This work is the second part of a critical textual edition that is devoted to an extraordinarily rich collection of manuscripts with equally remarkable historical significance dating from late Christian antiquity.

Der Begriff der „Mystik“ wird vorrangig ais eine religiose Kategorie verwendet, deren Sinngehalt im gelaufigen Sprachgebrauch nicht nur unscharf, sondern auch unklar ist. Die Versu- che, den Begriff philosophiehistorisch und interdisziplinar vor dem Hintergrund der Human- und Naturwissenschaften enger zu fassen, potenzieren und polarisieren seine Vieldeutigkeit. Im Gegenteil dazu scheint es, dass die theologischen Reflexionen auf die besonderen Formen der Religiositat, welche unter dem Begriff der Mystik subsumiert werden, am ehesten ein adäquates Verständnis der Frage und der Strategien der Einheit (...) des Menschen mit Gott zu vermitteln imstande sind. Zu den Voraussetzungen eines vertieften Verständnisses gehoren jedoch die Vertrautheit mit den philosophischen und religiösen Traditionen, welche die theoretische Basis und gleichsam das Werkzeug für die mystische Spekulation bereitstellen, sowie die Kenntnis der Modelle einer unio mystica. Die fur das Begriffsverständnis der Mystik maßgeblichen Voraussetzungen sind Gegenstand dieses Beitrags, der sich auf eine Skizze diesbezüglicher Ansichten des Albertus Magnus beschränkt. Dieser, als Begründer der deutschen Dominikanerschule angesehene Universalgelehrte, gilt als der Wegbereiter der rheinischen Mystik, zu deren Exponenten u. a. Dietrich von Freiberg, Meister Eckhart und Heinrich Seuse gerechnet werden. Eine getreue Wiedergabe der Ansichten des Albertus Magnus ist das Ziel dieser Prasentation, die zugleich eine Stimme in der Diskussion sein will, die u. a. von Alois M. Haas, Kurt Ruh, Werner Beierwaltes, Ruedi Imbach, Burkhard Mojsisch, Alain de Libera, Kurt Flasch und Loris Sturlese zum Begriff der dominikanischen Mystik teilweise kontrovers geführt wird. (shrink)

Tradução do texto "Da verdadeira Theologia Mystica", de G. W. Leibniz.

En este artículo se presenta una nueva traducción al español del breve opúsculo De mystica theologia junto con una introducción al texto. La introducción se concentra en el análisis de algunos puntos que son especialmente útiles para entender el texto en cuestión: su historia y su significado para el neoplatonismo y, aun más importante, su relevancia en términos de una exposición sumamente original de la doctrina cristiana desde la perspectiva de un neoplatónico; la importancia de este texto en (...) la filosofía contemporánea también se hace notar; y, finalmente, su crucial importancia para la así llamada “teología negativa”. (shrink)

Saying that x is ineffable seems to be paradoxical – either I cannot say anything about x, not even that it is ineffable – or I can say that it is ineffable, but then I can say something and it is not ineffable. In this article, I discuss Alston’s version of the paradox and a solution proposed by Hick which employs the concept of formal and substantial predicates. I reject Hick’s proposal and develop a different account based on some passages (...) from Pseudo-Dionysius’ Mystica Theologia. ‘God is ineffable’ is a metalinguistic statement concerning propositions about God: not all propositions about God are expressible in a human language. (shrink)

Within the Neoplatonic tradition, the absolute transcendence of the First Principle—the One-Good, from which the whole reality in its various articulations derives—plays a crucial role. This philosophical perspective implies, particularly in Plotinus and Proclus, some fundamental philosophical consequences, above all the transcendence of the Principle with respect to being and thought as well. This necessarily implies that the One-Good must be conceived of as beyond the intelligible Beauty itself. In this paper I aim to examine the theoretical implications and consequences (...) of this perspective with specific reference to the conception of God’s absolute transcendence outlined within two texts of the Corpus Areopagiticum, overall characterized by the reworking of some fundamental Neoplatonic concepts in the context of Christian theology: the De divinis nominibus and the De mystica theologia. Indeed, in the De divinis nominibus it is shown that the names/predicates attributed to God in the Sacred Scriptures must be understood only in an allegorical-symbolic meaning, because God is above any possible definition. Not even the character of Beauty can be attributed to him, since he radically transcends it: in fact, God constitutes the absolute foundation and the very first source of Beauty itself. Therefore, God must be understood as ἀκαλλής, that is, “devoid of the connotation of Beauty”, precisely because he completely transcends it. In line with this theological and theoretical perspective, in the De mystica theologia a form of radical and absolute apophatism is developed, which in turn must ultimately lead to its own overcoming for the sake of the henosis, the mystical union with God. (shrink)

O dominicano Alberto Magno é o responsável pela fundação do neoplatonismo na Escolástica Dominicana alemã e pelo nascimento da mística da mesma linhagem, graças também às obras pseudodionisianas por ele comentadas. Dentre estas, a Teologia Mística é certamente uma das mais influentes: a finalidade deste artigo, em primeiro lugar, é mostrar a recepção do Pseudo-Dionísio Areopagita na Idade Média, focando a atenção na obra De Mystica theologia e nos seus comentários latinos; em segundo lugar, apresentar sua estrutura e (...) a subdivisão em linhas gerais; em terceiro lugar, examinar o conceito albertiano de mística e, finalmente, aprofundar as questões da relação entre affectus e intellectus e do modo próprio de conhecer a Deus na concepção do Doctor universalis. Palavras-chaves: Alberto Magno – neoplatonismo – Pseudo-Dionísio Areopagita – mística - affectus e intellectus. (shrink)

This paper aims to examine the notion of τριάς in Proclus and in the Corpus Areopagiticum. As is well known, in Proclus’ metaphysical‑theological system the concept of «triad» plays a central role. In his philosophical perspective, triadic structures pervade the totality of reality in all its different levels and articulations, based on the fundamental triad consisting of remaining‑procession‑reversion. At the same time, the First Principle, also conceived as One‑Good and First God, due to its original simplicity, transcends all triadic structures, (...) while simultaneously constituting their original foundation. On its turn, Pseudo‑Dionysius’ theological thought shows several points of contact with Proclus’ metaphysical‑theological perspective, including the overall conception of the universe as ordered in triadic structures. However, while in Proclus the term τριάς can only refer to the triadic metaphysical structures permeating the totality of reality, in Pseudo‑Dionysius it most often designates the Trinity, that is, the three hypostases Father – Son – Holy Spirit. Moreover, whereas in Proclus the notion of «triad» cannot in any way be referred to the First Principle, which, due to its originality and absolutely transcendent simplicity, is released from all forms of relationality, in the Corpus Areopagiticum, especially in De divinis nominibus, the Trinity and God’s triune nature provide the foundation for the essential and inalienable relationship between God and the whole of creation. Nevertheless, for Pseudo‑Dionysius, just as in Proclus, God in his absolute transcendence with respect to all things appears, in a paradoxical way, placed above all forms of relatedness. Consequently, as the conclusion of this essay aims to show, an unsolvable tension emerges in the Corpus Areopagiticum between the nature of the Trinity and the absolute otherness of God. The mystical outcome of pseudo‑Dionysian theology, as shown especially in the final section of De mystica theologia, thus comes to represent the inescapable conclusion reached by theological reflection once it has realised the inability of thinking to admit the paradoxical coexistence in God of relation and absolute unrelatedness. (shrink)

The theme of _henosis_ is central in Dionysius' doctrine. The originality of the present study consist in the analysing Dionysius' trinitarian theology and in revealing the structure of _De Divinis Nominibus_ in a movement of procession-conversion from the Union to the One. The author subsequently focuses on _De Mystica Theologia_, comparing the ascension of Moses with the treatises _De Vita Mosis_ and showing how the rising of the negative theology ends in the _unio mystica_.

This study concerns the theory of mystical knowledge advanced by the practically unknown seventeenth-century Carmelite author Philip of the Blessed Trinity in his work Summa Theologiae Mysticae. Philip introduces “a new kind” of spiritual species representing the intellectibilia to describe how individuals are granted mystical knowledge, and in doing so distinguishes between three kinds of species. Philip’s notion of mystical knowledge is closely related to the topic of contemplation and is profoundly influenced by The Interior Castle of St. Teresa of (...) Avila. The analysis presented here, therefore, represents an original contribution to the ongoing scholarly study of species, (mystical) knowledge, and Teresian spirituality. (shrink)

The article is mainly devoted to the conception of intellectual love in the tradition of the Bridal mysticism of the XII century. This investigation shows that theologia mystica of Bernard of Clairvaux, William of Saint Thierry and Richard of Saint-Victor was formed under the influence of the conception of a mystical agape and metaphorical language of the Song of Songs by the Fathers of the Church. Moreover, it was also stressed that the spiritual sources of intellectual love came (...) from Augustine's Neoplatonic tradition. His work "The Trinity" made polysemantic caritas the central notion for the Bridal mystics in the XII century who used it to describe Divine and human love. (shrink)

Dieses Verzeichnis umfaßt die im Buch Griechisch-lateinisches Mittelalter vorkommenden Graecolatina einschließlich einiger Begriffe, die die hauptsächlichen Fundstellen für Griechisches im lateinischen Mittelalter bezeichnen: Actus apostolorum graecolatini, Alphabeta graeca, Aω, Apocalypsis graecolatina, Benedictus, biblia, Bildbeischrift, Bilinguen, Dolmetscher, Doxa, drei heilige Sprachen, Epistulae Pauli graecolatinae, Evangelia graecolatina, Geheimschrift, glossarium, gräzisierende Schreibung, grammatica, griechischer Text bzw. griechische Zahlen in lateinischen Buchstaben, Hermeneumata, Hodie-Antiphonen, Inschrift, Johannesprolog, Karfreitagsliturgie, Kirchweihritus, Konzilsakten, lateinischer Text in griechischen Buchstaben, Lexikographen-Griechisch, Lexikon, Litanei, litterae mysticae, Magnificat, Minuskel, Missa graeca, Monatsnamen, «ornamentales (...) Griechisch», Πατηϱ ημων, Πιστεύω, Psalteria graecolatina, Psalteria quadrupartita, rhetorische Figuren, Schreiberkolophon, Sibyllina, Symboli traditio, Theologia negativa, Titulus crucifixi, trilinguis, utriusque linguae doctus, (de) verbo ad verbum, Virgilii graecolatini, Zahlen etc. In den lateinischen Wörtern ist der Diphthong ae wiederhergestellt, damit Zusammengehörendes nicht getrennt erscheint. Das Ineinander von lateinischem und griechischem Alphabet, von griechischen Wörtern in lateinischen Buchstaben und lateinischen Wörtern in griechischen Buchstaben, von Majuskeln und Minuskeln, Schreibung mit und ohne Akzente ist ungewohnt; es gibt aber einigermaßen das Erscheinungsbild der Graeca wieder, wie es in den lateinischen Handschriften des Mittelalters vor Augen tritt. (shrink)

In seinem Werk "Philosophie als Lebensform" vertritt Pierre Hadot (1922-2010) die These, dass die Philosophie bis zu Beginn der hochmittelalterlichen Scholastik nicht primar Wissenschaft mit Anspruch auf systematische Stimmigkeit und Objektivitat sei, sondern auf einen psychologisch-padagogischen Effekt fur die Lebenspraxis abziele: Die Philosophie der hellenistischen und romischen Epoche stellt sich als eine Lebensweise, eine Lebenskunst und eine Seinsweise dar. Es geht darum, das Sein des Menschen zu verwandeln und ihm zum Gluck zu verhelfen. Das fruhe Christentum sowie das mittelalterliche Monchtum (...) knupften daran an und verstanden das spirituelle Leben als philosophia, die durch die Praxis geistiger Ubungen in Christus den alten Menschen ablegt und den neuen anzieht (vgl. Eph 4,22-24). In der Mystik, die seit Dionysius Areopagita (ca. 500 n. Chr.) zu einem expliziten Inhalt des Denkens wird, spitzt sich dieses Spannungsverhaltnis zwischen Theorie und Praxis zu. Per definitionem ist Mystik eine uberwaltigende Erfahrung, die alle Affekte involviert. Aber genau diese Erfahrung wird schon in der vorchristlichen griechischen Philosophie zum Inhalt einer rationalen Reflexion. Dementsprechend oszilliert der Begriff einer theologia mystica zwischen unmittelbarem Erleben und systematischer Theorie. Mit Beitragen von Rolf Darge, Lioba Fau OSB, Paul D. Hellmeier OP, Johannes Herzgsell SJ, William J. Hoye, Johann Kreuzer, Isabelle Mandrella, Johannes Schaber OSB, Christian Schafer, Peter Sloterdijk, Wolfgang Speyer und Martin Thurner. (shrink)

Las experiencias de unio mystica alcanzadas por Plotino encuentran su reflejo en los escritos que los pensadores gnósticos utilizan en sus discusiones con este en Roma, tal como describen Zostrianos (NH VIII, 1) y Allógenes (NH XI, 3). A pesar de dicha rivalidad filosófica, es posible encontrar similitudes entre los testimonios si analizamos estas experiencias a través de su relación con los denominados Estados Alterados de Consciencia (EAC), concepto propuesto por la psicología de la religión. Tanto el corpus filosófico (...) como la tradición gnóstica describen este estado particular del alma (ψυχἠ) al detallar el proceso mistico. En dicho proceso destaca para ambos el cambio profundo en la consciencia del iniciado, aunque neoplatónicos y gnósticos difieren en los límites de identificación con la divinidad.De esta forma, a través del análisis textual y filológico, centraremos el presente trabajo en el estudio de la unio mystica en dos aspectos. Por una parte, en el proceso mismo seguido por el iniciado. Por otra, en el grado de unión o contacto del visionario-iniciado con el Absoluto o la divinidad. Dicho análisis subrayará los caminos comunes que impulsaban ambas escuelas de pensamiento en su búsqueda de lo trascendente, a la vez que planteará preguntas esenciales sobre dicho proceso que delimitarán claramente las diferencias entre las mismas. (shrink)

The Summa Theologiae ranks among the greatest documents of the Christian Church, and is a landmark of medieval western thought. It is regularly consulted by scholars of theology, philosophy and a range of related academic disciplines. This paperback reissue of the classic Latin/English edition first published by the English Dominicans in the 1960s and 1970s has been undertaken in response to regular requests from around the world. The original text is unchanged, except for the correction of a small number of (...) typographical errors. The parallel English and Latin texts can be used successfully by anybody with a basic knowledge of Latin, while the presence of the Latin text allowed the translators a degree of freedom in adapting their English version for modern readers. Each volume contains a glossary of technical terms and is designed to be complete in itself to serve for private study or as a course text. (shrink)

Following a scholarly account of Thomas Aquinas's life, Davies explores his purposes in writing the Summa Theologiae and works systematically through each of its three Parts. He also relates their contents and Aquinas's teachings to those of other works and other thinkers both theological and philosophical. The concluding chapter considers the impact Aquinas's best-known work has exerted since its first appearance, and why it is still studied today. Intended for students and general readers interested in medieval philosophy and theology, Davies's (...) study is a solid and reflective introduction both to the Summa Theologiae and to Aquinas in general. (shrink)

Israel Gottlieb Canz’ im Jahre 1742 erschienene Theologia naturalis thetico-polemica ist die erste von drei Abhandlungen dieses Autors über natürliche Theologie. Diese ist bei ihm als eine Art Vorbereitung für die „theologia sublimior“ (die geoffenbarte Theologie) zu verstehen. Die Theologia naturalis hat bei Canz als eine theologia thetica eine darlegende und beweisende Funktion. Dahinter steht eine programmatische These, nämlich dass sie als alleinige Erlöserin des Menschen von seinen Sünden nicht ausreicht. Vielmehr soll durch sie die Notwendigkeit (...) des Weges zur Versöhnung aufgezeigt werden; den Weg selber zu erforschen steht ihr nicht zu. Canz’ natürliche Theologie ist auch eine theologia polemica. Gleich in der Praefatio präzisiert der Verfasser, dass er die Systeme der Gegner, ihre Argumente usw. darlegen und sie analysieren und diskutieren werde. Dies erfolgt aber im Hinblick auf den eigenen Diskurs bzw. im Ausgang von diesem, der sich in Konformität mit der geoffenbarten Theologie weiß. Canz gehört zur ersten Generation „Wolffscher Theologen“, bewahrt sich aber eine gewisse Unabhängigkeit gegenüber Topoi der Wolffschen Philosophie und geht durchaus eigene Wege. Dies im Einzelnen nachzuweisen, gehört zu den zahlreichen Forschungsdesideraten im Hinblick auf die Philosophie des 18. Jahrhunderts. Israel Gottlieb Canz’s Theologia naturalis thetico-polemica, published in 1742 is the first of three works by this author on natural theology, which in his case should be understood as a kind of preparation for the ‘theologia sublimior’ (revealed theology). In Canz’s work, theologia naturalis has the expository and substantiating function of a theologia thetica. Behind this stands a programmatic thesis, namely that theology alone is not sufficient to redeem mankind from its sins. Instead, the necessity of a path to reconciliation must be demonstrated; it is not the role of theology itself to seek that path. Canz’s natural theology is also a theologia polemica. In the preface the author states that he will explain, analyse and discuss his opponents’ systems, arguments etc. However, he does this with reference to his own discourse, or rather taking that discourse, which is recognised as conforming with revealed theology, as a starting point. Canz belongs to the first generation of ‘Wolffian theologians’, but retains a certain independence from the topoi of Wolffian philosophy and follows paths which are entirely his own. A detailed examination of these is one of the many desiderata for researchers engaging with the philosophy of the 18th century. (shrink)

Philosophical thinking exists in every human being. But is it true that every philosophical thought is true? Many believers today still have anti-philosophical characteristics. Even though historical facts show that each era has its own philosophical challenges. The historical part of Christianity has shown that there is a good integration between theology and philosophy, so philosophy is said to be ancilla theologiae. Therefore the article was written to try to help believers in the theological understanding of philosophical principles as ancilla (...) theologiae and to provide forms of implementation of these principles for believers today. (shrink)

During the Renaissance period, Jewish mysticism was considered as one of the most important form of religious literature. In the twentieth century however, two major developments can be singled out: the Hegelian one envi- sions the future as open to progress, for the emergence of an even more spiritual version of the religion as mani- fested in the past, the archaic one sees the forms of reli- gion as more genuine religious modalities. Problematically in these phenomenologies is the generic attitude (...) to com- plex types of religious literature which are conceived as embodying one central type of spirituality. In our case, the centrality of the notion of devequt in Jewish mysti- cism is more important than the attempt to define it in a certain way, namely that it stands for union or commun- ion. Or the kind of interactions between devequt, theoso- phy and theurgy, will define better the essence of Kabba- listic mysticism than the analysis of devequt in abstracto. The difference between the theological versus the techni- cal approach implies more than methods to deal with the role of an imponderable experience as part of the more general understanding of a certain form of mysticism. When studying the religious writings we do not witness fixed systems, clear-cut theologies or frozen techniques, whose essence can be easily determined, but living struc- tures and proclivities for moving in a certain direction, or directions, rather than crystallized static entities. (shrink)

The article is a contribution to the centennial celebration of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria. It forms part of the section in the programme titled ‘Ethos – Critical perspectives on our past and a gateway to our future’ and is dedicated to Yolanda Dreyer who was the first female professor appointed in the Faculty of Theology of the University of Pretoria. The article reflects on aspects of the present-day populist discourse in South Africa and globally, which (...) is enhanced by neonationalistic separatism. The following issues are critically discussed: homophobia regarding sexual minorities, a lack of sensitivity for the negative effects of male domination and the objection to English as the lingua franca for teaching. These aspects are assessed against the background of the Derridean notion of ‘deconstruction’ and the contributions of the first professors employed in the Faculty of Theology since its inception in 2017. (shrink)

Pensare in termini nuovi il rapporto di subalternità tra teologia e filosofia. Il ruolo della riflessione teologica nella discussione del problema della conoscenza.A new way of thinking the subalternatio between theology and philosophy. The role of the theological thought in the discussion of the problem of knowledge.

El presente artículo presenta la hipótesis de una relación dialogada y fecunda entre la filosofía y la teología, ante la situación de cierto descrédito de la tradición del pensamiento cristiano operado por cierto pensamiento postmoderno antihumanista. Se trata de mostrar como la teología ha actuado como ‘magistra’ de la fi losofía en el sentido socrático: ayudando de forma mayéutica al alma del filósofo. Esta realidad histórico-doctrinal se puede rastrear en no pocos tópicos de la filosofía a través de su historia, (...) que tienen como interlocutor las realidades nacidas de la Revelación como la teología de la creación, la teología sacramental o el dogma de la Encarnación. En concreto se presenta como ejemplo la aportación que la teología ha hecho a la fi losofía a partir de la reflexión sobre la “naturaleza” en el siglo XII. (shrink)