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The holy, glorious and right-victorious [[Hieromartyr]] '''Dionysius the Areopagite''' (also '''Dionysios''' or '''Denys''') was [[baptism|baptized]] by [[Saint]] [[Apostle_Paul|Paul]] in Athens and is numbered among the Seventy [[Apostles]]. Prior to this, Dionysius grew up in a notable family in Athens, attended philosophical school at home and abroad, was married and had several children, and was a member of the highest court in Greece, the Areopagus. After his [[conversion]] to the True Faith, St. Paul made him His [[Bishopfeast day]] of Athens. Eventually he left his wife and children for [[Christ]] and went with St. Paul in [[missionary]] travel. He travelled to Jersusalem specifically to see the Most Holy [[Theotokos]] and writes of his encounter in one of his books. He was also present at her is celebrated on [[DormitionOctober 3]].

Seeing St==Life==Prior to his baptism, Dionysius grew up in a notable family in Athens, attended philosophical school at home and abroad, was married and had several children, and was a member of the highest court in Greece, the Areopagus. Paul martyred in RomeAfter his [[conversion]] to the True Faith, St. Dionysius desired to be a Paul made him [[martyrBishop]] as wellof Athens. He went to Gaul, along with Eventually he left his wife and children for [[presbyterChrist]] Rusticus and the went with St. Paul in [[deaconmissionary]] Eleutherius, travel. He travelled to Jerusalem specifically to preach see the Most Holy [[GospelTheotokos]] to the barbarians and writes of his encounter in one of his books. There his suffering He was equalled only by his success in converting many pagans to Christianityalso present at her [[Dormition]].

Seeing St. Paul [[martyr]]ed in Rome, St. Dionysius desired to be a martyr as well. He went to Gaul, along with his [[presbyter]] Rusticus and the [[deacon]] Eleutherius, to preach the [[Gospel]] to the barbarians. There his suffering was equalled only by his success in [[conversion|converting]] many pagans to Christianity.  In the year 96, St. Dionysius was seized and tortured for Christ, along with Rusticus and Eleutherius, and all three were beheaded under the reign of the Emperor Domitian. St. Dionysius' head rolled a rather long way until it came to the feet of Catula, a Christian. She honorably buried it along with his body. His [[feast day]] is celebrated on [[October 3]].

Many famous books Four theological works are attributed to St. Dionysius, including: ''The Divine Names of God'', ''The Mystical Theology'', ''The Celestial Hierarchy'', and ''The Ecclesiastical HierarchiesHierarchy'' , as well as eleven letters. While there were occasional questions raised regarding the true authorship of the Dionysian writings in the Middle Ages, it is Hugo Koch and Josef Stiglmayer's works (1895)<ref>"Proklus als Quelle des Pseudo-Dionysius Areopagita in der Lehre von Bösen," by Hugo Koch, ''Mystical TheologyPhilologus'' 54 (1895) 438-54; ''Pseudo-Dionysius Areopagita in seinen Beziehungen zum Neuplatonismu und Mysterienweses''by Hugo Koch (Mainz: 1900); and "Der Neuplatoniker Proklos als Vorlage des sog. Many scholarsDionysius Areopagita in der Lehre vom Übel," by Josef Stiglmayr, however''Historisches Jahrbuch'' 16 (1895) 253-73 and 721-48. See also Stiglmayr's "Das Aufkommen der Ps.-Dionysischen Schriften und ihr Eindrungen in die christliche Literatur bis zum Lateranconcil 649. Ein zweiter Beitrag zur Dionysius Frage, doubt " ''IV Jahresbericht des offentlichen Privatgymnasiums an der Stelle matutina zu Feldkirch'' (Feldkirch: 1895)</ref> that definitively laid to rest the that idea of tracing the texts back to the apostolic age. The scholarly consensus now identifies the corpus as the work of a fifth-century Syrian student of the pagan Neoplatonist Proclus.<ref>For more, see, for instance, [[Andrew Louth]], ''Denys the apostle himself wrote these worksAreopagite'' (ISBN 082645772X), as well as [[Jaroslav Pelikan]], often calling their author "The Odyssey of Dionysian Spirituality" in ''Pseudo-Dionysius.: The Complete Works'' (ISBN 0809128381)</ref> In his introduction to ''Mystagogy: A Monastic Reading of Dionysius Areopagita'', Orthodox Bishop [[Alexander Golitzin|Alexander (Golitzin)]] of Toledo writes that it is "now recognized as indefensible" These fifth-that the author of the Dionysian writings could be the first century works have also been accused disciple of St Paul.<ref>(Collegeville, MN: Cistercian Publications, 2013) xxv.</ref> "employing Neoplatonic language The first clearly datable reference to the Dionysian corpus comes to elucidate Christian theological and mystical ideasus from …532…."{{<ref|1}} Pseudo>Ibid., xix.</ref> Bishop Alexander's own suggestion is that the real author of the works was the fifth-Dionysius has been identified with various people in century theologian Peter the pastIberian.

His Pseudo-Dionysius is recognized to be "employing Neoplatonic language to elucidate Christian theological and mystical ideas."<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dionysius_the_Areopagite&oldid=221352184 Wikipedia: Dionysius the Areopagite]; cf. also [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pseudo-Dionysius_the_Areopagite&oldid=220002373 Wikipedia: Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite]</ref> Some recent Orthodox scholars (such as Frs. Georges Florovsky and John Meyendorff) have been mildly critical of the influence of the Dionysian corpus,<ref>Golitzin, xxvii.</ref> but recent defenders include Bp. (then-Igumen) [[Alexander Golitzin|Alexander]], mentioned above, who sees it as a fully Christian liturgical theology,<ref>Ibid., ''passim''. ''Mystagogy'' is a reworking and revision of Bp Alexander's earlier book ''Letter Et introibo ad altare dei: The Mystagogy of Dionysius Areopagita.'' (Thessalonika: George Dedousis Publishing Co., 1994.)</ref> and [[Vladimir Lossky]], who sees the Dionysian interpretation of the unknowability of God as fundamental to Titusany Christian thought and as setting the stage for the work of St. [[Gregory Palamas]].<ref>''The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church''. (Crestwood, NY: SVS Press, 1997) ''passim'' is quoted .</ref> However controversial the texts in recent years<ref>The Reformers were quite antagonistic, and their successors have continued to be. (Golitzin, xxii.)</ref>, their theology was incorporated into the mainstream of Orthodox theology through its adoption by St. [[Maximus the Confessor]] and St. [[John of Damascus]] , who quotes Dionysius' ''Letter to Titus'' in his work ''On the Divine Images'', a defense of [[icon]]s during the [[iconoclast|iconoclastic controveriescontroversies]].

 ==References==<references /> == Source ==*St. [[Nikolai Velimirovic]], ''The [[Prologue of Ohrid]]''