Abstract

Iamblichus of Chalcis was one of the most important figures in the later Platonic Academy. His influence derived from his commentaries on the works of Plato, Aristotle, and Pythagorean writings, but Iamblichus' most significant contribution was to place religious rituals at the center of his Platonic school in Syria. Iamblichus called these rituals "theurgy" and explained them as divine works, the activity of the gods shared with man through acts of worship. Without understanding the importance of theurgy and its role in the soul's education, the thinking of the later Platonists cannot be understood. Nevertheless, no one yet has examined the relationship between theurgy and Platonism or explained how Iamblichus defended the practice of religious rituals. The present dissertation will attempt to do this. ;The most important resource for understanding theurgy is Iamblichus' treatise, the de Mysteriis, an apology for the performance of sacred rites. I have cited this text extensively to demonstrate that Iamblichus' theurgical interests were perfectly consistent with his philosophical interest and I believe that his other writings bear this out. Using Iamblichus' own arguments, I have attempted to show that a rigorous Platonist and mathematician, without contradiction, could be a theurgist and mystagogue at the same time. The categories of rational vs. irrational employed by modern scholars to explain theurgy have been less than inadequate--they tend to obfuscate the entire issue. In contrast, I explain Neoplatonic theurgy according to Iamblichus' own categories, and I believe his thinking on the matter is clear and coherent. ;The dissertation is divided into three parts, each dealing with issues that Iamblichus addressed in his defense of theurgy. Part I discusses the importance of Iamblichus' view of matter and how this relates to his understanding of embodiment and the role of theurgy. Part II discusses the limits of the embodied soul and how they contribute to its participation in theurgy. Finally, Part III discusses the correspondences between the cosmos and human society and how, according to Iamblichus, theurgy employs these correspondences to provide the embodied soul access to the divine life