North American Patristics Society Session Call for Papers - Sponsored by Dionysius Circle
Dionysius’s Analogous Participation in God: A Hierarchical Tapestry of Being
The notion of “analogous participation in God” plays a fundamental role in the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. This thematic session proposes to explore this concept as it appears in the original corpus, in addition to its treatment by later authors, e.g., Maximus the Confessor and Thomas Aquinas.
For Dionysius, something exists only to the extent that it participates in God (DN IV.7). Yet participation across creation is not uniform. It is analogous, varying according to the entity’s specific mode of existence (DN II.5.641D; DN IV.1, 693B). Further, Dionysius conceives the being of every entity as the presence or illumination of God (DN I.3, 589C). Thus, in virtue of these “illuminations analogous” (DN I.2, 588CD), which are hierarchically arranged, God’s diverse creation is the universal shining forth of the one God.
This session will explore the following themes:
Hierarchy of Being: Presenters will discuss the relation between analogous participation and Dionysian hierarchy, and how analogous participation informs Dionysius’ metaphysics, especially the vision of being as theophany (DN I.6, 596C; DN VII.3, 872A).
Ecclesiastical Significance: The session will explore how Dionysian analogous participation underpins the church’s sacred power to enact divine mysteries (CH III.2, 165B; CH XIII.3, 301C–304A).
Influence: This will explore the doctrine of analogous participation’s influence on subsequent Christian thought, e.g., John Scythopolis, Maximus the Confessor, John Scotus Eriugena, etc. We will also consider the treatment of Dionysian analogy in more contemporary scholars, such as Vladimir Lossky, Nikolaos Loudovikos, and Hans Urs von Balthasar.
Comparative Perspectives: This session encourages comparing either analogy or divine participation in Dionysius with other traditions, notably Aristotle and Neoplatonists like Plotinus, Porphyry, and Proclus.
Submissions are made here: https://www.cvent.com/c/abstracts/963e223e- 20f0-4c9e-bc68-825aa24e94a6
Submission Deadline: November 17, 2023 For more information, visit: