Corpus Areopagiticum as a project of intertextuality

Abstract

The article discusses the intertextual nature of Corpus Areopagiticum – the body of texts composed at the turn of the 6th and 7th centuries A.D. in an attempt to reconcile the philosophy of Neoplatonism and Christian theology. It is argued that Corpus Areopagiticum is a striking example of intertextual approach, in which the text is intentionally bivalent and in many cases consciously constructed by its author as referring simultaneously to the two different traditions (Neoplatonic and Christian); moreover, it is formed so as to allow for diverse readings which change depending on what other text or tradition is assumed as its interpretive context. The strategy of bivalence is consistently carried out at all levels: the doctrinal, the lexical, and the meta-textual. In doctrinal terms, the author deliberately formulates theoretical positions that would render his concepts acceptable to both traditions. Among meta-textual devices one can indicate the practice of introducing into the narrative of supporting characters (authoritative historical or fictional figures) from both traditions, which have a complex back-story of their own. Textual bivalency is achieved also by lexical means, such as when specifically Christian vocabulary or technical Neoplatonic terminology is emphasized. Both on theoretical and on practical level the Areopagite consistently advocates the multi-layered discourse and multi-level representation of truth, stating that doctrinal content heterogeneous to the superficial appearance is hidden behind the veil of the narrative (or myth). The keys that provide access to internal (but not explicitly expressed) contexts, forming a metaphysical framework of Corpus Areopagiticum, are references skillfully incorporated into the text, which clearly and unmistakenly guide the attentive and informed reader toward the undisclosed sources of its author’s thought.