Pope Dionysius
Home > Church Fathers > Pope Dionysius Pope Dionysius At a Glance Treatise Genre: (4/5) ***** Reliability of Dating: (3/5) *** Length of Text: Greek Original Language: Ancient Translations: Modern Translations: English Estimated Range of Dating: 259-268 A.D. Chronological List of Early Christian Writings Discuss this text on the Early Writings forum. Text Dionysius of Rome Against the Sabellians Resources Catholic Encyclopedia: Pope Dionysius Offsite Links Gallery of Philologists A Note on Dionysius of Alexandria's Letter to Novatian in Light of Third-Century Papyri Books Claudio Moreschini and Enrico Norelli, Early Christian Greek and Latin Literature, Vol. 1, pp. 305-308 Johannes Quasten, Patrology (4 Volume Set), Vol.
2, pp. 101-109 Siegmar Dpp and Wilhelm Geerlings, Dictionary of Early Christian Literature, pp. 177-178 Recommended Books for the Study of Early Christian Writings Information on Pope Dionysius C. Schmidt writes, "Dionysius I of Rome (D.), 3rd c., initially a Roman presbyter, 259/260-267/268, and then successor of Bishop Sixtus II, reorganized the Roman community, which had been greatly weakened by persecution. In 262, as a result of complaints from Alexandrian presbyters about the Origenist type of christology represented by Dionysius of Alexandria, Dionyius of Rome held a synod in Rome that condemned Sabellianism and subordinationism." (Dictionary of Early Christian Literature, p.
183) J. Quasten writes, "Dionysius wrote two epistles to his namesake, Dionysius of Alexandria, on Sabellianism and Subordinationism. The Alexandrian prelate in a communication sent to certain bishops of the Pentapolis called Ammon and Euphranor, condemned the heresy of Sabellius, which was very popular in that section, insisting on the distinctness of the Son from the Father. Some Christians of the Pentapolis or Alexandria objected to the strong expressions he used in that letter, because, very much akin to the language of Origen, they seemed to favor the subordination of the Son to the Father. For this reason 'they went to Rome without asking him, so as to learn form him how he had written; and they spoke against him in the presence of his namesake Dionysius the Bishop of Rome' (Athanasius, Ep.
de sent. Dion. 13). The Pope, 'upon hearing it, wrote simultaneously against the partisans of Sabellius and against those who held the very opinions for uttering which Arius was cast out of the Church; calling it an equal and opposite impiety to hold with Sabellius or with those who say that the Word of God is a thing made and formed and originated. And he wrote also to Dionysius to inform him of what they had said about him' (ibid., LNPF). A very valuable passage of the first letter (the Pope despatched this after the condemnation by a synod of Rome in 262 of both Sabellianism and Subordinationism), is quoted by Athanasius, De decretis Nic. syn. 26, and thus preserved, whereas the rest of the letter is lost.
Without mentioning the name of Dionysius, the Pontiff refers to 'some among you' and defends the trinitarian doctrine against the two opposing heresies in a statement outstanding for its preciseness and clearness." (Patrology, vol. 2, pp. 239-240) C. Schmidt writes, "The letters of Dionysius are almost entirely lost; only a fragment (in Athanasius, decr. 26) has survived of a synodal letter of Dionysius of Rome to Dionysius of Alexandria in which the latter is told of the decrees of the Roman synod. In a second, now lost synodal letter, mentioned by Athanasius (Dion. 13), Dionysius of Rome was supposed to have told Dionysius of Alexandria about the complaints against him. Basil the Great (ep.