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Episode 303·post-antiquity

Fake Apostles and Real Christianity: Exploring the 'Pseudo-' in the Pseudo-Dionysios

Listen on SHWEP12 sources in collection · 12 translated

Primary Sources

The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite · 900 · Syriac · 104 pages

The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite serves as the architectural blueprint for the Christian mystical tradition, blending Neoplatonic philosophy with deep Syriac spirituality. Pseudo-Dionysius boldly identifies God through the primary names of 'Goodness' and 'Love,' presenting a Divinity that is bo

Fully translated

Vat.gr.370

Pseudo-Dionysius · 950 · Greek · 257 pages

This text provides a framework for understanding the universe as a hierarchical chain of participation in the divine. It argues that God is beyond all essence and reason, yet reveals Himself through symbols that accommodate human limitations. Readers will encounter a rigorous defense of the soul's a

Fully translated

The Collected Works of Pseudo-Dionysius

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite · 1516 · Latin · 412 pages

This corpus challenges the reader to abandon standard definitions of God in favor of a profound, mystical unknowing. It argues that all visible existence is a symbolic reflection of a transcendent, singular source. The author insists that true spiritual authority is rooted in self-mastery and mercy

Fully translated

Epitome of Aristotle's Logic

George Pachymeres · 1548 · Greek · 141 pages

This text functions as a practical manual for the mind. Pachymeres strips away rhetorical noise to reveal the mechanics of logical truth and formal proof. He argues that human wonder is the engine of philosophy, pushing us to seek causes behind appearances. Readers will find a systematic guide to se

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The Complete Works of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite · 1634 · Latin · 321 pages

This corpus challenges the limits of human cognition by proposing that we reach God not through logic, but through the deliberate stripping away of all concepts. The author constructs a vision of the universe as a series of sacred ranks, where every creature exists to receive and pass on divine illu

Fully translated

Pseudo-Dionysius Areopagita Schriften (German 1823)

Pseudo-Dionysius · 1823 · German · 396 pages

This volume is a profound gateway into the heart of speculative mysticism, blending the rigors of Neoplatonic philosophy with the fervor of early Christian theology. Readers will encounter a bold re-envisioning of the cosmos where evil is dismissed as a mere 'sham substance' and God is approached no

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Thirteen Declamations

George Pachymeres · 1829 · Greek · 379 pages

This volume pairs serious legal argument with the biting satire of the Byzantine world. Pachymeres presents a series of fictional trials where heroes and philosophers must justify their actions to skeptical courts. You will encounter debates on whether intent or outcome defines a crime, and whether

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Thirteen Books on Michael and Andronicus Palaeologus

George Pachymeres; ed. Immanuel Bekker · 1835 · Greek · 927 pages

This history serves as a clinical report on how a once-great state unravels under the weight of its own internal contradictions. Pachymeres chronicles the era not as a passive observer, but as a witness to the catastrophic failure of imperial leadership. He argues that the refusal to reconcile the G

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Patrologia Graeca Vol. 40 (Evagrius Ponticus)

Jacques-Paul Migne · 1865 · Greek · 657 pages

This volume serves as a primary source for understanding how early Christian thinkers reconciled classical philosophy with biblical faith. It challenges the reader to look past the surface of physical existence and recognize the soul as an immortal, incorporeal substance. The texts force a confronta

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John Colet Two Treatises on the Hierarchies of Dionysius

John Colet · 1869 · English · 340 pages

This text revives the work of an often-overlooked Renaissance humanist who bridged ancient Greek philosophy and Christian theology. Colet contends that human spiritual development follows a path from purgation to illumination and finally to perfection. He claims that current church practices have dr

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Pseudo-Dionysius Celestial and Ecclesiastical Hierarchy

Pseudo-Dionysius / John Parker · 1894 · English · 113 pages

In this profound synthesis of Greek philosophy and Christian mysticism, Pseudo-Dionysius—vigorously defended by translator John Parker as the genuine first-century convert of St. Paul—presents a revolutionary vision of the divine order. By exploring the nine choirs of angels and the sacred rituals o

Fully translated

The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite (Divine Names, Celestial Hierarchy, Mystical Theology)

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite · 1897 · English · 434 pages

This work defines the mystical path known as apophatic theology. It claims that God is not a thing to be known, but an experience beyond all essence and knowledge. You will learn how the mind must become silent to approach the Divine. The text provides a rigorous framework for why our standard langu

Fully translated

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