Beyond Words: Logos and Sacramentality in the Pseudo-Dionysian Tradition

Olivia Glunz ‘25

Dionysius the Areopagite, the father of Christian mysticism, holds that God transcends existence, understanding, and speech. Thus, for Dionysius, words serve a negative function in the spiritual life: humans must rise beyond the limits of language and reason in order to behold God face to face. However, does speech exist simply to be negated? This talk will argue otherwise. The apophaticism of Dionysius and his earliest Western successors, John Scotus Eriugena and Hugh of St. Victor, complements a richly sacramental account of language. Words, despite their shortcomings, possess the power to uplift, sanctify, and transform both readers and reality.

4:30 pm
Monday, May 5
Sever 102
Harvard University

Olivia Glunz

Olivia Glunz is a senior at Harvard studying History and Classics. She has served as President of Harvard Right to Life, as Managing Editor of the Harvard Salient, and as a Student Fellow with the Harvard Catholic Forum. An avid violinist and singer, she has especially enjoyed performing with the St. Paul’s Schola and in a student-run chamber ensemble. Next year, Olivia will pursue an MPhil in Theology at the University of Oxford, where she plans to expand upon her thesis work on Christian mystical theology.