The Celestial Hierarchy — Chapter Iii

St. Dionysius the Areopagite

What is Hierarchy, and what the use of Hierarchy?

Hierarchy is, in my opinion, a holy order and knowledge and activity

which, so far as is attainable, participates in the Divine Likeness,

and is lifted up to the illuminations given it from God, and

correspondingly towards the imitation of God.

Now the Beauty of God, being unific, good, and the Source of all

perfection, is wholly free from dissimilarity, and bestows its own

Light upon each according to his merit;* and in the most divine

Mysteries perfects them in accordance with the unchangeable fashioning

of those who are being perfected harmoniously to Itself.

The aim of Hierarchy is the greatest possible assimilation to and union

with God, and by taking Him as leader in all holy wisdom, to become

like Him, so far as is permitted, by contemplating intently His most

Divine Beauty. Also it moulds and perfects its participants in the holy

image of God like bright and spotless mirrors which receive the Ray of

the Supreme Deity -- which is the Source of Light; and being mystically

filled with the Gift of Light, it pours it forth again abundantly,

according to the Divine Law, upon those below itself. For it is not

lawful for those who impart or participate in the holy Mysteries to

overpass the bounds of its sacred laws; nor must they deviate from them

if they seek to behold, as far as is allowed, that Deific Splendour and

to be transformed into the likeness of those Divine Intelligences.

Therefore he who speaks of Hierarchy implies a certain perfectly holy

Order in the likeness of the First Divine Beauty, ministering the

sacred mystery of its own illuminations in hierarchical order and

wisdom, being in due measure conformed to its own Principle. [1]

For each of those who is allotted a place in the Divine Order finds his

perfection in being uplifted, according to his capacity, towards the

Divine Likeness; and what is still more divine, he becomes, as the

Scriptures say, a fellow-worker with God, and shows forth the Divine

Activity revealed as far as possible in himself. For the holy

constitution of the Hierarchy ordains that some are purified, others

purify; some are enlightened, others enlighten; some are perfected,

others make perfect; for in this way the divine imitation will fit each

one.

Inasmuch as the Divine Bliss (to speak in human terms) is exempt from

all dissimilarity, and is full of Eternal Light, perfect, in need of no

perfection, purifying, illuminating, perfecting being rather Himself

the holy Purification, Illumination and Perfection, above purification,

above light. supremely perfect, Himself the origin of perfection and

the cause of every Hierarchy, He transcends in excellence all holiness.

[2]

I hold, therefore, that those who are being purified ought to be wholly

perfected and free from all taint of unlikeness; those who are

illuminated should be filled full with Divine Light, ascending, to the

contemplative state and power with the most