Hierarchies of Beings in the Patristic Thought. Gregory of Nyssa and Dionysius the Areopagite

Authors

  • Dmitrij Biriukov Санкт-Петербургский Государственный университет аэрокосмического приборостроения. , State University of Aerospace Instrumentation. , Национальный исследовательский ядерный университет МИФИ , National Research Nuclear University MEPhI Автор

Keywords:

hierarchy of natural being, the tree of Porphyry, participation, universals, patristic philosophy, platonism, Gregogy of Nyssa, Dionisius the Areopagite, cosmogony

Abstract

The article compares the hierarchy of beings in Gregory and Dionysius. Gregory's strategy in making the hierarchy follows the order of links in the tree of Porphyry; however Gregory departs from it for the sake of harmonization of links of the hierarchy with the cosmogonical order of natural being described in the Bible. Fundamental dissimilarity in the structure of the hierarchies in the doctrines of Dionysius and Gregory is pointed out. This difference is connected with the shift in the meaning of the philosophical concept of “participation”. Dionysius's doctrine of the hierarchy of participating beings is analyzed. The connection of the principles with the Neo-platonic tetrad Goodness, Being, Life, Mind is showed. Dionysius's hierarchy of participating beings is compared with corresponding Proclus's hierarchy as well as with the hierarchy in Gregory. It is concluded that Gregory's hierarchy influenced Dionysius's one in that regard, in which Gregory's doctrine of hierarchy is based on the biblical-cosmogonical order of natural being.

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References

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Published

2014-05-15

Issue

Vol. 32 No. 3 (2014)

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Biriukov D. Hierarchies of Beings in the Patristic Thought. Gregory of Nyssa and Dionysius the Areopagite // State, Religion and Church. 2014. Vol. 32, no. 3. P. 302–324.

Коды статьи

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  • Тип статьи (РИНЦ) Научная статья (Научная статья)