Constructing the Apostolic Past: The Case of Dionysius the Areopagite
Andrew Louth
Somewhere around the 620s, there began to appear in Byzantine world references works allegedly by Dionysius Areopagite, that is, judge of court Areopagus converted Paul apostle according account Acts 17. The corpus consisted two works, on heavenly and earthly church respectively, Celestial Hierarchy Ecclesiastical Hierarchy; a treatise called Divine Names ; short Mystical Theology; ten letters, addressed various people, arranged hierarchically, from monk Gaius, through lesser clergy, bishops (or ‘hierarchs’) such as Polycarp Titus, John. Although they were initially cited Monophysite theologians who rejected Council Chalcedon, was little resistance acceptance this body texts; gradually course sixth century these came be regarded genuinely belonging apostolic period.
Studies in Church History