On Dionysius the Areopagite, Volume 2
Book Description
In the late fifteenth century, Marsilio Ficino embarked on a remarkable scholarly endeavor that would bridge ancient wisdom and Renaissance spirituality. This volume presents his groundbreaking translations and commentaries on two mystical treatises attributed to Dionysius the Areopagite, the biblical figure mentioned as a disciple of St. Paul in Acts.
Ficino, the brilliant Florentine philosopher who spearheaded the Renaissance revival of Platonic thought, approached these texts with a unique vision. He sought to demonstrate how these profound Christian mystical works had influenced and inspired later pagan philosophers in the Platonic tradition, including luminaries like Plotinus and Iamblichus. Though modern scholarship reveals these treatises were actually composed by a sixth-century Christian thinker influenced by Neoplatonist philosophy, their spiritual depth remains undiminished.
This critical edition offers readers their first encounter with these texts in English translation, making accessible works that represent a pinnacle of fifteenth-century Christian Platonism. For those drawn to the intersection of mystical Christianity and philosophical inquiry, Ficino's interpretive approach reveals how spiritual wisdom transcends religious boundaries. His commentaries illuminate pathways where Christian mysticism and ancient philosophical traditions converge, offering insights into the universal quest for divine understanding.
These pages invite contemporary seekers to explore how Renaissance minds grappled with eternal questions of spiritual ascent and divine knowledge.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Long (> 400 pages) (~15 hours)
📄 Length: 528 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore mystical experiences
- ✓ Explore timeless philosophical wisdom
- ✓ Explore Philosophy
- ✓ Explore Neoplatonism
- ✓ Explore Early works to 1800
- ✓ Explore Christianity
- ✓ Explore Pseudo-dionysius, the areopagite
- ✓ Explore On the divine names (Pseudo-Dionysius, the Areopagite)
