Gregory Palamas and Dionysius

Abstract This essay presents the Byzantine thinker St Gregory Palamas, who was influenced by Dionysian writings in formulating his own theology. The essay investigates the influence of Dionysius on Palamas and compares aspects of both thinkers with relevant doctrines in pagan Neoplatonism. Palamas is famous for defending a particular kind of spirituality known as hesychasm, where the goal of the mystic is to achieve stillness (hesychia) and experience the divinity as transforming light. In this regard, the theology of Dionysius the Areopagite became of great importance. Palamas found in Dionysius support for his distinction between God’s essence and activities, a distinction that Palamas found necessary in order to explain how humans could participate in God without being absorbed in the divine essence. Dionysius’ writings also served Palamas well in his development of a doctrine of mystical experience.