The Pseudo-Dionysios, the Esoteric, and (Christian) Mysticism

In this episode of The Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast (SHWEP), Earl Fontainelle delves into the complexities of Pseudo-Dionysian mysticism, distinguishing it from commonly held notions of mysticism and exploring its esoteric dimensions. The episode is structured into three parts: an examination of the interplay between the esoteric and the mystical, an analysis of the Mysteria in Dionysios' works, and a discussion of Dionysios' influence on Christian mysticism. Fontainelle emphasizes that Dionysios' use of "mystikos" and "mysteria" often aligns more with secrecy and esoteric knowledge than with experiential states or union with divinity, and argues that Pseudo-Dionysios constructs an esoteric Christian tradition, merging Pauline Christianity with Platonist metaphysics. He further explores the social esotericism within Dionysios' model of the church hierarchy and the significance of "unsaying" in Dionysian language, before discussing the influence of Dionysios on the notion of mysticism and on Christian mysticism.