Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite
Born
unknown
(5th–6th century AD)
Died
unknown
(5th–6th century AD)
Other names
  • "Dionysius"
  • "Denys"
  • "(Saint) Dionysius the Areopagite" (mistaken identification)
Philosophical work
EraAncient philosophy
Medieval philosophy
RegionWestern philosophy
SchoolNeoplatonism
Christian philosophy
Main interestsApophatic theology
Christian angelology
Christian mysticism
Notable worksDe Coelesti Hierarchia
Notable ideasSeven Archangels
Hierarchy of angels

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (or Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite) was a Greek author, Christian theologian and Neoplatonic philosopher of the late 5th to early 6th century, who wrote a set of works known as the Corpus Areopagiticum or Corpus Dionysiacum. Through his writing in Mystical Theology, he has been identified as the "progenitor of apophatic or negative theology."

The author pseudepigraphically identifies himself in the corpus as "Dionysios", portraying himself as Dionysius the Areopagite, the Athenian convert of Paul the Apostle mentioned in Acts 17:34.