Isaac of Nineveh and Syriac Thought (original) (raw)
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The mystery in the community. Isaac of Nineveh and his instructions
Orientalia Christiana Cracoviensia, 2011
The mystery in the community. Isaac of Nineveh and his instructions When in one of the scenes in "The Karamazov Brothers" by F. Dostoevsky, the works of the mystic Isaac appear on the table, only few readers are aware that the history of Christianity has come full circle. The author from the Assyrian Eastern Church, recognised by his contemporary Church in Constantinople as a heretic, a Nestorian, becomes the moral and spiritual authority for the Orthodox clergyman. Is the mystic a heretic? The history of Isaac's texts, which made their way to the Orthodox Church through the anchor of orthodoxy-the community of the Mount Athos, is even stranger. His works were translated into Russian there; they found their way from the monastery community to the East, to Russia. But this is not the only odd event from the life of the saint of Nineveh. The life and activity of Isaac of Nineveh We have only little reliable information about Isaac's life. The only certain date concerning his life is 661-the year of his bishopric in Nineveh. All other information, both about his life and the titles of his works, are hypothetical. 1 Isaac was probably born in the area of Bet Qatraye, on the coast of the Persian
ISAAC OF NINEVEH'S CHAPTERS ON KNOWLEDGE
Kessel G. 'Isaac of Nineveh’s Chapters on Knowledge'. In: An Anthology of Syriac Writers from Qatar in the Seventh Century / Ed. M. Kozah et al. Piscataway; NJ, 2015. (Gorgias Eastern Christian Studies; 39). P. 263–280.
A Syriac Case for the Reception of Hebrews: Isaac of Nineveh's Ascetic-mystical Corpus
R. Burnet (ed.), "The Letter to the Hebrews" (BETL) Leuven: Peeters Publishers (proceedings of LXX Colloquium Biblicum Lovaniense, Leuven, 22-24 July 2021), 2024
The reflection of Isaac of Nineveh (7th c.), the best-known representative of the 7-8th century East-Syriac ascetic-mystical movement, is profoundly marked by his reading of the Pauline epistles. Among these, Hebrews (that he attributes to Paul, as is usual in his tradition) occupies a prominent place. A monk and solitary, Isaac does not approach the letter as a scholar or an exegete, but as a spiritual master, as material essential for interpreting the experience of interiority and guiding others toward it. Thus, he uses the letter to build his distinctive understanding of the contemplative experience. This essay examines several elements of this re-elaboration of Hebrews, highlighting how Isaac, although re-framing, in a different context, Hebrews’ insights, grasps essential concepts and the overall dynamic of the letter. Through an examination of Isaac’s edited and unedited writings and of the Syriac version of Hebrews, attention is thus paid to vital issues such as the alterity ‘old’ / ‘new’, the unique mediation of Christ, and the meaning of faith. Through this analysis, it will be possible to appreciate also the originality of Isaac’s reflection: his stressing of the value of the frail flesh, through which salvation occurs, that shows a clear understanding of the crucial role of ‘the human’ and ‘the bodily’ in the salvation process, and his view of faith as inner, intimate “persuasion”, a condition of trust that indicates a way of knowing that is different and other to the cognitive.
2021
Isaac is often portrayed in scholarly literature as a monk who eschewed controversy. However, this thesis explores the polemical themes with which Isaac engaged. His homily on the cross (II. XI) is influenced by a long tradition of anti-pagan and anti-Jewish writing defending cross veneration. He uses these same tropes against the Messalians, reflecting a theological controversy prevalent in his own day. Likewise, II. XI becomes a locus for Isaac's Christological thought, which has been misinterpreted in modern times. He was from Beth Qatraye, and recent work has highlighted the region's intellectual vibrancy in the seventh century. Isaac's thought on the cross and cross veneration has close parallels with the writings of two contemporaries, Dadisho and Gabriel Qatraya, situating him in this context. His understanding of the mystical ascent in prayer, for which cross veneration is an important part, is also reflected in the Jewish mystical tradition represented in Apocal...
The Christology of St. Isaac of Niniveh and the East Syriac Theology of the 7-8th centuries
Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Theologia Orthodoxa
Isaac of Niniveh is one of the most prominent East Syriac author, whose dates go to a complex historical and religious time (7-8 th centuries)the Arab conquest and the West Syriac proselytism, and yet a period of flourishing theological literature. His discourses have a practical perspective and they may be easily lectured as a gnoseological-mystical itinerary, communicated in a technical language, in a line of a specific tradition(s). Theologically speaking, the possibility of achieving divine knowledge can be expressed only within the Christological frame, as Christ is the perfect Man and perfect God, and any human knowledge resides in Him. In consequence it is dependent on the way one expresses the relation between Christ's two natures (communicatio idiomatum). Isaac of Niniveh does not systematically deal with Christology, but one may identify in his discourses an attitude, a phraseology and a mystic theology, in consequence, described as divine knowledge, perception and vision. In this paper we will deal with Isaac's Christological perspective in the frame of the Christological disputes of his time, and, in consequence, we will search for identifying the type of mystics he professes.
An Invitation to Syriac Christainity: An Anthology
An Invitation to Syriac Christainity: An Anthology, 2022
Despite their centrality to the history of Christianity in the East, Syriac Christians have generally been excluded from modern accounts of the faith. Originating from Mesopotamia, Syriac Christians quickly spread across Eurasia, from Turkey to China, developing a distinctive and influential form of Christianity that connected empires. These early Christians wrote in the language of Syriac, the lingua franca of the late ancient Middle East, and a dialect of Aramaic, the language of Jesus. Collecting key foundational Syriac texts from the second to the fourteenth centuries, this anthology provides unique access to one of the most intriguing, but least known, branches of the Christian tradition.
The Ascetical Way of Life in St Isaac the Syrian's Writings
2023
The present study deals with a theme of spirituality frequently found in the writings of St. Isaac the Syrian, namely the idea of "way of life" (Syr.-dubara). Essential to understand the whole of his theology, this theme is treated in a manner little used until recently, but which is now becoming established in current academic research on Isaac, namely by appeal to his Syriac texts. This is achieved practically by pointing out the meanings of the Syriac term dubara and its Greek translation by politeia. The paper makes important clarifications of Isaac's terminology, and the novelty is that it highlights the connection between the text and the ascetical practices to which it refers. To this end, the study also presents the ideational synonyms of the Syriac term in question, as well as the various theological expressions in which it appears.
John of Damascus: More than a Compiler, 2022
Texts and Studies in Eastern Christianity is intended to advance the field of Eastern Christian Studies by publishing translations of ancient texts, individual monographs, thematic collections, and translations into English of significant volumes in modern languages. It will cover the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic traditions from the early through to the contemporary period. The series will make a valuable contribution to the study of Eastern Christianity by publishing research by scholars from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds. The different traditions that make up the world of Eastern Christianity have not always received the attention they deserve, so this series will provide a platform for deepening our knowledge of them as well as bringing them to a wider audience. The need for such a series has been felt for sometime by the scholarly community in view of the increasing interest in the Christian East.