ABSTRACT
The Corpus Dionysiacum (CD) was written in a complex historical, political, and theological environment. Naturally, the complexity of this context reflected itself in the corpus. There are as many keys to unlock the enigma of the CD as key holders; however, for the most part none of them works perfectly. As far as the view of the Areopagitica as a sort of apologetic endeavor to present Christianity in an acceptable and convincing way to non-Christian intellectuals is concerned, there is no point denying the apologetic aspect of the corpus as, for example, was done by Balthasar. The idea that the Areopagitica aimed to convert pagans to Christianity by intellectual means was already suggested by John of Scythopolis in the Prologue to his Scholia on the corpus. In the case of John of Scythopolis it certainly was an apologetic effort, not one to convert pagans to Christianity, but to secure the acceptance of the corpus in the Christian community.
