Abstract

As one of the names attributed to God, justice is defined by Dionysius as something which assigns to everything what is appropriate to it, and preserves the nature of each being in its due order. In this way, it is through divine justice’s definitions that every being is assigned its own proper essence. The same role of justice is applied to the ecclesiastical hierarchy, which, in its conformity to God, is an image of divine justice, and ‘gives to each as he deserves and grants an appropriate share of the divine things to all for their salvation’. In practical sense, this concept of justice points to the way of life of each individual – the divine justice ensures that each one receives a return for whatever good or bad he did during his life. In the dimension of the hierarchical order, justice means obedience to the Law, and to the rules of the hierarchy. This paper explores the Dionysian notion of justice in philosophical theological, ecclesiological, and ethical contexts.