Dionysius’s Theological Outlines demonstrated the basic elements of Trinitarian theology, explaining especially the differences found in relation to the three Divine persons by exploring what could be properly associated with each of those persons. He understood that the distinct relationships of the immanent Trinity did not divide the divine nature, so that the divine nature remained one. While it seems as if Dionysius discussed some of the ways the divine nature was one in his Theological Outlines, it was in Divine Names we find a discussion of the divine nature itself, allowing for and presenting a fuller explanation for the oneness of God. In this fashion, Dionysius explained in his Mystical Theology what he found was important from his work on the Divine Names, that is, he said that in the treatise concerning Divine Names, he discussed how He is named Good—-how [he is] Being—-how [he is] Life and Wisdom and Power—-and whatever else belongs to the nomenclature of God.
As the Divine Names is a book which we possess, we can explore it on its own and note that it bridges kataphatic and apophatic thought by acknowledging that God, the Divine Nature, has no proper name for itself in accordance to its nature, but rather it reveals names and titles which we can use to lead our mind towards acknowledging the grandeur of God. Dionysius did not think we should seek out or invent names for God according to our rationalistic urges to delineate all things and place them under some sort of systematic theology. Rather, he believed we should apply those revealed to us, especially those found in Scripture, the divine oracles, because God alone knows what titles best to represent himself to us, what names we could use which would most likely help us see beyond the name and seek the truth in his transcendent glory.
Without much surprise, then, the Divine Names focuses on names and titles of God given over to Dionysius in Scripture. He explores their meaning, showing how and why they are fit analogies for the divine nature while keeping in mind that no name properly, univocally, is applicable to God. This is because all words, all names, are secondary constructs, created things, which have limits to their meaning, while God himself transcends all such words not only because he is uncreated, preceding all names, but also because he himself has no limits. Such names, such titles, serve us as tools to help us overcome erroneous conceptions of God. We are to follow them so long as we try to seek out the meaning intended by them, that is, we follow them in the spirit they were intended without being overly concerned by the most literal interpretation of such names. Or, as Andrew Louth explaine:
“For Denys we address God by giving him names: or, to be more precise, not by giving him names but by using the names that he has revealed. And to understand the nature of God is to understand these names. But though these names have been revealed, as names they are ways in which human meaning is conveyed, and so they fall short of declaring the nature of God himself.[1]
St. Edith Stein said that Dionysius expected the truth to be found in the self-revelation of God, and those who catch a glimpse of it will share it with others, and this is what makes theological explanations authentic. This is not to say all such self-revelation is of the same quality. There is, she said, a hierarchy to them. The greater the revelation, the greater the truth, but the less it can be expressed in words:
God is known only by revealing himself, and the spirits to whom he reveals himself pass on the revelation. Knowing and witnessing go together. But the higher the knowledge, the darker and more mysterious it is, the less it can be put into words. [2]
The Divine Names is a useful work, taking some of the greatest names attributed to God in Scripture so that we can focus our attention on them and not get sidetracked. God is Good, God is Being, God is Life and Wisdom and Power because these represent some of the highest metaphysical ideals. But as they are all indicative of qualities of created being, God is not them in a univocal sense, only analogically, so that he transcends what the words means and is indeed found to be the source of such qualities. God is ever greater as he is the source of Goodness, Life, Wisdom and Power. Through these qualities, nonetheless, we are not only drawn to God, but we end up praising him out of the love which ferments in our hearts. We praise him by using such nomenclature for God, realizing that God in a fashion, uses them to come to us and reveal himself to us in a self-kenosis similar to the act of the incarnation itself. God reveals himself to us for our sake, using word and deeds to point to the truth which transcends all words and deeds.
Dionysius’s exploration of the divine names presupposed God’s transcendence of every name while being able to be discerned through every name which can established for the things found in creation. God is nameless and yet manifest in every name because he is wonderful. We yield to him, we yield to that wonder, glorifying him as he lifts us up into himself. We glorify him with many names, not just those used in Scripture, but we must be careful and keep such sacred revelation central because God best knows and understands what titles help us to understanding who and what he is:
The theologians, having knowledge of this, celebrate It, both without Name and from every Name. Without name, as when they say that the Godhead Itself, in one of those mystical apparitions of the symbolical Divine manifestation, rebuked him who said, “What is thy name?” and as leading him away from all knowledge of the Divine Name, said this, “and why dost thou ask my Name? “and this (Name) “is wonderful.”
And is not this in reality the wonderful Name, that which is above every Name—-the Nameless—-that fixed above every name which is named, whether in this age or in that which is to come? Also, as “many named,” as when they again introduce It as saying, “I am He, Who is—-the Life—-the Light—-the God—-the Truth.” And when the wise of God themselves celebrate Him, as Author of all things, under many Names, from all created things—-as Good—-as Beautiful—-as Wise—-as Beloved—-as God of gods—-as Lord of lords—-as Holy of Holies—-as Eternal—-as Being—-as Author of Ages—-as Provider of Life—-as Wisdom—-as Mind—-as Word—-as Knowing—-as preeminently possessing all the treasures of all knowledge—-as Power—-as Powerful—-as King of kings—-as Ancient of days—-as never growing old—-and Unchangeable—-as Preservation—–as Righteousness—-as Sanctification —- as Redemption—-as surpassing all things in greatness—-and as in a gentle breeze.—-Yea, they also say that He is in minds, and in souls, and in bodies, and in heaven and in earth, and at once, the same in the same—-in the world—-around the world—-above the world—-supercelestial, superessential, sun, star—-fire—-water—-spirit—-dew—-cloud—-self-hewn stone and rock—-all things existing—-and not one of things existing.[3]
Each of these names and titles come from Scripture, and so are used by Dionysius as a foundation by which we can be led to God. We do not have to go looking for names to apply to God, they are freely given to us by God himself. Nonetheless, it is important to remember, though these are the best, God is beyond all names and so is able to be discerned and found similarly through all names because God himself is all in all:
Thus, then, the “Nameless “befits the cause of all, which is also above all, as do all the names of things existing, in order that there may be strictly a kingly rule over the whole; and that all things may be around It and dependent upon It, as cause, as beginning, as end. And Itself, according to the Divine saying, may be the “all in all,” and truly sung as of all, producing, directing and perfecting and sustaining guard, and shrine, and turning towards Itself, and that uniformly, irresistibly and pre-eminently. For It is not only cause of sustenance, or life, or perfection,—-so that from this or that forethought alone the Goodness above Name should be named, but It previously embraced in Itself all things existing, absolutely and without limit, by the complete benefactions of His one and all-creating forethought, and by all created things in joint accord It is celebrated and named.[4]
Dionysius understood that we are first to led to God by positive theology. He also understood, our engagement with God, will produce more such positive theology. The absolute truth transcends all thoughts and words, all attempts to classify it under human systematic theology and logic, but yet God does not leave us without help and so he comes to us and grants us the means to establish conventional truths about him, approximations of the absolute truth in a conventional form, which remains true so long as we take seriously their conventional nature and do not absolutize them in the conventions. But, he also understood, we are to slowly explore these names and titles, and how they are best to be used for God. We whittle away all coarse approximations, slowly refining ourselves and our understanding, as we take the transcendent nature seriously. We will begin with a lot of words, but slowly, we will find ourselves moving towards silence and the experience of God, before returning to our sense and finding ourselves moved to praise God with words, words which express our experience but also help others see and understand the glory which God has in store for them.
[Image=The Tetragrammmaton from St. Charles’ Church in Austria; photograph by Infinitebistromathics [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons]
[1] Andrew Louth, Denys the Areopagite (Wilton, CT: Morehouse-Barlow, 1989), 78.
[2] St. Edith Stein, “Ways to Know God” in Knowledge and Faith. Trans. Walter Redmond (Washington, DC: ICS Publications, 2000), 87.
[3] Dionysius, Divine Names. Trans. James Parker (London: James Parker and Co,, 1897), 9-10.
[4] Dionysius, Divine Names, 10-11.
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