The Meaning of Love in the Mystical Teachings of Dionysius the Areopagite
The article is devoted to the philosophical understanding of love in the context mystical and ascetic tradition of the Eastern Orthodox patristics represented by Dionysius the Areopagite. According to this school of thought love is interpreted as the Absolute Sole Essence, which means God in theology. The mystic believes that love is not simply the name of God, but also the ontological force that attracts a person to Himself. Dionysius highlights ethical and aesthetic characteristics of love and pays special attention to the epistemological aspect related to the perception and comprehen¬sion of God. These doings are possible only if the soul strives for spiritual perfection, carried out as a qualitative change in the inner essence of person, which leads to theosis.