Dionysius, Iamblichus, and Proclus

Abstract The author who wrote under the name of Dionysius the Areopagite was deeply immersed in the Neoplatonic tradition, and owes an especial debt to the writings of Iamblichus of Chalcis and Proclus diadochus. This chapter explores Dionysius’ appropriation of some of Iamblichus’ and Proclus’ distinctive terminology. The first part focuses on his debt to Iamblichus—specifically, his appropriation of the language of ‘theurgy’. The second part focuses on Dionysius’ debt to Proclus. He excerpts Proclus’ account of evil and includes a lightly amended version of it in his Divine Names. He appropriates Proclus’ distinctive terminology for divine transcendence, ‘beyond-being’ (hyperousios) and ‘beyond-beingness’ (hyperousiotês). While these Neoplatonic concepts are buttressed by biblical and patristic language, it is striking how little the author has done to conceal this debt to Neoplatonism, a debt that would seem to jeopardize his authorial identity as a first-century Athenian convert.