Abstract EN:

After stirring to thought and admiration the great theologians and metaphysical thinkers of mediaeval times, the writings of Dionysius the Areopagite have been almost utterly neglected by modern philosophical thought. On the other hand, research workers in the historical and philogical sciences have come to grips with Dionysian writings of his indebtedness to Plotinus and Proclus allows one to regard him as a belated Neoplatonist that would -albeit with some awkwardness- have clothed hellenistic patterns of thought in Christian garb. His work has been branded as being hybrid and lapsing into loose and inconsistent syncretism. In the past fifty years, a few serious thinkers -among whom can be numbered V. Lossky, R. Roques and H. Von Balthasar- have met these critical attacks with answers and presented Dionysius' writings as an original whole, whose constructive force and metaphysical daring are clearly apparent at every single page. The modest contribution that we are submitting here comes in the wake of this new and fruitful research. We have brought our attention to bear more particularly on the idea of participation that we can see running through the study of symbolism, angelology, the metaphysics of creation, the exegesis of sacred names and mystic theology. One assumption we have constantly taken as an incentive to and guideline for our investigations: namely, the notion that the Dionysian category of participation is deeply rooted in biblical soil.