The Church on Earth and the Church in Heaven: According to the Teachings of the Holy Martyr Dionysius the Areopagite

Abstract

The collection of theological texts attributed to the Holy Martyr Dionysius the Areopagite is referred to as the Corpus Areopagitica. However, beginning in the 16th century, Renaissance figures such as George of Trebizond, Lorenzo Vallo, and Erasmus of Rotterdam questioned this assertion, while late 19th-century researchers G. Koch and J. Stiglmayr concluded that the Areopagitica was dependent on the teachings of Proclus. Stiglmayr insisted that the corpus was written in the 5th century. Assessing the theological contribution of the Areopagite, V. Lossky wrote: "But whatever the results of all the research, they cannot in any way diminish the theological significance of the Areopagitica." From this point of view, it is not so important to know who their author was; the main thing in this matter is the Church's judgment on the content of the works themselves and how it uses them. After all, the Apostle Paul says, referring to the Psalm of David: "Someone has somewhere testified" (Heb. 2:6), thereby showing to what extent the question of authorship is secondary when it comes to a text inspired by the Holy Spirit. What is true for Holy Scripture is just as true for the theological tradition of the Church. The most important confirmation of the unity of the Church on earth and the Church in Heaven is the presence of the Spirit of God in our church life. This is precisely the truth, experienced by everyone who is imbued with church consciousness and church life. The works united by the general title "Corpus Areopagitica" are a good help in this knowledge. Human language can only vaguely express the presence of grace here, clearly felt, but the one who lives it knows about church life, and for him it does not require proof. The urgent need of the present time can therefore be considered the open confession of the immutable truth that Christ created the Church.