Thursday 4 January 2018

Dionysius

Walking from my house to green fields abutting the River Itchen, I usually walk past St Denys Church: a large, conventional 1970 construction. The name 'St Denys' comes from a tenth century Priory dedicated to St Denys, close by my St Denys Church.
I've always been intrigued by this less-than-dubious Saint!  The name "Denys" is a shortening of  "Dionysius", an important Council member in Athens converted to Christianity by St Paul.
Around the 5th-7th century writings appeared attributed to him. They were strongly influenced by mystical neo-Platonism: a pretty unreadable bunch, but I rather like the one "On "The Celestial Hierarchy", about Angels.


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