DOCSLIB.ORG

Fire in the Bread, Life in the Body: the Pneumatology of Ephrem the Syrian

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Fire in the Bread, Life in the Body: the Pneumatology of Ephrem the Syrian FIRE IN THE BREAD, LIFE IN THE BODY: THE PNEUMATOLOGY OF EPHREM THE SYRIAN by David Wesley Kiger, B.C.M, B.Th., M.Div. A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Milwaukee, Wisconsin May 2020 ABSTRACT FIRE IN THE BREAD, LIFE IN THE BODY: THE PNEUMATOLOGY OF EPHREM THE SYRIAN David Wesley Kiger, B.C.M., B.Th., M.Div. Marquette University, 2020 The fourth century debates about the status and personhood of the Son later expanded to reflections on the status and person of the Holy Spirit. In this dissertation I examine the pneumatology of Ephrem the Syrian, who is often over-looked in discussions about fourth century pneumatology. I argue that Ephrem displays a high pneumatology that fits within the broad contours of the pro-Nicene movement. I begin with a discussion of Ephrem’s Syriac heritage and focus on the themes and language surrounding the Holy Spirit in pre-Nicene Syriac texts. Pre-Nicene Syriac authors speak about the Spirit’s role in liturgical practices, often using feminine or maternal language to describe the Spirit’s work. I proceed then to a discussion of the grounding principle of Ephrem’s theology, the concept of true and borrowed names. Ephrem’s focus on divine names shows a clear concern for and response to the theology of Eunomius and Aetius. The logic that Ephrem uses to combat Eunomius’s understanding of divine names bears a marked similarity to Basil’s logic in Contra Eunomium. Next, I assert that Ephrem affirms the unity of divine operations in the Trinity because of his assertion that the Holy Spirit participates in the act of creation. Ephrem does not believe that the Holy Spirit is the “wind/spirit” that hovers of the primordial waters in Gen. 1:2b, because creation does not proceed from those waters. In addition, he does affirm the Spirit’s creative action in the waters of baptism. Because Jesus left the Spirit to his followers after his ascension, Ephrem believes that the locus of the Holy Spirit’s activity is the life of the church. In the sacraments the Holy Spirit forgives sin and creates new believers, thus performing the same actions as the Father and Son. Lastly, in his most vivid image of the Trinity, Ephrem affirms that God is the undiminished giver, who is present to all without suffering loss in God’s self. God’s presence is evident in the life of Christians by the presence of the Holy Spirit who is present everywhere without diminishing. Ephrem’s pneumatology affirms several key pro-Nicene commitments without recourse to the same exegetical traditions. Such an affirmation highlights that the transmission of orthodox theological ideas, based upon the common sources of the Bible and sacraments, integrated into the contexts beyond the traditional Latin and Greek divide. i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS David Kiger, B.C.M., B.Th., M.Div. Arriving at the end of this process feels more surreal than I had imagined. The writing process is lonely and difficult. Even though the end has felt beyond my capacity for understanding, my thanks for those who have helped and encouraged me along the way is ever present. How can words do justice to the depth of gratitude I have for the many, many people who have made this project possible? My thankfulness to those who have helped me on my journey through the dissertation process and throughout my academic career reaches beyond what I can articulate in words. I would like to first thank Marquette University for giving me the opportunity to study theology at the doctoral level. The theology department at Marquette has been a source of continual intellectual inquiry, spiritual comradery, and career development. Upon arriving in Milwaukee, it was a joy to discover not only colleagues, but friends. I thank my dissertation committee Dr. Michel Barnes, Dr. Jeanne-Nicole Mellon Saint- Laurent, Dr. Deirdre Dempsey, and Dr. Marcus Plested for their reading of this dissertation, their guidance of my academic journey, and their instructive comments on writing and scholarship. My writing is stronger because of their persistence, my scholarship is better because of their questions, and, I hope I am a better person because of their guidance. From my directors Drs. Barnes and Saint-Laurent I have learned that the hard work of scholarship bears intellectual fruit that outweighs the many unforeseen burdens of academic life. I am most grateful for their passing on a passion for the study of the early church and its theology. I am grateful to my colleagues at Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan, their graciousness toward me as I finished this project was an undeserved kindness. It has been a tremendous joy to return and work with my M.Div. thesis directors and professors, but now as colleagues. I want to thank Dr. Miriam Perkins for her consistent encouragement, her mentorship, and friendship. Without her gracious prodding I may not have finished writing. I also wish to thank Dr. Paul Blowers for his listening ear and passion for the early church; Mr. Gary Daught and the rest of the Milligan Libraries staff for their patience with me as I navigate balancing scholarship and theological librarianship. I am grateful to my predecessor at Emmanuel, Mr. John Mark Wade, for his support of my work as a scholar and librarian. I also wish to thank Dr. David Marwede for his kindness and support during our cherished lunch time conversations. Hannah, my wife, has been a source of continual optimism amidst the flurries of doubt. She is the person who helps translate my garbled thoughts into English, without her not much of what I want to say would be readable. I thank God for bringing her into my life and for the love and care she shows to every task to which she sets herself. She has carried the weight of my struggles and been my confidant and companion, without her, there is no way I could have finished. I want to thank my family, especially my parents, who have been a consistent source of encouragement to me in my academic pursuits. Lastly, my grandpa died while I began this dissertation. In many ways his life is the reason I am on the path of theology ii that I find myself. When I wrote my statement of purpose as I applied to Marquette, I began with a reference to him and his ministry as a holiness movement preacher. It seems only fitting that as I close out my time at Marquette I thank my grandpa for always reminding me of the grandeur and goodness of God, for inspiring me to hope for the best in people, and for his consistent repetition of the words from St. John, “Greater is the One that is in you, than the one that is in the world.” iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................ i TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................... iii TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................... vi INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 Present Status of the Problem .............................................................................. 9 Ephrem’s Life and Works .................................................................................. 13 Outline of the Dissertation ................................................................................. 18 CHAPTER ONE: PRE-NICENE SYRIAC SPIRIT LANGUAGE................................. 24 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 24 The Sources and Origins of Pre-Nicene Syriac Theology ................................... 28 Themes in Pre-Nicene Syriac Spirit-Language ................................................... 37 Feminine and Maternal Language.......................................................... 37 Hovering and Bird Imagery.................................................................... 45 Liturgical Language ............................................................................... 49 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 55 CHAPTER TWO: EPHREM’S THEOLOGY OF DIVINE NAMES AS ARTICULATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT’S DIVINITY ............................................ 57 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 57 Ephrem on the Reality Behind Names................................................................ 59 Divine Names as Essential for Faith .................................................................. 65 Divine Names and the Persons of the Trinity ..................................................... 75 iv Proverbs 8:22 and the Hiddenness of God ............................................. 75 True Names for Father and Son ............................................................. 83 True Names for the Holy Spirit ............................................................... 85 Ephrem and Basil Confront Eunomius ............................................................... 92 Basil’s Contra Eunomium ...................................................................... 93 Ephrem Against Eunomius ..................................................................... 99 Conclusion .....................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • GLIMPSES INTO the KNOWLEDGE, ROLE, and USE of CHURCH FATHERS in RUS' and RUSSIAN MONASTICISM, LATE 11T H to EARLY 16 T H CENTURIES
    ROUND UP THE USUALS AND A FEW OTHERS: GLIMPSES INTO THE KNOWLEDGE, ROLE, AND USE OF CHURCH FATHERS IN RUS' AND RUSSIAN MONASTICISM, LATE 11t h TO EARLY 16 t h CENTURIES David M. Goldfrank This essay originated at the time that ASEC was in its early stages and in response to a requestthat I write something aboutthe church Fathers in medieval Rus'. I already knew finding the patrology concerning just the original Greek and Syriac texts is nothing short of a researcher’s black hole. Given all the complexities in­ volved in the manuscript traditions associated with such superstar names as Basil of Caesarea, Ephrem the Syrian, John Chrysostom, and Macarius of wherever (no kidding), to name a few1 and all of The author would like to thank the staffs of the Hilandar Research Library at The Ohio State University and, of course, the monks of Hilandar Monastery for encouraging the microfilming of the Hilandar Slavic manuscripts by Ohio State. I thank the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection; and Georgetown University’s Woodstock Theological Library as well as its Lauinger Library Reference Room for their kind help. Georgetown University’s Office of the Provost and Center for Eurasian, East European and Russian Studies provided summer research support. Thanks also to Jennifer Spock and Donald Ostrowski for their wise suggestions. 1 An excellent example of this is Plested, Macarian Legacy. For the spe­ cific problem of Pseudo-Macarius/Pseudo-Pseudo-Macarius as it relates to this essay, see NSAW, 78-79. Tapestry of Russian Christianity: Studies in History and Culture.
    [Show full text]
  • Towards an African Inculturation Biblical Pneumatology: a Response to the Rise of Neo- Pentecostalism in Tanzanian Christianity Faith Lugazia Luther Seminary
    Luther Seminary Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary Doctor of Philosophy Theses Student Theses 2010 Towards an African Inculturation Biblical Pneumatology: A Response to the Rise of Neo- Pentecostalism in Tanzanian Christianity Faith Lugazia Luther Seminary Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.luthersem.edu/phd_theses Part of the Christianity Commons, History of Christianity Commons, and the New Religious Movements Commons Recommended Citation Lugazia, Faith, "Towards an African Inculturation Biblical Pneumatology: A Response to the Rise of Neo-Pentecostalism in Tanzanian Christianity" (2010). Doctor of Philosophy Theses. Paper 15. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses at Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Philosophy Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TOWARDS AN AFRICAN INCULTURATION BIBLICAL PNEUMATOLOGY: A RESPONSE TO THE RISE OF NEO-PENTECOSTALISM IN TANZANIAN CHRISTIANITY by FAITH LUGAZIA A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Luther Seminary In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA 2010 LUTHER SEMINARY LIBRARY 2375 Como Avenue 8 t P*ul, MN 65108-144? © 2010 by Faith Lugazia All rights reserved LUTHER SEMINARY ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA PH.D. THESIS Title of Thesis: Towards An African Inculturation of Biblical Pneumatology: A Response to the Rise of Neo-Pentecostalism in Tanzanian Christianity. Author: Faith Kokubelwa Lugazia Thesis committee: L . jA JL a- ABSTRACT Towards an African Inculturation Biblical Pneumatology: A Response to the Rise ofNeo- Pentecostalism in Tanzanian Christianity By Faith Lugazia In this dissertation, 1 seek to lay the groundwork for developing an African inculturation of biblical pneumatology relevant to the Tanzanian context.
    [Show full text]
  • St. Ephraim the Syrian's Thought and Imagery As an Inspiration to Byzantine Artists
    Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies, Vol. 1.2, 227–251 © 1998 [2010] by Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute and Gorgias Press ST. EPHRAIM THE SYRIAN’S THOUGHT AND IMAGERY AS AN INSPIRATION † TO BYZANTINE ARTISTS ZAGA GAVRILOVIC INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH IN THE HUMANITIES THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM UNITED KINGDOM [1] For students of Byzantine art, St. Ephraim the Syrian is linked with the iconography of the Last Judgment. This paper gives an account of the previous research concerning his part in the development of that theme, although it is usually accepted that all previous conclusions were in fact based on pseudo-Ephraimic writings. However, in this article, a genuine text by St. Ephraim, which confirms that link, is introduced into the discussion. It is pointed out that, thanks to a great number of modern studies and the wider availability of St. Ephraim’s works, it is becoming possible to establish a more general connection between his thought and imagery and the art of the Byzantine world. This article includes a brief survey of the representations of St. Ephraim in Byzantine portraiture and of the iconography of his death and funeral. [2] One of the earliest preserved representations of St. Ephraim the Syrian in Byzantine art is on a small 10th century icon at St. Catherine’s Monastery, Mount Sinaï.1 The icon is divided into two † The General Editor acknowledges the assistance received from Eileen Wilson in scanning the images from slides. 1 K. Weitzmann, “The Mandylion and Constantine Porphyro- genetos,” CahArch XI (1960): 163–184. A photograph in colour, in id., The 227 228 Zaga Gavrilovic registers.
    [Show full text]
  • ABSTRACT the Apostolic Tradition in the Ecclesiastical Histories Of
    ABSTRACT The Apostolic Tradition in the Ecclesiastical Histories of Socrates, Sozomen, and Theodoret Scott A. Rushing, Ph.D. Mentor: Daniel H. Williams, Ph.D. This dissertation analyzes the transposition of the apostolic tradition in the fifth-century ecclesiastical histories of Socrates, Sozomen, and Theodoret. In the early patristic era, the apostolic tradition was defined as the transmission of the apostles’ teachings through the forms of Scripture, the rule of faith, and episcopal succession. Early Christians, e.g., Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Origen, believed that these channels preserved the original apostolic doctrines, and that the Church had faithfully handed them to successive generations. The Greek historians located the quintessence of the apostolic tradition through these traditional channels. However, the content of the tradition became transposed as a result of three historical movements during the fourth century: (1) Constantine inaugurated an era of Christian emperors, (2) the Council of Nicaea promulgated a creed in 325 A.D., and (3) monasticism emerged as a counter-cultural movement. Due to the confluence of these sweeping historical developments, the historians assumed the Nicene creed, the monastics, and Christian emperors into their taxonomy of the apostolic tradition. For reasons that crystallize long after Nicaea, the historians concluded that pro-Nicene theology epitomized the apostolic message. They accepted the introduction of new vocabulary, e.g. homoousios, as the standard of orthodoxy. In addition, the historians commended the pro- Nicene monastics and emperors as orthodox exemplars responsible for defending the apostolic tradition against the attacks of heretical enemies. The second chapter of this dissertation surveys the development of the apostolic tradition.
    [Show full text]
  • Trinity Handouts.Xlsx
    Alexander of Alexandria (d.326) Ossius of Cordova (c.256-357) Apollinarius (d.390) Arius of Alexandria (256-336) Hillary of Potiers (c.310-367) Gregory of Nazianzus (329-390) Irenaeus Constantine (272-337) Athanasius (296-373) Eunomius (d.393) (130-202) Eusebius of Caesarea (263-339) Basil of Caesarea (330-379) Gregory of Nyssa (335-395) AD 200 AD 300 AD 400 AD 500 Constantine died (337) Tertullian (165-225) Constantine became Council of Origen (185-254) Emporer (312) His sons, Constantine II, Ephesus Constantius II, and (431) Council of Edict of Milan Constans succeed him as Chalcedon (313) co-emporers (451) COUNCIL OF NICAEA COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE May 19 - June 20, 325 May - July 9, 381 318 Fathers in Attendance 150 Fathers in Attendance We believe in one God the Father all powerful, We believe in one God the Father all-powerful, maker of maker of heaven and of earth, all things both seen and unseen. and of all things both seen and unseen. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, the only-begotten begotten from the Father, begotten from the Father that is from the substance [Gr. ousias, Lat. substantia ] before all the ages, of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten [Gr. gennethenta , Lat. natum ] begotten not made [Gr. poethenta , Lat. factum ], not made, CONSUBSTANTIAL [Gr. homoousion , Lat. unius substantiae consubstantial (quod Graeci dicunt homousion) ] with the Father, with the Father,
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Heretical Self-Defence in the Middle Ages
    Heretical Self-Defence in the Middle Ages: Text, Law, Subterfuge, Flight and Arms University of Nottingham Abstracts Session 1: Late-antique and early-medieval Models ‘North African Donatism: Fighting against the heretical assimilation’ Carles Buenecasa Perez, University of Barcelona Donatism was nothing but a schism, and its theology was not so different from Catholicism. That’s why, in Africa, Donatism was widely widespread. Catholic bishops decided that, demonstrating to the emperors that Donatism was an heresy, they could impose on Donatists the strict legislation against heretics. Augustine of Hippo has played a significant role in this process, and the arguments he used were multiple. First of all, the bishop of Hippo developed thelogical and ecclesiological concepts, like the uselessness of the baptism given by those who are out of the Church, the lack of theological fundament for rebaptism, etc. Equally, he carried out a deep historical research to remind the Donatists the origins of their own schism (several lies behind the election of Cecilianus, the innocence of Felix of Abthugni...), and to denounce Donatists’s violences (the rupture of ecclesiastical unity, circoncellions’s assassinations...). Then, once Catholic bishops had proved the heretical condition of Donatism, imperial power could promulgate several edicts for its repression from 405. Donatists felt very mistreated by their opponents so they reacted in many and diverse ways. The only problem is that most of our sources are the Catholic ones, so there are not too much objectives. Augustine insists in the fact that the main Donatist reaction was violence agaisnt catholics, but can we really admit this? ‘Gottschalk of Orbais: the quest for Gottschalk’s models’ Bojana Radovanović, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Institut für Mittelalterforschung ‘Heretical self-defence in the Pseudo-Dionysius’ Alan P.
    [Show full text]
  • S Ociety R Eport
    Society Report SocietyNovember 2012 of Biblical Literature Inside Updates About SBL 2 Minding (and Mining) the Data 3 SBL Facts and Figures 9 International Qur’anic Studies Association 4 Labor of Love Partnership to Provide Primary Texts 5 try on Fridays to call a member—a cold call without having first emailed a request to chat. If I email- Bible Odyssey Website 7 ahead of time, the caller wants to know what the call is about, and the answers are more prepared and Year in Review less visceral. I have thought about asking the same questions every call, in order to give the conversa tion a more intentional agenda and direction, and perhaps even to record answers on a grid to evaluate Publications 8 Iqualitatively. Instead, I try to listen intentionally and let the call go wherever it naturally goes. However, Editorial Boards 10 eventually I usually ask two questions: (1) How is your work going? and (2) What can SBL do better for you? 2012 Publications 12 Like most questions, we hear different things based on our present circumstances and personal- Congresses 14 interests. So a vaguer question elicits a variety of responses. Sometimes I hear about the current challenges in higher education, the poor job market, budget cuts, increased committee work, the “admin Regional Meetings 18 - istration.” Sometimes I hear about a member’s frustration that research and writing always seem to take Affiliates 19 a back seat to other, more pressing responsibilities. What I almost always hear is that, while the profes sion is so time-consuming, all-encompassing, and uncertain, they love it—the teaching, the students, the Annual Meeting intellectual freedom, the intellectual stimulation, and the creativity.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Article (PDF)
    RECENT PUBLICATIONS ON SYRIAC TOPICS: 2018* SEBASTIAN P. BROCK, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD GRIGORY KESSEL, AUSTRIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER SERGEY MINOV, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD Books Acharya, F., Psalmic Odes from Apostolic Times: An Indian Monk’s Meditation (Bengaluru: ATC Publishers, 2018). Adelman, S., After Saturday Comes Sunday (Piscataway, New Jersey: Gorgias Press, 2018). Alobaidi, T., and Dweik, B., Language Contact and the Syriac Language of the Assyrians in Iraq (Saarbrücken, Germany: Lambert Academic Publishing, 2018). Andrade, N.J., The Journey of Christianity to India in Late Antiquity: Networks and the Movement of Culture (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018). Aravackal, R., The Mystery of the Triple Gradated Church: A Theological Analysis of the Kṯāḇā d-Massqāṯā (Book of Steps) with Particular Reference to the Writing of Aphrahat and John the Solitary (Oriental Institute of Religious Studies India Publications 437; Kottayam, India: Oriental Institute of Religious Studies, 2018). Aydin, G. (ed.), Syriac Hymnal According to the Rite of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch (Teaneck, New Jersey: Beth Antioch Press / Syriac Music Institute, 2018). Bacall, J., Chaldean Iraqi American Association of Michigan (Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2018). * The list of publications is based on the online Comprehensive Bibliography on Syriac Christianity, supported by the Center for the Study of Christianity at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (http://www.csc.org.il/db/db.aspx?db=SB). Suggested additions and corrections can be sent to: [email protected] 235 236 Bibliographies Barry, S.C., Syriac Medicine and Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq’s Arabic Translation of the Hippocratic Aphorisms (Journal of Semitic Studies Supplement 39; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018).
    [Show full text]
  • The Figure of Joseph the Patriarch in the New Testament and the Early Church
    ABSTRACT “Much More Ours Than Yours”: The Figure of Joseph the Patriarch in the New Testament and the Early Church by John Lee Fortner This paper investigates the figure of Joseph the patriarch in early Christian interpretation, demonstrating the importance of such figures in articulating a Christian reading of the history of Israel, and the importance of this reading in the identity formation of early Christianity. The paper also illumines the debt of this Christian reading of Israel’s history to the work of Hellenistic Judaism. The figure of Joseph the patriarch is traced through early Christian interpretation, primarily from the Eastern Church tradition up to the 4th century C.E. The key methodological approach is an analysis of how the early church employed typological, allegorical, and moral exegesis in its construction of Joseph as a “Christian saint of the Old Testament.” A figure who, to borrow Justin Martyr’s phrase, became in the Christian identity “much more ours than yours.” “Much More Ours Than Yours”: The Figure of Joseph the Patriarch in the New Testament and the Early Church A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Miami University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of History by John Lee Fortner Miami University Oxford, Ohio 2004 Advisor ________________________ Dr. Edwin Yamauchi Reader ________________________ Dr. Charlotte Goldy Reader _________________________ Dr. Wietse de Boer Table of Contents Introduction 1 Early Christian Hermeneutics 1 The Aura of Antiquity 6 Apologetics of Hellenistic Judaism 8 Scope and Purpose of Study 12 1. Joseph in the New Testament 13 Acts 7 14 Heb 11 15 2.
    [Show full text]
  • The Pneumatology of Ephrem the Syrian
    Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Dissertations, Theses, and Professional Dissertations (2009 -) Projects Fire in the Bread, Life in the Body: The Pneumatology of Ephrem the Syrian David Kiger Marquette University Follow this and additional works at: https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Kiger, David, "Fire in the Bread, Life in the Body: The Pneumatology of Ephrem the Syrian" (2020). Dissertations (2009 -). 913. https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/913 FIRE IN THE BREAD, LIFE IN THE BODY: THE PNEUMATOLOGY OF EPHREM THE SYRIAN by David Wesley Kiger, B.C.M, B.Th., M.Div. A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Milwaukee, Wisconsin May 2020 ABSTRACT FIRE IN THE BREAD, LIFE IN THE BODY: THE PNEUMATOLOGY OF EPHREM THE SYRIAN David Wesley Kiger, B.C.M., B.Th., M.Div. Marquette University, 2020 The fourth century debates about the status and personhood of the Son later expanded to reflections on the status and person of the Holy Spirit. In this dissertation I examine the pneumatology of Ephrem the Syrian, who is often over-looked in discussions about fourth century pneumatology. I argue that Ephrem displays a high pneumatology that fits within the broad contours of the pro-Nicene movement. I begin with a discussion of Ephrem’s Syriac heritage and focus on the themes and language surrounding the Holy Spirit in pre-Nicene Syriac texts. Pre-Nicene Syriac authors speak about the Spirit’s role in liturgical practices, often using feminine or maternal language to describe the Spirit’s work.
    [Show full text]
  • Exegesis and Empire in the Early Byzantine Mediterranean
    Studien und Texte zu Antike und Christentum Studies and Texts in Antiquity and Christianity Herausgeber/Editor: CHRISTOPH MARKSCHIES (Heidelberg) Beirat/Advisory Board HUBERT CANCIK (Tübingen) • GIOVANNI CASADIO (Salerno) SUSANNA ELM (Berkeley) • JOHANNES HAHN (Münster) JÖRG RÜPKE (Erfurt) 17 Michael Maas Exegesis and Empire in the Early Byzantine Mediterranean Junillus Africanus and the Instituía Regularia Divinae Legis With a Contribution by Edward G. Mathews, Jr. With the Latin Text Established by Heinrich Kihn Translated by Michael Maas Mohr Siebeck MICHAF.L MAAS, born 1951; 1973 BA in Classics and Anthropology at Cornell University: 1982 Ph.D. in Ancient History and Mediterranean Archaeology at Berkeley; Professor of History and Director of the Program in Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations at Rice Univer- sity, Houston, Texas. ISBN 3-16-148108-9 ISSN 1436-3003 (Studien und Texte zu Antike und Christentum) Die Deutsche Bibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie; detailed bibliographic data is available in the Internet at http://dnb.ddb.di'. © 2003 by J. C. B. Möhr (Paul Siebeck), P. O. Box 2040, D-72010Tübingen. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that permitted by copyright law) without the publisher's written permission. This applies particularly to reproductions, translations, microfilms and storage and processing in electronic systems. The book was printed by Guide-Druck in Tübingen on non-aging paper and bound by Buchbinderei Held in Rottenburg. Printed in Germany. Acknowledgments It is a pleasure to thank the institutions that enabled me to write this book and the many friends who gave advice and encouragement during its composition.
    [Show full text]
  • A Spiritual Father for the Whole Church: the Universal Appeal of St
    Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies, Vol. 1.2, 197–220 © 1998 [2010] by Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute and Gorgias Press A SPIRITUAL FATHER FOR THE WHOLE CHURCH: THE UNIVERSAL APPEAL OF ST. EPHRAEM THE SYRIAN SIDNEY H. GRIFFITH INSTITUTE OF CHRISTIAN ORIENTAL RESEARCH THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA I [1] In an encyclical letter issued on 5 October 1920, Pope Benedict XV proclaimed St. Ephraem the Syrian a Doctor of the Universal Church.1 This accolade may be seen as in some ways the culmination in Rome of a new fame in the twentieth century for Syria’s ‘Harp of the Holy Spirit,’ already widely acclaimed in east and west in medieval times. It was due to efforts exerted already for some two centuries by a number of scholars in the west to bring out modern editions of Ephraem’s works. One thinks initially of the publication in the eighteenth century of the six-volume Roman edition of the works attributed to Ephraem in Greek, Syriac, and Latin.2 While the Greek and Latin texts had long been known in the west, the publication of Ephraem’s works in Syriac, 1 See Benedict XV, “Principi Apostolorum Petro,” Acta Apostolicae Sedis 12 (1920), pp. 457–453. 2 See J.S. Assemani (ed.), Sancti Patris Nostri Ephraem Syri Opera Omnia quae exstant Graece, Syriace, Latine, 6 vols. (Rome, 1732–46). 197 198 Sidney H. Griffith the only language in which he is known to have written, brought the first glimpse of the poet’s true genius to western Christians. The Syriac works, with Latin translations, were included in volumes IV to VI of the Editio Romana.
    [Show full text]