outline for a conference paper on Dee I never finished

1.1Thomas’ angel (why substance problem, what does neoplatonism do to help?)
1.2Pseudo Dionysius as authority (with him comes neoplatonism, but not only T+np)
1.3Boethius – real distinction and nature of contingent being
1.4book of causes and proclus – self-intellectualizing angel, np power and act/potency
1.5Thomas-Ficino link: Platonic Theology
2.1 Ficino’s absent angel
2.2 Ficino’s platonism – departure from scholasticism
2.3 Ficino’s neoplatonism – plotinus and proclus readings
2.4 Ficino’s influence on later magic theorists (as reacted against)
2.5 Ficino-Pico link, pico’s critiques of np readings of plato
2.6 Nicholas of Cusa as indirect proclan influence
3.1 Pico della Mirandola – magic and cabala
3.2 Thomistic theses in 900 conclusions
3.3 Pico’s Thomist angel in Kabbalistic imaginal space
3.4 Pico’s Kabbalah in Thomistic imaginal space
3.5 Pico-Reuchlin link – Kaballah as foundation of metaphysical knowledge
4.1 Reuchlin’s Pythagorean Kabbalah (Dionysius must have read them)
4.2 Kabbalistic methods and angel contacts (this prayer: both names and tetragrammaton)
4.3 Reuchlin’s relative neglect of metaphysics (other intellectual concerns/focus?)
4.4 revisionist looks at Yates’ christian cabala as summoning angels to make magic safe
4.5 Reuchlin-Agrippa link: Agrippa’s lectures (professional occult scholar—Trithemius letter on wasting faculties/talents)
5.1 Agrippa’s ceremonial magic (int.->cel. not cel.->nat.)
5.2 Agrippa’s elemental theory (Newman and Zambelli on departure)
5.3 Agrippa’s 3-level system and proclan metaphysics – causality
5.4 Agrippan and Trithemian critique of Ficinian natural-only magic
5.5 Agrippa bruno link – each has matter theory departure according to suspicion of dangers of aristotelian “Rationalist” brutality
6.1 Bruno’s radical matter theory –
6.2 still have spirits (taken as experiential fact rather than invisible theological concept)
6.3 and a version of np hierarchy (more interior just as Agrippa doing a move to a “higher level” [ontologically])
6.4 Bruno’s contraction and Cusa/neoplatonism
6.5 Bruno-Dee link/resonance (chart circles and near-miss biographically)
7.1 John Dee’s angel conversations (complex and well-documented relationship)
7.2 Dee’s Euclid and platonic/proclan number theory and ascent/initiation
7.3 Dee’s angel conjuring – does my argument help resolve Clucas vs. NP-influence?
7.4 Dee’s “alchemy of light” and medieval light metaphysics, optics, plotinian vision
7.5 Dee’s angel-anthropology and identity-construction (angel as ideal projection)
8.1 Conclusion: importance/relevance of Thomism and Platonism intertwined?
8.2 Renaissance magi inspired by Thomistic metaphysical accomplishment to try own
8.3 substance of the angels and the soul, elements – thinking with NP principles
8.4 need to understand metaphysical background to magical philosophical theology