De Coelesti Hierarchia (, "On the Celestial Hierarchy") is a Pseudo-Dionysian work on angelology, written in Greek and dated to ca. AD the 5th century; it exerted great influence on scholasticism and treats at great length the hierarchies of angels.
Candida Moss states that the described heavenly hierarchy of angels under God modeled the imperial court structure of the Roman Empire.
In Catholicism
Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologica, I.108) follows the Hierarchia (6.7) in dividing the angels into three hierarchies each of which contains three orders, based on their proximity to God, corresponding to the nine orders of angels recognized by Pope Gregory I.
Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones; Dominations, Virtues, and Powers; Principalities, Archangels, and Angels.
Editions
Pseudo-Dionysius Areopagita, De Coelesti Hierarchia, Surrey, 1935. Shrine of Wisdom . G. Heil, A. M. Ritter, Pseudo-Dionysius Areopagita. De Coelesti Hierarchia, De Ecclesiastica Hierarchia, De Mystica Theologia, Epistulae (1991) .
See also
Orthodox St. Dionysus Institute in Paris
Christian angelic hierarchy
Gregory Palamas
Apophatic theology
Hesychasm
Seven archangels
Vladimir Lossky
References
External links
The Celestial Hierarchy – full text translated into English (1899) The Celestial Hierarchy (original Ancient Greek text)