Greco-Christian stream·Dionysius the Areopagite·Liturgy of St. Dionysius·Liturgy — Preface
Preface to the Liturgy of St. Dionysius
Editor's prefatory note to the West Syriac liturgy traditionally attributed to Dionysius, Bishop of the Athenians. The historical-textual question (the liturgy in this form derives from the post-Chalcedonian Syrian Orthodox tradition) and the rationale for including it in the Dionysian volume.
Source context
- Theme
- anonymous transmission of liturgical and sacramental texts as vehicles of supra-personal spiritual authority
Steiner
not engaged in the GA corpus
Cross-tradition
- Eastern Orthodox liturgical theologyThe attribution of liturgies to figures such as Basil the Great or John Chrysostom reflects a comparable principle: the human author recedes so that the rite may function as a communal and trans-personal spiritual act.
- Pseudo-Dionysian corpus (Christian Neoplatonism)The Areopagite writings employ strategic anonymity as a mark of apophatic humility before hierarchical mysteries, a structural parallel to prefatory disclaimers of personal authorship in liturgical transmission.
Liturgy — Preface
PREFACE TO LITURGY.
THIS Liturgy gives the doctrine of Dionysius in a liturgical form. The Greek original might be restored from the writings of Dionysius. No one could reasonably doubt that the Author of the Writings and the Liturgy was the same. This Liturgy should be compared with the Coptic Liturgy of Dionysius, Bishop of Athens, disciple of Paul, and with the Liturgy of St. Basil, adapted from this, as used by the Uniat Copts, translated by the Marquess of Bute. In my opinion, this Liturgy was written for the Therapeutae near Alexandria, described by Philo in his "contemplative life," who were Christians; who occupied themselves with the contemplation of the Divine Names, and the heavenly Hierarchy. It was written not earlier than the death of James, Apostle and Martyr, A.D. 42, and probably not later than A.D. 67; when Dionysius, at the request of St. Paul, left Athens to meet the Apostle at Rome, for the purpose of being sent by him to Gaul. A note of primitive antiquity is found in the description of the Church, as "from one end of the earth to the other." There is no "one, only, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Orthodox Church," as in the later Liturgy of St. Basil. Some expressions are obscure, from the Latin p. 186 Version, and it would be rash, without profound study, to venture to suggest the Greek text. In consequence of this, and other Liturgies, and his excellent writings, Dionysius was frequently commemorated in the diptychs as one of the Doctors of the Church.
JSON: /api/sources/dionysius-areopagite/liturgy/36-liturgy-preface.json