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Conference Presentations by Donna Rizk Asdourian

The Armenian Apology of Aristides of Athens

Studia Patristica: Proceedings of the Fifth International British Conference, September 3-5, 2014, 2015

The Apology of Aristides is suggested to be the earliest Christian apologetical text extant, dati... more The Apology of Aristides is suggested to be the earliest Christian apologetical text extant, dating back between 117-138 AD. The earliest historical account on Aristides’ work is found in Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History and his Chronicon. Jerome (347-420 AD) also speaks about Aristides, but his source is most likely based upon Eusebius’ account of the apologist.
Originally written in Greek by an Athenian philosopher named Aristides, the Apology exists in just three languages today: Syriac, Greek (with 3 papyri fragments found and a Greek paraphrase from the legendary story Barlaam and Joasaph), Latin and Armenian. Like most, if not all early Christian literature, the original is lost and the different manuscripts that are extant today have a number of variations from each other.
In this brief overview of my current doctoral research, I will cover the manuscript tradition of the extant copies of the Apology, the dating of the Apology, and the spread of Christianity in Armenia in light of the Apology.

The Omonogenis Hymn Shared in the Byzantine and Coptic Traditions

Proceedings of the Fifth International Congress of Society of Oriental Liturgy New York, June 10-14, 2014, 2016

Ὁ Μονογενὴς is a Christological troparion hymn that is commonly attributed to Emperor Justinian f... more Ὁ Μονογενὴς is a Christological troparion hymn that is commonly attributed to Emperor Justinian from the 6th century. This hymn today is sung during the second antiphon before the Small Entrance in the Byzantine Rite and is also present in the Oriental liturgies. In the Coptic Rite today, Omonogenis is sung on four occasions and on all of these occasions the Trisagion hymn follows. This ancient Christological hymn has found itself overtime in the various liturgical texts of both Byzantine and Oriental traditions. In this paper, I will attempt to determine the hymn’s authorship based on its Sitz im Leben, its reception in Byzantine and Coptic tradition, and its liturgical position in each of these rites.

The Trisagion: A Chalcedonian or non-Chalcedonian Approach?

The Second International Symposium on Coptic Culture: Past, Present and Future: "Adaptation, Assimilation, and Representation" , 2015

Thesis Chapters by Donna Rizk Asdourian

Deification in the Early Alexandrian Fathers: Clement, Origen, Athanasius and Cyril on Creation, Baptism and Eucharist as means of Deification (Masters Thesis: Oxford 2012)

In this study, I have chosen the doctrine of deification with its three subcategories of creation... more In this study, I have chosen the doctrine of deification with its three subcategories of creation, baptism, and Eucharist to demonstrate how this developing and innovative Christian concept was interpreted and understood by Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Athanasius, and Cyril. I am focusing on these three areas of study, largely because they are interrelated; particularly, the first emphasis is connected to my second focus, much the same as the second leads to my third emphasis. Thereby, these three topics are dependent on each other and are each essential in understanding how they all work together to illustrate the Alexandrian theology of deification.
I begin with Clement of Alexandria because he is the earliest patristic witness to have directly written on deification. Origen, who contributes significantly to this notion, follows and adds an exegetical approach to the Scriptural reference of deification on Psalm 82.6. By the next century, Athanasius shifts the focus of deification primarily on the incarnation event, in which he established his renowned expression, God became man so many may become like God. I conclude with Cyril of Alexandria because he is not only the last of the great authors on this topic in pre-Chalcedon Alexandria, but he has extensively expanded on Athanasius’ theology of deification and placed it largely in a sacramental context, having written the most on these ecclesiastical sacraments than any other previous writer.
Each of these authors have uniquely contributed to the topic in their own manner, according to their own theological framework, cultural and environmental setting at the time, and theological purposes. Although they individually conceptualise deification with, more or less, their own interpretation and what information was provided to them by their predecessors, they still share common themes toward the roles of creation, baptism and Eucharist in the theology of deification.

Papers by Donna Rizk Asdourian

Christology has often been a major point of historical debate and sharp disagreement among the Ch... more Christology has often been a major point of historical debate and sharp disagreement among the Churches of the Orient. Since the Council of Chalcedon (451), the Churches of the East officially separated mainly over distinctive explanations and terminologies on the person of Christ, although political and other motivations were also the cause of the schism. Gradually over time, liturgical affinity between the two Orthodox families (also known as the Eastern and Oriental Churches today) has sometimes disintegrated and mutual theological understanding has been misconstrued over the centuries. Nevertheless, it is without doubt that the Eastern and Oriental Churches have in common a great number of Orthodox prayers and hymns, whether they are Eucharistic, canonical, hymnal prayers: in fact, more common texts are shared than not. Some of these living texts are identical and others have their similarities through various historical and theological developments, and each one of these accounts reflect a living theology manifested through prayer in the life of the Church. For example, many liturgical similarities are found among liturgical texts and rubrics, especially between the Coptic Orthodox Church and Byzantine Church which have been demonstrated by scholars and liturgists. Liturgical historians often will state that the rule of prayer is the rule of faith (lex orandi, lex credendi), meaning that what one prays reveals what one believes...
It is through this understanding of the living Church, this lex orandi-lex credendi that I wish to elucidate Coptic Christology in hopes to demonstrate that the Copts, in continuity with the Apostolic faith, without fail has believed and continues to believe in the full divinity and full humanity of the incarnate Logos as expressed in her worship. Thus, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria blatantly rejects the belief of monophystism.
As it is not possible to cover the entire oeuvre of Coptic liturgical prayers and services here, I have chosen the below texts that I believe most exemplifies Coptic Christology to show it is the God-man that we profess and it is the God-man we believe and worship, in perfect union without confusion, separation, or mingling.

Drafts by Donna Rizk Asdourian