The Interpretation of Pseudo-Dionysius in the Works of John of DaraSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference PortalThe National Endowment for the HumanitiesThe International Balzan Prize FoundationDavid A. Michelsoncbsc_adminRecord added to Zotero bycbsc_adminSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference Portalhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/WCW83LMT/tei
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CREATED: This bibl record was autogenerated from a Zotero record.Elizabeth LynnAndersonThe Interpretation of Pseudo-Dionysius in the Works of John of Darahttp://syriaca.org/cbss/WCW83LMThttps://www.zotero.org/groups/a_comprehensive_bibliography_on_syriac_studies/items/WCW83LMThttps://www.zotero.org/groups/4861694/items/WCW83LMT2016The ninth-century Syrian Orthodox bishop John of Dara is often considered to be one of the great thinkers of medieval Syriac Christianity, but he remains almost entirely unknown to modern scholars. With the exception of his commentary on the Eucharist, his works have remained unedited and untranslated. This study seeks to introduce John to a scholarly audience by presenting translations of four of his major works, together with a scholarly study of their major themes.
This study consists of two parts. Part I provides an analysis of several of the major themes in John's theology. Part II consists of original translations of four works by him, translated from manuscripts MS Syriac 118 and MS Syriac 122 at Harvard's Houghton Library.
Chapter One is an introduction to John of Dara's life and context, including his literary corpus.
Chapter Two, "The Cosmic High Priesthood", offers an overview of John's cosmology. John argues that there are three priesthoods: the angelic, the ecclesiastical, and the legal, and that these are both an ontological structure and a sacramental system.
Chapter Three, "The Angelic High Priesthoods" discusses John's commentary on The Celestial Hierarchy, and the way in which he uses the nine ranks of angels as models for ideal priestly behavior.
Chapter Four, "Sacraments and the Divinization of Matter", presents John's understanding that when material elements are united to spiritual contemplations in the sacramental rites of the church, the sacraments unite inanimate matter with the rest of the cosmic high priesthood and allow it to be divinized in proportion to its own capacity. These sacramental ministry includes a contemplative aspect, which all of those present at the liturgy engage in, and a consecrating aspect, which is a responsibility exclusive to the clergy.
Chapter Five, "Symbols and Negative Theology," examines a subtle and yet significant shift that John makes to the original Dionysian system. John agrees with Dionysius that apophasis, saying what God is not rather than making affirmative statements about God is using concepts and images, is a more accurate way of speaking about the divine. He insists, however, that this manner of theological thinking is appropriate only to the angels, who are immaterial. Because human beings are bound together inseparably with a physical body, divine understandings can only come to us veiled in material and linguistic symbols.
Chapters Six and Seven offer discussions of two works that may or may not be written by John, and which are thus discussed separately from the other texts. Chapter Six, "The Legal High Priesthood", considers the place of Judaism in the third treatise On the Priesthood. Chapter Seven, "Separation from the Cosmic Hierarchy?" considers the case of demons as expounded in the treatise On Demons. John insists, against most other Christian theologians, that the offer of salvation is extended to demons, and that there can be no doubt that God will forgive them if they repent. Yet he remains skeptical about the likelihood that such repentance will actually occur.
Finally, Part II of this study presents original translations of four works attributed to John of Dara: the Commentary on the Celestial Hierarchy, the Commentary on the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, the first three Treatises on the Priesthood, and the treatise On Demons.
Anderson, Elizabeth Lynn. “The Interpretation of Pseudo-Dionysius in the Works of John of Dara.” Ph.D. dissertation, Yale University, 2016.
Elizabeth Lynn Anderson, The Interpretation of Pseudo-Dionysius in the Works of John of Dara (Ph.D. dissertation, Yale University, 2016).IX CEJacobitesJohn of DaraPseudo-Dionysius the AreopagiteVII-XVIII CEangelologycosmologydemonologyecclesiologyliturgicspriestpriesthoodprimary sources [Syriac] - English translationsacramentsspiritualitysymbols