred to Christian belief by Paul's sermon at the Areopagus:

All that is well and good but in the early 500s, a series of mystical writings using complex language to explain Christian ideas were thought to be written by the afore mentioned Dionysius. However, it is now believed that someone else wrote them, known as Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. Some experts, like Dumitru Stăniloae, believe these writings are genuine because of historical details within them and early mentions by people such as Dionysius of Alexandria and Gregory Nazianzus. Even the philosopher Proclus seems to use similar language found in these writings.

The author appears to have been a Syrian monk writing in about 500 AD. His works were immensely influential. In part because of their own value, but also because of their supposed author, their authenticity was not seriously questioned until the 15th century, but still today four major works of this influential but ostensibly misidentified  man have still survived to this day.

First, Divine names’. This book discusses the biblical names for God and his nature.

Second, ‘Mystical theology’ This work is about the mystical union of the soul of God.

Third, The Heavenly Hierarchy. This work discusses the nature of angels who are divided into a hierarchy of nine choirs, seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers. principalities. angels. Archangels. 

Finaly number four, Ecclesiastical Hierarchy. This portrays the Church as the image of the heavenly world and like it, it is a hierarchy. There are three order of men in ministry, Bishop, Priest and Deacon and three lower levels, Monk, Layman and Catechumen. There are also three sacraments, Baptism, The Eucharist and Confirmation, and three stages to God or three ways to spiritual life, Purification, Enlightenment and Union. 

Dionysus is not easy to read, and a recent translator stated that he that he tortured language to try and express his truth. His thoughts, however, are thoroughly permeated by Neoplatonism. He heavily drew on the Neoplatonist philosopher Proclus, who died in 485.

Some have gone so far as to say that he actually taught Neo Platonism and just covered it  with a thin Christian veneer. Others say that he was that he was someone who just successfully taught Christ Christian truth in a Neoplatonic setting. And yet others say that his teaching is an unsuccessful juxtaposition of both these Christian and Neoplatonic elements. 

He emphasizes, along with Neo-Platonism God's utter transcendence and unity. God is beyond anything that we can understand, beyond existence, essence, personality. This utter transcendence of God implies that the negative way is the correct approach to theology. In other words, we talk about God not by saying what he is the positive, but by saying what he is not, the negative. 

Dionysius the Areopagite is challenging to read, and a recent translator mentioned that he twisted language to convey his ideas. His work was deeply influenced by Neoplatonism, drawing heavily from the philosopher Proclus, who died in 485.

Some argue that Dionysius essentially taught Neoplatonism with a thin layer of Christian pdeas on top. Others believe he successfully conveyed Christian truths using a Neoplatonic framework, while some see his teaching as an unsuccessful mix of both.

He emphasizes, like Neoplatonists, the absolute transcendence and unity of God. For Dionysius, God is beyond our understanding, existence, essence, and personality. God is the universal cause of existence, yet He is beyond being itself.

This belief in God's transcendence suggests that the negative way is the correct approach to theology. Instead of describing what God is (the positive way), we define God by what He is not (the negative way).

“God is greater than all reason and all knowledge, and has its firm abode altogether beyond mind and being, and cannot be reached by any perception, imagination, conjecture, name, discourse, apprehension, or understanding the sentence. It is impossible to describe what to conceive and its ultimate nature, Mystics being defied and united through the ceasing of their natural activities, until the light which surpasses Deity can find no more fitting method to celebrate its praises and to deny its every manner of attribute.”

(Divine Names Chapter one, verse 5)

In this Dionysius appears to be saying that God is beyond anything we can fully understand, name, or describe. He argues that God exists beyond our ability to reason, perceive, or even imagine. No human thought, word, or idea can truly grasp God’s ultimate nature.

Those who seek a deep spiritual connection with God, do so by letting go of their usual ways of thinking and understanding. They stop relying on reason and imagination, allowing themselves to be drawn into a direct experience of God that goes beyond words or concepts.

In the end, Dionysius suggests that the best way to honor God is not by trying to define Him, but by recognizing that He is beyond all definitions. Even the highest spiritual experiences fail to fully capture His nature, because God is greater than any category or attribute we could assign to Him.

There is some truth in this approach. Normally we do talk of God in positive terms, Like He is a Father or as a judge. But we need to recognize that all such terms are just analogies. When we call God a father or judge. we are comparing him with human fathers or judges, but to say this is to at once to recognize that all such statements need to be qualified. 

God is father, but he transcends human fatherhood. There is room for the negative way in balance with the positive way of describing him. The trouble with Dionysius is that the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction, the negative way. 

The negative way is not just a way of doing theology, it was for Dionysus a way of drawing near to God and entering into union with him. Dionysus took communion and union with the one through the way of what is called negation. The Mystic attained union with God by raising above all the perception of senses and reasoning of the mind 

“I would council that in the earnest exercise of Mystic contemplation, you leave senses and the activities of the rental act, and all the senses of the intellect that can be perceived, and all in this world of nothingness, or in that world of being having laid your understanding to restrain. As far as you come towards a union with Him whom neither being nor understanding can contain. For by ceaseless and absolute renunciation of yourself and all things, you shall impurity cast all things aside and be released from the mall. So you shall be led upward to the ray of the Divine. Darkness which surpasses all existence.”

(Mystical theology Chapter 1 -Introduction) 

In this quotation, Dionysius is giving advice on how to experience God in a deep, mystical way. He says that if you truly want to connect with God, you need to let go of all your usual ways of thinking and perceiving the world. This means going beyond what your senses tell you, beyond logic and reasoning, and even beyond any ideas or concepts about existence itself.

To truly unite with God, he says, you have to surrender everything—including your own understanding—because God is beyond all categories, even beyond existence as we normally think of it. The path to this kind of spiritual experience requires completely letting go of yourself and everything around you.

When you do this, you won’t reach God through bright, clear understanding but rather through what Dionysius calls "Divine Darkness"—a mysterious, overwhelming encounter with God that goes beyond human comprehension. It’s not a darkness of ignorance, but a deeper kind of knowledge that comes from going beyond what the mind can grasp.

In the 9th century Maximus The Confessor wrote commentaries on Dionysus's works. By doctoring up and improving his orthodoxy, he ensured his influence in the East. 

His influence in the West was also considerable. John Scotus and Erigena wrote a Latin translation of his works in about 850, and through this Dionysus is believed to have influenced the writings not only of Thomas Aquinas but also much of the medieval versions of mysticism,  in works like his “Cloud of knowing”.

As we wrap up our exploration of the life and writings of Dionysius the Areopagite, it's clear that his mystical approach to knowing God has left a lasting impact on Christian thought. His emphasis on God’s transcendence, the limitations of human understanding, and the necessity of spiritual ascent through negation has shaped centuries of Christian mysticism. However, from a Biblical or evangelical perspective, we must approach his teachings with both appreciation and discernment.

While Dionysius rightly upholds the majesty and mystery of God, Scripture presents a God who is not only beyond our comprehension but also one who reveals Himself clearly through His Word, His Son, and His Spirit. Unlike the negative theology of Dionysius, which suggests that we come to know God primarily by denying what He is not. However, biblical revelation provides us with a God who speaks, acts, and makes Himself known in history, ultimately in Jesus Christ.

Moreover, the heavy influence of Neoplatonism in Dionysius’ writings raises important concerns. His vision of ascending beyond human reason into the "Divine Darkness" can sometimes overshadow the biblical emphasis on faith coming by hearing and knowing God's revealed truth. Christianity does involve mystery, but it is not a vague mysticism or something detached from God’s self-disclosure in Scripture.

Ultimately, while Dionysius offers valuable insights into the transcendence of God, his writings must be weighed against the authority of Scripture. The Bible calls us not merely to a mystical experience but to a relationship with the living God through Christ, grounded in His revealed Word. True intimacy with God is not found in abandoning reason, but in knowing Him as He has chosen to be known—through His Son, by faith, in the power of the Holy Spirit.