Dionysius the Areopagite was a late 5th / early 6th century Greek author, Christian theologian and Neoplatonic philosopher. His thought emanates, one could say, from higher states of consciousness and provides an ecstatic vision of mankind’s spiritual possibilities within the Cosmos. The writing, typically Neoplatonic in style and terminology, elucidates Christian theological and mystical ideas that were highly influential to the extent that he is regarded, as the ‘father of Christian mysticism’. It is probably more true to say that he is an important link in a chain going back to Clement of Alexandria in the 2nd century and his more famous pupil Origen in the 3rd. Throughout most of the Middle Ages the writing known as Corpus Areopagiticum were ascribed to Dionysius the Areopagite, the Athenian convert of Paul the Apostle mentioned in Acts 17:34. In more recent times scholars have established the work as coming from an unknown author of the late 5th century ascribed as Dionysius and now known by academics as pseudo-Dionysius.

According to Dionysius God can only ultimately be approached in a state of ‘divine silence, darkness, and unknowing’. In other words, God exists neyond ay name or representation. Professional theologians refer to this as apophatic or negative theology.

It’s from Pseudo-Dionysius that we know the Angelic Hierarchy or the ‘Nine Choirs of Angels’ namely: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, Angels.

Much of Dionysius’ symbology finds its way into icons.