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TRANSCENDING TRANSCENDENCE: THE MYSTERY OF GOD IN PART IV OF ST DENYS THE AREOPAGITE’S ON THE DIVINE NAMES —o> — MIKLÓS VASSÁNYI ABSTRACT In this paper, I am looking into how Pseudo-Denys the Areopagite articulates the concept of divine bounty in Part 4 of the De divinis nominibus, and arguing that his reasoning is an intellectual initiation into the mystery of God. As is known, Denys first describes God in Platonic terms as “the Good” here, gradually enlarges this divine name into the hendiadyoin-like structure “the Beautiful-and-Good” and argues for the identity of the Good and the One in the wake of Proclus and Plotinus. I intend to analyze on what grounds Denys proves that God is good, and what he exactly means by divine bounty and beauty. This analysis of the Dionysian concept of God as the Beautifuland-Good will allow us to realize that there is a fundamental tension in this openly Platonizing idea. I shall name this tendency of productive contradiction or creative tension in God—especially recognizable in the Dionysian idea of divine Love—the transcending of transcendence, and on this basis, I shall try to characterize the relationship between Denys’ Platonic inspiration and Christian identity. 1. PROPOSITION In this paper, I would like to look into how Pseudo-Denys the Areopagite articulates the concept of divine bounty in Part 4 of the De divinis nominibus, and to argue that his reasoning is an intellectual initiation into the mystery of God. As is known, Denys first describes God in Platonic terms as “the Good” (taya8ov) in that text, and gradually enlarges this divine name into the hendiadyoin-like structure “the Beautiful-and-Good” (tO Kaddov Daréczi-Sepsi-Vassänyi_Initiation_155x240.indb 185 6 2020.06.15. 11:04:19
