Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite

Very little is known about the true identity of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, a fifth or sixth-century mystic Christian writer. He as known as Pseudo-Dionysius because he wrote under the pseudonym "Dionysius the Areopagite," after the man in the Court of the Areopagus converted by St. Paul (see Acts of the Apostles 17,34).

The writings of Pseudo-Dionysis, although short, are at points seemingly impenetrable and have mystified many readers. After his meditation on the divine names, his most famous contribution to medieval theology is negative theology, which stresses the impotence of humans' attempt to penetrate the "cloud of unknowing."

• The Divine Names uses various names for God (such as "Good," "Being," or "Life") as a starting point for a discussion of divine attributes.
• The Mystical Theology summarizes negative and affirmative theology. It begins with Moses ascending into the dark "cloud of unknowing" and ends with the negation of all the presumed attributes of God!
• The Celestial Hierarchy describes the three triads of angelic beings according to Sacred Scripture. (See the nodes Angelic Hierarchy and The Nine Choirs of Angels).
• The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy describes the three sacraments of the church (baptism, Eucharist, and consecration of myron-ointment), holy orders (of deacons, priests, and bishops), monasticism, and funerals.
• The nine Letters discuss different aspects of the same topics.

  Something I've heard: Pseudo-Dionysus coined the word "hierarchy".