One of the thinkers who intellectually consolidated deification and gave it a
solid doctrinal basis, which has remained fundamentally important until
today, was (Pseudo)-Dionysius the Areopagite. His entire thought was
dedicated to the deification of all creation, and ultimate goal was "the
cloud of unknowing", in which the soul, following the ascending path of
apophatic theology, reaches mystical union with God. The ascending process
starts with material objects, symbols, through which God manifests Himself
to humanity. Given the reality of the human person, who is called upon to
receive the revelation, the Divinity cannot be perceived without the help of
mediators that, for Dionysius, were "sacred veils" beneath which the divine
light is hidden. The aim of this article is to highlight the role of visual
elements (material objects, symbols) as the starting point in the process of
deification, and in the context of the aesthetic elements of Christianity
and the Church?s doctrine of deification, which owes its foundation to the
Areopagite.
Aspect visuel de la deification selon Denys L’areopagite
