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Theophany: The Neoplatonic Philosophy of Dionysius the Areopagite
The work of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite stands at a cusp in the history of it is at once Hellenic and Christian, classical and medieval, philosophical and theological. Unlike the predominantly theological or text-historical studies which constitute much of the scholarly literature on Dionysius, Theophany is completely philosophical in nature, placing Dionysius within the tradition of ancient Greek philosophy and emphasizing, in a positive light, his continuity with the non-Christian Neoplatonism of Plotinus and Proclus. Eric D. Perl offers clear expositions of the reasoning that underlies Neoplatonic philosophy and explains the argumentation that leads to and supports Neoplatonic doctrines. He includes extensive accounts of fundamental ideas in Plotinus and Proclus, as well as Dionysius himself, and provides an excellent philosophical defense of Neoplatonism in general.
163 pages, Hardcover
First published July 19, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 23, 2018
I've been studying Neoplatonism for about 5 years now. I started with a general overview of the classics using Zeyl's handbook of classical philosophy. Then I jumped into Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates at college with some source texts, then Neoplatonism by Wallis, then the essential Plotinus by O'Brien, then to Shape of Ancient Thought by McEvilley, then Theology of the Early Greek philosophers by Jaeger, and finally this book.
I didn't want to read past Plotinus because I didn't like the theurgy direction Neoplatonism took after him. However, this book (at least half way through) doesn't talk about theurgy at all. It does a great job of tying in all past philosophical ideas together and smoothing over philosophical problems (such as on love being both giving and cherished).
Really gives a new spin on "God" as a loving God, something lacking from Plotinus/Proclus/Aristotle.
I didn't want to read past Plotinus because I didn't like the theurgy direction Neoplatonism took after him. However, this book (at least half way through) doesn't talk about theurgy at all. It does a great job of tying in all past philosophical ideas together and smoothing over philosophical problems (such as on love being both giving and cherished).
Really gives a new spin on "God" as a loving God, something lacking from Plotinus/Proclus/Aristotle.
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January 7, 2014Fantastic book. Makes Orthodox theology make much more sense, but I only recommend it to people who have a firm, and solid traditional understanding of Orthodox theology, and I emphasize "traditional".
May 3, 2024
Lucidly written, as I've come to expect of Dr. Perl. This is an eye-opening exposition of an important aspect of Neoplatonic philosophy; I'm in awe. I'll return to this book again and again, I'm sure.
April 3, 2022
Doubles as a defense of Dionysius-as-philosopher (re: Divine Names in particular) and as a Christian apology for the legitimacy of Plotinus/Proclus. Perl is brilliant and readable and has a gift for identifying & correcting misinterpretations of the philosophers he deals with that have had the misfortune of becoming canonical. This is especially useful for a treatment neoplatonism, that surprisingly complex thing that too many people think they understand. The last chapter (on « Symbolism ») is a masterpiece.
July 26, 2022
This book's promise to lay out the metaphysical threads and pathways from Plato through Plotinus and Proclus to Dionysius here proves too ambitious. It's hard enough to make sense of goodness, intellect, and states of being for any one of these complex thinkers. Trying to make a clear narrative that does justice to all four seems like a recipe for stew. Maybe some day someone will write a masterpiece of clarity that does this. For me, this wasn't it. I've been looking in vain for a good book on Plotinus for many years. I'd more than settle for that.
January 21, 2022
Excellent overview of Neoplatonism. His argumentation of the philosophy rather than the individual thinkers was helpful, but it makes it hard to show how each thinker embodies the whole argument of Neoplatonism. Even with this caveat, the first chapter, third chapter, and conclusion were top-notch work. Would recommend.
March 13, 2016
When I first started Theophany, I was struck by Perl's concise explanation of certain elements of Platonic thought I had not fully grasped, namely the relationship of being and intelligibility. Soon after, I realized I knew a lot less about Neoplatonism than I thought I did. The main content of this book comprises little more than a hundred pages, divided into chapters each discussing some theme in Dionysius's thought. Perl argues, in general, that Dionysius is philosophically much closer to his pagan counterparts than many have assumed. However, Perl is eager to debunk common negative stereotypes of Neoplatonism, showing that Dionysius and his influences did not teach that matter was inherently evil, nor that the senses had to be abandoned in order to gain spiritual insight. No symbol is to be despised. Dionysius teaches that all creation is the self-revealing of God, who is both perfectly immanent and perfectly transcendent, and his theology reconciles these attributes (if they can be so called) in a God who is above being and above thought, but apart from whom there can be neither. As Perl puts it, "divine transcendence is conceived so radically that it coincides with divine immanence."
Classical Neoplatonism, Perl demonstrates, is not mystical gobbledygook but an attractive, coherent, and rationally defensible theistic system. It flows naturally from its ancient Greek roots, but also from the universal human experience of what it is to exist as thinking beings. Perl expressly avoids the distinctively Christian aspects of Dionysius's theology, but he gives us the philosophical backdrop through which we may approach it. As Perl concludes, Dionysius's insight into the theophanic nature of all reality is continuous with his belief in the extraordinary manifestation of Christ's incarnation. This is an eye-opening book, and it makes me want to read a great deal more of Dionysius and other Neoplatonic thinkers.
Classical Neoplatonism, Perl demonstrates, is not mystical gobbledygook but an attractive, coherent, and rationally defensible theistic system. It flows naturally from its ancient Greek roots, but also from the universal human experience of what it is to exist as thinking beings. Perl expressly avoids the distinctively Christian aspects of Dionysius's theology, but he gives us the philosophical backdrop through which we may approach it. As Perl concludes, Dionysius's insight into the theophanic nature of all reality is continuous with his belief in the extraordinary manifestation of Christ's incarnation. This is an eye-opening book, and it makes me want to read a great deal more of Dionysius and other Neoplatonic thinkers.
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August 7, 2009Well worth the time....
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews