The Harp (Volume 10) 9781463232993

Citation preview

The Harp (Volume 10)

The Harp

10

The Harp is an annual review of Syriac Christianity.

The Harp (Volume 10)

Edited by Geevarghese Panicker Jakob Thekeparampil Abraham Kalakudi

1 gorgias press 2012

Gorgias Press LLC, 954 River Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA www.gorgiaspres s .com Copyright © 2012 by Gorgias Press LLC Originally published in 1997 All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise without the prior written permission of Gorgias Press LLC. 2012

1

ISBN 978-1-61143-645-7 Reprinted from the 1997 Kottayam edition.

Printed in the United States of America

THE

HARP

THE HARP Vol. X

No. 1, 2

March, July 1997

Page n

Editorial The development of Syriac Lectionary Systems K. D.

Jenner

Coexistence and Discussion Between Nestorian Christians and Shamanistic Mangolians-A Model with F u t u r e ? Martin

39

Varghese

The I m p o r t a n c e and P o t e n t i a l of

SEERI

in an

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Context

45

Prof. Dr. Sebastian

Brock

T i m o t h y and his Concern for t h e School of Balö§ Harald

25

Tamcke

A Canticle of Advices of Saint E p h r e a m P. K.

9

51

Suermann

Malayalam K a r s h o n

59

Koonammakkal Thoma Kathanar A Brief H i s t o r y of t h e Syriac Study Centers in K e r a l a

65

Dr. B.

Varghese

The Semitic Dimension of Christian T r a d i t i o n Koonammakkal Felicitation t o Alain

71

Thommakathanar

SEERI

as Autonomous I n s t i t u t i o n

77

Desreumaux

I n t r o d u c i n g F r . F r a n c o i s Graffin S. J. Dr. Jacob

Thekkeparampil

81

U THE HARP 83

Reply Gunther

Claas

T h e R i t e of N o t i f i c a t i o n and A c c e p t a n c e of t h e E p i s c o p a l E l e c t i o n in t h e Melklte O r t h o d o x P a t r i a r c h a t e of A n t i o c h John

Madey 91

W e l c o m e Speech His Exc.

G. Mar

Timotheos

P o s t G r a d u a t e Degree in S y r i a c in I n d i a V. N. Rajasckhamn

3rd

Desrewnaux,

Francoise

Syriac C o n s u l t a t i o n Mar Aprem

95

Pillai

Vestiges of E a r l y S y r i a c P r e s e n c e Alain

85

in K e r a l a

99

Briqnel-Chalonnet 103

Metropolitan

News

109

In Memoriam

111

John

Madey

S k k r i - Chronicle Book Reviews

122

EDITORIAL

This issue of

The

I l a r p appears soon

after

more

than

one significant d e v e l o p m e n t here at S E E R I . This i n s t i t u t i o n has been recognised by the local authorised

Mahatma

to p r e p a r e c a n d i d a t e s

Syriac Language and

Literature

Gandhi University and

for t h e Master's as

also

to

Degree

accept

in

research

scholars for Ph. D. in t h e same subject. A few

of

the

speeches, i n c l u d i n g

that

of

the

Vice-

Chancellor of the University, delivered at the f u n c t i o n arranged t o solemnly i n a u g u i a t e the Degree Courses a t

S E E R I are

herein. S E E R I c o n d u c t e d a n o t h e r grand f u n c t i o n

given

to confer t h e

h o n o r a r y degree of Ph. D. on Mr. G ü n t h e r Claas and in absentia on Rev. F r .

Graffin S. J. A few pages of this issue

cover

this

p a r t i c u l a r event. Other articles and our usual f e a t u r e s should prove w o r t h while to our esteemed subscribers. We are most 'thankful t o t h e learned w r i t e r s a n d the other e x p e r t s whose c o n t r i b u t i o n s up this n u m b e r of The H a r p .

make

THE

HARP

Vol. X, No. 1, March 1997, pp. 9-24 K. D. Jenner*

The development of Lectionary

Syriac

systems

a discussion of the opinion of P. Kannookadan

Introduction

In 1991 P. Kannookadan published an interesting s t u d y in the field of lectionary systems, viz: The East Syrian Lectionary. An Historico-Lilurgical Study. The object of his s t u d y is t h e provenance of t h e system of the Malabar rite. Therefore he makes an investigation into t h e history of t h e Syriac lectionary systems. Within t h a t scope he is particularly interested in the East Syriac rite. Consequently, he makes a thorough s t u d y of the E a s t Syriac Lectionaries. Moreover, he analyses the lessons read in public services according to t h e ecclesiastical calendar as reflected in a Syriac m a n u s c r i p t kept in the British Library, viz.: MS London, British Library, Additional 14528. K a n n o o k a d a n , and before him F.C. B u r k i t t , christened this document t h e E a r l y Syriac Lectionary. 1 As opposed to B u r k i t t , A. B a u m s t a r k referred to it under t h e siglum COMES. 2 A. Vallavanthara, finally, abstained f r o m using a special siglum; 3 he simply used the siglum of W. Wright's 4 famous catalogue. There is a difference in characterization underlying this use of a different terminology. The difference in *

Head of the Peshitta Institute, Leiden University, Holland.

1. P. Kannookadan, 1991 : 154-169; F. C. B u r k i t t , 1923a: 301-338 2. A. Baumstark, 1921 : 84f.; 1927 : 1-22; 1958 : 216. 3. A. Vallavanthara, 1990 : 337, 387, 401-405.

10

THE HARP

characterization is i m p o r t a n t for t h e following review of the analysis and the hypothesis K a n n o o k a d a n made in respect of t h è Syriac lectionary systems. The methodological and historical validity of his a r g u m e n t s and conclusions is the s u b j e c t - m a t t e r of this paper. This discussion of Kannookadan's opinion consists following paragraphs: 1)

a summary of K a n n o o k a d a n ' s

2)

Kannookadan's position with respect to B u r k i t t , ark, Macomber and Vallavanthara;

3)

critical remarks and points of discussion;

4)

comparison of t h e E a r l y Syriac Lectionary and Old Testament P e s h i t t a MSS;

5)

preliminary conclusion,

of

the

opinion; Baumst-

t h e biblical

§ 1. A summary of Kannookadan's opinion

I t may be emphasized, hei>, t h a t Kannookadan gives a clear p i c t u r e of the process of development of the E a s t Syriac lectionary system f r o m its initial stage onwards. One of the characteristics of this process is that a basic s t r u c t u r e is present in all stages of development. This basic s t r u c t u r e is the lectiona r y system of Jerusalem, 5 of which no original document exists. Nevertheless, the essentials of this system are preserved in an Armenian Lectionary. With t h e help of this system t h e early church intended to bring to live the narrative of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 6 The later stages of t h e Syriac lectionary system have this same intention. Nevertheless, t h e s t r u c t u r e of t h e system gradually became more complicated, because of t h e following related factors: a)

t h e increase of t h e number of festival days and r a t i o n s as well as of lessons;

b)

t h e change in the relations between lessons and ecclesiastical calendar;

4. W. W r i g h t , 1870 : 176, vol. 2. 5. P. K a n n o o k a d a n , 1991 : 154ff. 6. P . K a n n o o k a d a n , 1991 : 154f.

commemo-

T H E D E V E L O P M E N T OF T H E SYR I AC . . .

P. K A N N O O K A D A N

.11

c)

the renewal of the liturgy;

d)

the differences in liturgy between the services of a cathedral and those of a monastery.

Notwithstanding the continuation of its basic structure the gradunl changes caused an increase of variety within the Syriac lectionary system. The process in which these changes came to pass, was steadily going on and finally resulted in the birth of the separate East Syriac rite. 7 This rite, consisting of the lectionary system of the cathedral of Kokhe and the system of the Upper Monastery, is in the opinion of Kannookadan the lineal descendant from the initial stage of the Syriac lectionary system. 8 Kannookadan argues t h a t the data of the Jerusalem system were transferred to the later East Syriac rite via two intermediate stages in succession, viz: the Early Syriac Lectionary from the sixth century and the Early East Syriac system of lessons from the seventh century. 9 In each of these two stages some changes or adaptations were smoothly made. Furthermore, in a few cases Kannookadan postulates a direct relationship between the East Syriac rite and the system of Jerusalem, since he cannot point out any intermediate stage which would explain the mutual support of these two lectionary systems. 10 Thus, with regard to the process t h a t resulted into the lectionary systems of the East Syriac rite Kannookadan is of the opinion that continuity is its essential characteristic and t h a t the Early Syriac Lectionary was one of the most important constituents of the whole Syriac lectionary system. 11 7. The first lectionary manuscripts of the Jacobite, East Syriac and Melkite rite date from the ninth century. The lectionay system of each of these rites developed from the ninth century onwards. There is only one Maronite lectionary manuscript and this dates from the thirteenth century. On the basis of a comparative analysis Kannookadan refers to the days of commemmoration as a striking illustration of the proces of gradual charges in the lectionary systems (P. Kannookadan, 1991 : 33-35, 134-139, 146-148, 154f.) 8. P. Kannookadan, 1991 : 155, 159f. 9. P. Kannookadan, 1991 : 154. 10. P. Kannookadan, 1991 : 155. 11. P. Kannookadan, 1991 : 159f. Kannookadan's study of the days of commemmoration (pp. 33-35, 134-139, 146-148 and

12

§ 2.

THE

HARP

Kannookadan's position with respect to Burkitt, Baumstark, Macomber and Vallavanthara

K a n n o o k a d a n ' s view is a n u a n c e d and t h o r o u g h i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of B u r k i t t ' s 1 2 and Macomber's 1 3 studies. The influence of t h e l a t t e r t w o is clearly recognizable in K a n n o o k a d a n ' s s t u d y . I c a n n o t find any t r a c e of Baumstark's. As m a y become clear f r o m t h e following sketch, t'liei e is an essential difference i n view and a p p r o a c h b e t w e e n K a n n o o k a d a n and B a u m s t a r k . Besides, t h e r e is a m i n o r difference b e t w e e n K a n n o o k a d a n and Vallavanthara. W i t h regard to t h e h i s t o r y of t h e systems of Syriac lessons, on t h e one hand B u r k i t t and B a u m s t a r k made t h o r o u g h studies of t h e E a r l y Syriac Lectio,nary; on t h e other h a n d Macomber did n o t make a n y reference to this d o c u m e n t . V a l l a v a n t h a r a used it in his s t u d y of t h e origin of the liturgical year of t h e T h o m a s Christians of India. T h e l e c t i o n a r y system, however, is n o t t h e main subject of his study. 1 4 Nevertheless, he makes some observ a t i o n s a b o u t it and t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y is one of t h e two d o c u m e n t s t o which he pays special a t t e n t i o n . 1 5 In respect of t h e s t a t u s of this d o c u m e n t B u r k i t t and B a u m s t a r k had conflicting views and b o t h scholars used different names as I ref e r r e d to a t t h e beginning of this p a p e r . The d o c u m e n t in question c o n t a i n s a c h a r a c t e r i s t i c and limited selection of lessons. Moreover, it prescribes the festival days and c o m m e m o r a t i o n s to which these lessons belong and t h e order in which t h e y are to be read in liturgy. B u r k i t t was of t h e opinion t h a t it was t h e b l u e - p r i n t f o r t h e whole early Syriac c h u r c h in o r d e r t o organize t h e ecclesiastical calendar and t h e r e l a t e d l e c t i o n a r y system. On t h e one h a n d this b l u e - p r i n t did not bear a n y significant t r a c e of influence of t h e Greek c h u r c h , on t h e o t h e r h a n d it reflected some c o n f o r m i t y w i t h p r a c t i c e s of t h e Christian c o m m u n i t y of J e r u s a l e m as observed and p u t on record in t h e f o u r t h c e n t u r y . Since t h e r e are only slight

12. 13. 14. 15.

154f.) is i l l u s t r a t i v e for his a p p r o a c h a n d style of a r g u m e n tation. F. C. B u r k i t t , 1923a: 301-338; id., 1923b : 415-424. W. F . Macomber, 1967: 483-516. A. V a l l a v a n t h a r a , 1990: 398, 403. A. V a l l a v a n t h a r a , 1990 : 337, 387, 401-405.

THE

D E V E L O P M E N T OF T H E SYRIAC

...

P . KANNOOKA.DAN

13

traces of influence from Jerusalem the Early Syriac Lectionary is to be considered as a genuine Edessenian and Mesopotamian product. 1 6 Burkitt came to this opinion because of the striking correlation and conformity he saw between the Early Syriac Lectionary and the biblical manuscripts of the sixth and seventh century. 1 7 Baumstark had a different opinion. He argued that the COMES had to be considered as the work of one single person, who used very old liturgical traditions from different sources and from different provenance. 1 8 However, the organization of this diverse material was his own and personal creation. Baumstark could not give a decisive answer to questions concerning the objectives and motives of this creation and on whose authority it was made. He could only conclude that it was created in order to meet the liturgical observances of a single person or a small community. Consequently, it would have had only local or limited authority. In other words, it was Baumstark's opinion t h a t only a restricted status may be attributed to this document. Nevertheless, he was convinced t h a t it reflects not only a mere liturgical innovation, b u t also a t u r n i n g - p o i n t in the theological evaluation of the biblical books and their canonical authority. 1 9 In these two respects the COMES bears all traces of a transition from an earlier to a later practice of reading the Scriptures in public services. With regard to this transitional character of the COMES Baumstark advances the following (four) arguments: 1)

on the one hand the continuation of some of the synagogical traditions of reading the Scriptures can be observed, on the other hand, the replacement of these traditions by the introduction of basic elements of a new Christian tradition; 2 0

2)

nalive Mesopotamian and extraneous south-west Palestinian elements occur side by side; 21

16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.

F. F. A. A. A. A.

C. Burkitt, C. Burkitt, Baumstark, Baumstark, Baumstark. Baumstark,

1923a : 302, 324; id., 1923b: 416. 1923a : 324-337. 1927 : 5, 12. 1927 : 7-10, 1927 : 9. 1927 : 12.

14

THE

HARP

3)

in the process of liturgical development some elements of the COMES have been crystallized as p a r t of a Nestorian, others as p a r t of a Jacobite tradition; 2 2

4)

the sets of lessons related to Christmas, Epiphany, Ascension and Pentecost reflect different liturgical interpretation of these feasts. 2 3

In his reconstruction and interpretation of the cathedral lectionary system of Kokhe Macomber, though with great reservation, comes to the conclusion t h a t this s\ r stem dates from the sixth century or possibly from a still earlier period. 2 4 Thus he judges t h a t the system of Kokhe resembles the initial stage of the Nestorian lectionary systems. The systems of the monasteries of Beth Abhe and Mosul and that of the Upper Monastery, all three being faithful representatives of the initial Nestorian system, were accordingly off-spring of the system of Kokhe. Nevertheless, in the monastic systems elements were included, which were borrowed from sources older than the cathedral system. Vallavanthara is of the opinion t h a t MS London, British Library, Additional 14.528 is a lectionary of the fifth century. 2 5 In relation with the ancient Syriac biblical MSS, preserved in the British Library, it clearly reflects the state of the lectionary system of the fifth century lectionaries. The typical feature of this system is the exuberant number of lessons taken from the Old Testament. A doz^n Old Testament lessons were read together with only four from the New Testament. A seventh century reorganization of the lectionary system resulted in a remarkable decrease of the total number of lessons. In the older system some sixteen lessons were read 2 6 , whereas in the revised (Nestorian) system only four were read, viz: two from the Old Testament and two f r o m the New. 27 The later (Nestorian) sources reflect three different traditions, viz: the systems of the Gannath 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27.

A. A. W. A. A. A.

Baumstark, 1927 : 9. Baumstark, 1927 : 4-8. F. Macomber, 1967 : 515f. Vallavanthara, 1990 : 337, 387. Vallavanthara, 1990 : 401. Vallavanthara, 1990 : 401f.

THE DEVELOPMENT

Bussame, Kokhe. 2 3

the

Upper

OF T H E SYR I AG . . .

Monastery

P. K A N N O O K A D A N

and t h e Cathedral Church

15

of

The methodologically essential differences and conformities between t h e five above m e n t i o n e d opinions m a y be o u t l i n e d as follows: 1) W i t h regard to t h e liturgical status of t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y or t h e COMES t h e p r o b l e m is t h a t of diversity versus u n i f o r m i t y . The f u n d a m e n t a l a n t i t h e s i s in opinion is between B u r k i t t and B a u m s t a r k , while Vallavathara and K a n n o o k a d a n t a k e B u r k i t t ' s side. Macombe* - does n o t make a n y s t a t e m e n t a b o u t t h e s t a t u s of t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y . B u r k i t t , V a l l a v a n t h a r a a n d K a n n o o k a d a n t a k e this liturgical source n o t only as a single d o c u m e n t , b u t also as t h e reliable b l u e - p r i n t of t h e l e c t i o n a r y system of the whole early Syriac c h u r c h . I n their opinion t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y f u n c t i o n e d as a s t a n d a r d , on which all Lectionaries are based. In c o n t r a s t , B a u m s t a r k r e j e c t s a n y c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n which makes a s t a n d a r d of this liturgical source. In his opinion t h i s d o c u m e n t had only a v e r y r e s t r i c t e d , i. e. individual or a t m o s t local, authority. 2) I n respect of t h e process of development of t h e l e c t i o n a r y system t h e differences are r e l a t e d t o t w o k i n d s of problems. The first p r o b l e m is t h a t of distinguishing stages a n d c h a r a c t e r i z i n g t h e t r a n s i t i o n s b e t w e e n t h e m . The second problem is t h e a n t i thesis of c o n t i n u i t y versus d i s c o n t i n u i t y . B u r k i t t makes only a distinction b e t w e e n t w o stages, viz.: t h e stage of t h e early Syriac system and t h a t of t h e n i n t h c e n t u r y and l a t e r rites. So he does n o t distinguish an early N e s t o r i a n stage as K a n n o o k a d a n does. H e even does not make clear a stage of t r a n s i t i o n between t h e t w o periods. Because of his c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n of t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y B u r k i t t c a n n o t t a k e into a c c o u n t any aspect of g r o w t h d u r i n g t h e stage of the e a r l y system. Although he refers to such i n n o v a t i o n s as of I s h o ' y a h b I I I and t o an u n m i s t a k a b l e shift in terminology, he c a n n o t p o i n t o u t a n y (substantial) change in t h e system. As opposed t o B u r k i t t , B a u m s t a r k argues t h a t t h e period preceding t h e n i n t h c e n t u r y has given b i r t h t o a n u m b e r of Syriac Lectionaries or 28. A. V a l l a v a n t h a r a , 1990 : 400.

16

THE HARP

systems, which in g r e a t m e a s u r e were i n d e p e n d e n t of each o t h e r and bore t h e s t a m p of local liturgical customs. Accidentally, t h e COMES is t h e only preserved copy. Consequently, it m a y be assumed t h a t t h e r e was scarcely a n y c o n t i n u i t y in t h e developm e n t of the Syriac l e c t i o n a r y system. Thus, on t h e basis of this a s s u m p t i o n it is n o t possible t o r e c o n s t r u c t a set of successive stages preceding t h e n i n t h c e n t u r y . In c o n t r a s t , Macomber, K a n n o o k a d a n and V a l l a v a n t h a r a r e c o n s t r u c t t h e process of d e v e l o p m e n t on t h e basis of g r a d u a l c o n t i n u i t y . H o w e v e r , t h e r e is a striking t h o u g h m i n o r difference between the a p p r o a c h e s of K a n n o o k a d a n and V a l l a v a n t h a r a . In respect of this g r a d u a l c o n t i n u i t y t h e l a t t e r emphasizes differences in t h e different stages, whereas t h e f o r m e r is more i n t e r e s t e d in correspondences. 3) On a c c o u n t of t h e internal differentiation t h e l a t e r N e s t o r i a n r i t e raises t w o closely r e l a t e d specific problems. The first p r o b l e m r e g a r d s t h e correlation of t h e c a t h e d r a l and the m o n a s t i c system, as well as t h e d a t e of origin of these t w o subsystems. The second p r o b l e m is t h a t of t h e measure of invariability of t h e Nestorian lectionary system. The c o n t r o v e r s y is b e t w e e n B a u m s t a r k and Macomber. The f o r m e r is of the opinion t h a t t h e c a t h e d r a l system is a creation of the late m i d d l e ages on the basis of t h e m o n a s t i c system. 2 9 The l a t t e r argues the o t h e r way a r o u n d and makes t h e c a t h e d r a l system t h e basis of t h e Nestorian t r a d i t i o n . 3 0 B o t h scholars based t h e i r opinion u p o n the same a s s u m p t i o n , t h a t because of t h e i r conservatism t h e N e s t o r i a n s m a d e no basic change in t h e i r l e c t i o n a r y system(s). According to K a n n o o k a d a n t h e difference b e t w e e n t h e c a t h e d r a l and m o n a s t i c systems was caused by t h e i n n o v a t i o n s of Isho'yahb I I I d u r i n g t h e E a r l y N e s t o r i a n period. I n conclusion, in his effort t o r e c o n s t r u c t t h e b i r t h a n d h i s t o r y of t h e N e s t o r i a n r i t e K a n n o o k a d a n makes a clear choice f o r t h e a p p r o a c h of B u r k i t t and M a c o m b e r , a l t h o u g h he adds some i m p o r t a n t and delicate d i f f e r e n t i a t i o n in respect of t h e stages t o be distinguished. H e n c e , he r e j e c t s t h e a p p r o a c h of B a u m s t a r k . As a r e s u l t of t h i s choice he makes t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y a k e y - s t o n e of his o w n a p p r o a c h and a link of decisive i m p o r t a n c e in his p a r a d i g m of t h e h i s t o r y of the Syriac lectionary system. 29. A. B a u m s t a r k , 1972 : 74, 76f. 30. W . F . Macomber, 1967 : 515.

T H E D E V E L O P M E N T OF T H E SYRIAC

§ 3.

...

P. K A N N O O K A D A N

17

Critical remarks and points of discussion.

I hope t h a t I made clear Kannookadan's position in the discussion about, the development of the Syriac lectionary system. This position, which in my opinion is a nuanced correction of the reconstruction of Burkitt and Macomber, nevertheless inspires me to the following bold questions and remarks. 1) Is Kannookadan's reconstruction of this system based on an indisputable historical basis or is it a mere hypothesis? In other words: what kind of data are demanded for the proof t h a t the Early Syriac Lectionary was indeed used? What kind of data are sufficient to prove t h a t the Early Syriac Lectionary is more than only one out of many personal or local lectionary systems? In other words: which specific historical criterion makes the Early Syriac Lectionary, which according to Kannookadan is the only extant document, the pre-eminent representative of a liturgical system? I t is my sincere opinion t h a t canonical rules or ecclesiastical prescriptions in matters of liturgy have no value as historical evidence, unless it can be demonstrated t h a t the document in question has been used accordingly. Consequently, the answer to this question must arise from a careful comparison between the Early Syriac Lectionary and the pericopes which are found in biblical MSS and bear the stamp of liturgical use. In other words: it is of utmost, importance to establish which kind of relation exists between the Early Syriac Lectionary and the biblical MSS used in public services. Recent research I did on this s u b j e c t - m a t t e r made it clear to me t h a t the problem of this relationship lies in two questions: the first, are these sources comparable and the second, what value might be attributed to distinctions and correspondences of these sources? This problem is an aspect which, in my opinion is neglected by Burkitt, Macomber, Vallavanthara and also by Kannookadan. 2) To which connotation of the word ''historical" does Kannookadan refer in his so-called liturgico-historical approach? This question arises, since he presents his reconstruction of the East Syriac lectionary system emphatically as the result of a liturgico-historical study. However, as far as I understand, the word "historical" does not refer to the approach of the socalled historico-critical method such as familiar to Old Testament scholarship. This method raises four major questions in respect

IB

THE

HARP

of the interpretation of such a document Lectionary:

as the Early

Syriac

a)

which are its undertying sources ?

b)

what is the quality and authority of these sources ?

c)

in which way are these sources incorporated ?

d)

what impact did the document have on subsequent developments ?

Kannookadan pay« much attention to the last question. In this respect the characterization of his approach as historical is correct. However, he seems to neglect the first three questions, which are in my opinion of the utmost importance for the interpretation of the liturgical status of the Early Syriac Lectionary. Hence, the approach of Kannookadan seems to suffer from the lack of any reflection on three of t h e basic principles of the historico-critical method. Therefore, his characterization of the Early Syriac Lectionary as being the key-stone of the reconstructed history of the East Syriac lectionary system seems to lack any historical basis. Kannookadan's reconstruction does not give any explanation as to the manner in which the Early Syriac Lectionary was composed. His reconstruction fails to explain the creation of this document. On the basis of my recent research I have come to the conclusion that the characterization as proposed by Baumstark, though not being based on historicocritical arguments, deserves much more credit t h a n is allowed by Kannookadan. 3) Is it not logically inconsistent to postulate on the one hand t h a t the basic s t r u c t u r e of the East Syriac or Nestorian lectionary system did not change essentially, and on the other hand t h a t this system is the result of evolution from the Early Syriac L e c t i o n a r y ? This latter assumption would imply t h a t the set of Old Testament lessons decreased from 12 according to the Early Syriac Lectionary to 2 according to the Nestorian lectionaries. In my view this decrease of 10 lessons should be taken as an essential change in structure. In Kanuookadan's reconstruction this change can only have happened at the stage of the Early East-Syriac lectionary system. However, what historical evidence do we have of this particular stage? In any case, the actual situation of the biblical MSS of the seventh

THE

D E V E L O P M E N T OF T H E

SYRIAC

P.

KANNOOKADAN

19

and eighth c e n t u r y does n o t p r e s e n t a n y d a t a in s u p p o r t of such a r e m a r k a b l e decrease of Old T e s t a m e n t lessons read in public services of festival days. Moreover, t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y has a m u c h closer relationship with t h e J a c o b i t e lectionaries t h a n with t h e N e s t o r i a n ones. 4) It is n o t clear t o me for w h a t reason K a n n o o k a d a n did not make use of t h e 13 theological N e s t o r i a n discourses a b o u t the meaning of t h e Christian feasts. I would t h i n k t h a t quite a number of striking correspondences between t h e pericopes of t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y and t h e pericopes r e f e r r e d t o in these discourses, dating f r o m t h e sixth to t h e eighth centuries, would have given s t r o n g historical a r g u m e n t s f o r his conclusion t h a t t h e E a s t syriac l e c t i o n a r y system is a lineal d e s c e n d a n t of t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y . In f a c t , t h e r e is a lack of such correspondences Does t h i s not urge a great c a u t i o n in d r a w i n g such a far-reaching conclusion as does K a n n o o k a d a n ? The. more so, if one takes into account t h a t t h e available biblical MSS, which are classified and characterized by B a u m s t a r k as being of J a c o b i t e provenance, and t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y have striking correspondences. Whereas, I did n o t find striking correspondences b e t w e e n t h e available biblical Old T e s t a m e n t MSS and t h e 13 discourses, I did find such correspondences between t h e f o r m e r class and t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y . H o w e v e r , these correspondences are n o t as m u c h as B u r k i t t suggests. 3 1 5) A problem t o which K a n n o o k a d a n does not make a n y r e f e r e n c e is t o t h e existence of t h e l e c t i o n a r y system added in t h e margins of t h e MSS c o n t a i n i n g t h e revision of the P e s h i t t a t e x t by J a c o b of Edessa. This m a r g i n a l system f r o m t h e seventh or eighth c e n t u r y is not identical w i t h t h a t of t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y or of t h e c o r r e s p o n d i n g biblical P e s h i t t a MSS. It c a n n o t be denied t h a t a small n u m b e r of lessons are shared by all t h r e e systems, b u t it is also t r u e t h a t the f o r m e r system has q u i t e a few divergences f r o m t h e l a t t e r two. 3 2

31. I discussed B u r k i t t ' s opinion t h o r o u g h l y in m y m o n o g r a p h of 1993. 32. C o m p a r e t h e following evidence of J a c o b of Edessa with t h e P e s h i t t a e v i d e n c e as listed in S u p p l e m e n t B in K . D. J e n n e r , 1993. Gen 41:38 = John the Baptist + Monday of the week of Easter, Gen 49:1 = Ascension + Palmsunday; Ex 1:15 = Innocents

20

THE

HARP

6) A similar s t a t e m e n t can be m a d e in respect of t h e use of t h e Syrohexapia (=SH) in public services. It c a n n o t be denied t h a t t h e s e v e n t h and e i g h t h - c e n t u r y biblical MSS according t o t h e t r a n s l a t i o n of t h e SH bear t h e m a r k s of such a use in and outside t h e t e x t u a l columns. Moreover, a g r e a t a u t h o r i t y in Nestorian exegesis such as T h e o d o r e of Mopsuestia and an ecclesiastical a u t h o r i t y such as catholicos T i m o t h y I had a special concern w i t h t h e L X X . Nevertheless, in c o n t r a s t to the J a c o b i t e lectionaries, one does n o t find any q u o t a t i o n f r o m the SH in N e s t o r i a n lectionaries. T h e l e c t i o n a r y system of the Syrohexaplaric biblical MSS does n o t coincide w i t h t h a t of t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y . 7) I c a n n o t r e j e c t t h e idea t h a t d u r i n g t h e period preceding t h e n i n t h c e n t u r y earlier l e c t i o n a r y systems were i n t e g r a t e d into a l a t e r system. This h a p p e n e d to be in a few of t h e biblical Old T e s t a m e n t P e s h i t t a MSS of the s i x t h c e n t u r y . H o w e v e r , only a v e r y few of t h e s e older pericopes were re-used w i t h t h e i r original liturgical f u n c t i o n . Most of t h e older pericopes were given new liturgical f u n c t i o n and t h e i r original t i t l e was replaced. Besides, E x 2:23 = Deceased; Ex 3:1 Deceased + Sunday a f t e r Christmas; E x 4 : 1 8 - S u n d a y a f t e r E p i p h a n y ; Ex 12:29 = Deceased; I Sam 1:1 = New Sunday; I Sam 1:19 = Christmas; I Sam 2:1 Mother of God; I Sam ii 11 = S u n d a y 5 of Lent; I Sam 3:1 = T o n s u r e (when someone becomes a monk); I Sam 4:18 = Monday of the Holy Week: I Sam 7:2 = Sunday of the beginning of Lent + Tuesday of the Holy Week; I Sam 8:4 = Sunday 2 of L e n t ; I Sam 9:1 = Wednesday of the Holy Week; I Sam 10:17 = Maundy Thursday; I Sam 11:13 = Bishops -1- Deceased; I Sam 12:6 = W e d n e s d a y of t h e Week of E a s t e r + Rogations; I Sam 14:24 Enkainia; I Sam 14:28 = S u n d a y 3 of Lent; I Sam 16:1 Pentecost + M a u n d y T h u r s d a y ; I Sam 17:37 = R e s u r r e c t i o n + M a r t y r s ; I Sam 20:35 = Monday of t h e Week of E a s t e r ; 1 Sam 21-1 = J o h n t h e B a p t i s t + Monday of t h e Week of E a s t e r 4 S u n d a y 2 of L e n t ; I Sam 24:1 = a day of c o m m e m m o r a t i o n (name is illegible); I Sam 26:1 = T u e s d a y of t h e Holy Week; I Sam 26:14 - Good F r i d a y ; II Sam 3:22 = Bishops; II Sam 6-1 = P a l m s u n d a y 4 Ascension; II Sam 7:1 = Dedication of t h e Temple/Church; II Sam 7:18 = F r i d a y of t h e Week of E a s t e r ; II Sam 20:4 = P r o p h e t s + Priests; II Sam 23:13 = Sunday 4 of Lent; II Sam 24:1 = Holy Saturday + Rogations; 1 R g 1:32 H o n e s t s . Bold indicates t h a t J a c o b of Edessa and P e s h i t t a biblical MSS share t h e beginning of a pericope. U n d e r l i n i n g indicates t h a t J a c o b of Edessa and the P e s h i t t a biblical MSS share t h e same festival day and/or t h e same commemmoration.

T H E D E V E L O P M E N T OF T H E SYRIAC

...

P. K A N N O O K A D A N

21

a n u m b e r of titles were added in t h e m a r g i n . If one takes into a c c o u n t t h e evidence of the biblical MSS of the Old T e s t a m e n t P e s h i t t a , it is beyond d o u b t t h a t t h e basic s t r u c t u r e of the liturgical calendar, viz. the feasts of the L o r d , remained i n t a c t . H o w e v e r , t h e relationship b e t w e e n t h e Old T e s t a m e n t readings and t h e feasts has been considerably changed. § 4.

Comparison of the Early Syriac Testament Peshitta MSS

Lectionary

and the biblical Old

R e c e n t l y , I m a d e a r e c o n s t r u c t i o n of the system of lessons worked i n t o t h e t e x t u a l c o l u m n s of an i l l u s t r a t e d p a n d e c t . I t s almost complete Syriac Old T e s t a m e n t and the few r e m n a n t s of its New T e s t a m e n t are now k e p t in t h e National L i b r a r y a t Paris, viz.: MS Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale, Sijriaque 341. Its liturgical t i t l e s a t t a c h e d to the same festival days or c o m m e m o r a t i o n s in different individual books show a r e m a r k a b l e v a r i e t y in terminology. The evidence of inconsistency in terminology seems t o allow t h e a s s u m p t i o n t h a t this p a n d e c t was not a r e p r o d u c t i o n of a n o t h e r p a n d e c t , b u t was copied f r o m individual books f o u n d in s e p a r a t e volumes and b r o u g h t t o g e t h e r by chance. This resulted in t h e l e c t i o n a r y system of this p a n d e c t as it is. As such this system m a y be t a k e n as the c o u n t e r p a r t of t h e Syriac L e c t i o n a r y . 3 3 I m a d e a c o m p a r a t i v e s t u d y of t h e lessons of this system, of t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y and of t h e remaining Old T e s t a m e n t biblical P e s h i t t a MSS. F r o m this s t u d y a few notable differences and c o r r e l a t i o n s emerge. These are concerned with: a)

The number of pericopes selected per biblical book. For most biblical books t h e selection of pericopes of t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y is larger t h a n of the i l l u s t r a t e d p a n d e c t of P a r i s a n d m u c h larger t h a n of each individual book f o u n d in t h e s e p a r a t e volumes. 3 4

b)

The unique pericopes of a selection. E a c h biblical book of t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y , of t h e P a r i s p a n d e c t and mostly of t h e s e p a r a t e biblical MSS has a distinctive number of u n i q u e pericopes, j. e. those which have no s u p p o r t in one of t h e other sources. 3 5

33. K . D. J e n n e r , 1993: p a s s i m . 34. K . D. J e n n e r , 1 9 9 3 : 2 8 7 . 35. K. D. J e n n e r , 1993 : 294f. and s u p p l e m e n t K .

22

THE

HARP

c)

The correlations between pericope, festival days andjor commemorations. The same pericope is related with different festival days or c o m m e m o r a t i o n s in the d i f f e r e n t sources. 3 6

I came to t h e conclusion t h n t these differences and c o r r e l a t ions of t h e l e c t i o n a r y systems of t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y , t h e illustrated p a n d e c t of P a r i s and t h e s e p a r a t e biblical Old T e s t a m e n t MSS, all d a t i n g f r o m the same period, d e m o n s t r a t e that. a)

More t h a n one l e c t i o n a r y system was in use at the stage of the early Syriac l e c t i o n a r y system. 3 7

b)

The E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y is a selective compilation of t h e d i f f e r e n t sets of lessons t a k e n f r o m several v o l u m e s of t h e same biblical book. The set of one such v o l u m e served as t h e basis t o which p a r t of the set of other volumes were added. Some of the selections of the available Old T e s t a m e n t P e s h i t t a MSS may have been used for this purpose; certainly not all MSS. A. number of the MSS used is still u n k n o w n to us. 3 8

I a s h o r t , B u r k i t t ' s conception of t h e E a r l y Syriac L e c t i o n a r y as being the b l u e - p r i n t of l e c t i o n a r y system of the early Syriac c h u r c h c a n n o t be a p p r o v e d . 3 9 § 5.

Preliminary Conclusion

In conclusion, it is m y earnest hope t h a t my questions and r e m a r k s m a y be an essentia] c o n t r i b u t i o n t o t h e discussion on the evolution of the Syriac l e c t i o n a r y system in general and the E a s t - S y r i a c system in p a r t i c u l a r . I n my opinion K a n n o o k a d a n ' s r e c o n s t r u c t i o n of the evolution of t h e Syriac l e c t i o n a r y system is a model which still leaves a number of questions to be answered, in p a r t i c u l a r with regard t o t h e series of Old T e s t a m e n t lessons. T h e stage of t h e early Syriac l e c t i o n a r y s y s t e m did n o t h a v e a s t a n d a r d system, b u t several systems were in use side b y side: Consequently, t h e E a s t - S y r i a c L e c t i o n a r y is not t o be considered as a b l u e - p r i n t , b u t far more as a selective compilation of different sets of lessons taken f r o m several volumes of t h e same biblical 36. 37. 38. 39.

K. K. K. K.

D. D. D. D.

Jeriner, Jenner, Jenner, Jenner,

1993: 298-303 1993: 347, 352 and 355. 1993 : 296. 1993 : 355.

T H E D E V E L O P M E N T OF T H E SYRIAC . . . P.

KANNOOKADAN

23

book. The c o r r e l a t i o n between OT lessons of the E a r l y Syriac Lectionary and the oldest Old T e s t a m e n t N e s t o r i a n lectionaries is r a t h e r weak. T h e r e f o r e t h e p o s t u l a t i o n of a lineal descendancy b e t w e e n these liturgical sources, as K a n n o o k a d a n suggests, seems based on a conclusion e silenlio. Such a p o s t u l a t i o n needs t h e proof t h a t t h e observed correlations are exclusive and not a m a t t e r of chance. Otherwise t h e p o s t u l a t e is a mere hypothesis. The r e q u i r e d proof is not f u r n i s h e d by K a n n o o k a d a n . Moreover, 1 c a n n o t find a n y evidence of the stage of t h e E a r l y E a s t Syriac lectionary system. Therefore the historical f o u n d a t i o n of K a n n o o k a d a n ' s r e c o n s t r u c t i o n is n o t clear to me. I t is my impression t h a t t h e lessons as we k n o w t h e m f r o m t h e available Old T e s t a m e n t biblical MSS reflect a far m o r e complicated process of evolution t h a n K a n n o o k a d a n ' s model would suggest. Selective Bibliography

BAUMSTARK, A.. Die nestorianischen S c h r i f t e n 'de causis f e s t o r u m \ OC 1 (1901) 320-342. B A U M S T A R K , A., Festbrevier und Kirchenjahr der Syrischen Jakobiten. P a d e r b o r n l ü t ü . BAUMSTARK, A., Nichtevangelische syrische Perikopenordnungen des ersten Jahrtausends im Sinne vergleichender Liturgiegeschichte Münster 1921. 1972 2 . BAUMS 'ARK, A., Geschichte der syrischen Literatur mit Ausschlusz d r christlich-palästinensiscaen Texte. B o n n 1922, Berlijn 1968. BAUMSTARK, A., Vom geschichtlichen Werden der Liturgie. F r e i b u r g 1923. B A U M S T A R K , A., Neuerschlossene Urkunden Altchristlicher P e r i k o p e n o r d n u n g des Ostaramäischen Sprachgebietes, OC 3 Serie. I (1927) 1-22. BAUMSTARK, A., Comparative Liturgy (original edition 1939; revised by B. B o t t e 1953; t r a n s l a t e d in English by F. L.' Cross). L o n d o n 1958. B U R K I T T , F. C., The P a l e s t i n i a n Syriac L e c t i o n a r y JTS VI (1904-1906) 91-98. B U R K I T T , F. C., The early Syriac L e c t i o n a r y System. Proceedings of the British Academy X (1923a) (301-338). B U R K ITT, F. C., The Old L e c t i o n a r y of J e r u s a l e m , JTS 24 (1923b) 415-424. CONNOLLY, R. H., Anonymi Auctoris Expositio Officiorum Ecclesiae Georgio Arbelensi vulgo adscripta. L e u v e n 1911-1915. F I S C H E R , B., Le l e c t i o n n a i r e arménien le plus ancien, Concilium 102 (1975) 39-46. H E I M I N G , O., " E i n Jakobitisches Doppellektionar des J a h r e s 824

24

THE HARP

aus H a r r a n in den HSS Add. 14,485 bis 14.487" in Kyriakon F e s t s c h r i f t J . Quasten). Münster 1970-1972, II 768-799. J E N N E R , K. D., " S o m e I n t r o d u c t o r y R e m a r k s Concerning the S t u d y of 8al" in The Peshita: Its Early Text and History (ed. by P. B. Dirksen and M. J . Mulder). Leiden 1988, 200-224. J E N N E R , K. D., De perikopentitels van de geïllustreerde Syrische kanselbijbel van Parijs (MS Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, Syriaque 341). Een vergelijketid onderzoek naar de oudste Syrische perikopenstelsels. Leiden 1993. KANNOOKADAN, P., The East Syrian Lectionary. An HistoricoLiturgical Study. R o m e 1991. K I N G , A. A., Liturgies d'Antiochie, Rile syrien et Rile chaldeen. P;'ris 1966. K L U G E , T., Quadragesima und K a r w o c h e J e r u s a l e m s im siebten J a h r h u n d e r t , OC V (1915) 201-233. K L U G E , T., O-Ler-Pfmgstfeier Jerusalems im siebten J a h r h u n d e r t , OC VI (1916) 223-239. MACOMBER, W. F., T h e Chaldean L e c t i o n a r y System of the •Cathedral of Kokhe, OCP X X X I I I (1967) 483-516. MACOMBER, W. F., Six Explanations of the Liturgical Feasts by Cyrus of Edessa: un East Syrian theologian of the mid sixth century. Leuven 1971. Narsai's metrical homilies on the nativity, epiphany, passion, resurrection and ascension: critical edition of the Syriac text, English transi, by F. G. Mcleod. T u r n h o u t 1979. R E N O U X , U n m a n u s c r i p t du lectionnaire a r m é n i e n de J é r u s a l e m , le Muséon 75 (1962) 385-398. R E N O U X , A., " L i t u r g i e de J é r u s a l e m et lectionnaires a r m é n i e n s " in La prière des heures (CASSIEN & B. B O T T E , eds). P a r i s 1963, 167-199. R i i C K E R , A., E i n weiterer Zeuge der älteren P e r i k o p e n o r d u n g der syrischen J a k o b i t e n , OC VII/8 (1918) 146-153. R ü C K E R , A., Das " o b e r e K l o s t e r " bei Mossul und seine B e d e u t u n g f ü r die Geschichte der ostsyrischen Liturgie, OC N. S. H l / 7 (1932) 180-187. V A L L A V A N T H A R A , A., The Liturgical Year of the St. Thomas Christians. Attempts at Restauration. L o u v - l a - N e u v e 1990. T A F T , R., The Liturgy of the Hours in East and West: the origins of the divine office and its meaning for today. Collegeville 1986. W R I G H T , W., Catalogue of Syriac Manuscripts in the British Museum acquired since the year 1838. L o n d o n 1870-1872 (3 vols.).

THE

HARP

Vol. X, No. 1,2, March 1997, pp. 25-37 Martin Tamcke

Coexistence and Discussion

Between

Nestorian Christians and Shamanistic Mangolians-A Model with Future?

Nestorians enjoy increased attention in current studies and writings concerning mission history. This missionary church was geographically the largest in the Middle Ages, and has aroused the interest of occidental churches several times in the history of Christianity: for example, during the time of the crusades, and during the time of European expansion and world dominance. The Church of the East, as the Nestorian Church is officially called, belongs to the early association of world churches; however, due to dogmatic incongruities with the orthodox and oriental-orthodox churches, it has seldom been included in the ecumenical dialogues. In contrast to the churches based in the Roman Empire, this Persian Empire-based church never experienced anything like a "Constantinian Turning Point", was never the church of the majority, never the chnrch of the state and was never subordinate to a ruling-power of its own confession. For the church historian, this church goes beyond the scope of the possible and customary Eurocentric framework. In the ecumenicity, the Nestorians hinder the complete unification of the eastern churches - not actively, but rather, simply due to the fact that it still exists. The history of the Nestorian Church's missions-based expansion over Far Asia and the Middle East depicts, to a large extent, the counter-model to an era of missions history that is characterised by colonialists and missionaries working beside, against and with one another. This *

Martin Tamcke, Rector of Germany.

the

theological

College

of Hermannsburg.

26

THE

HARP

counter-model will be investigated here. The Nestorian Mongolians, or rather, Nestorians among and under the Mongolians, will serve as a concrete example of the Nestorian mission. A.

The Mongolian Empire - the Fear of the Western Lands

Even today, 800 years after the founding of the Mongolian Empire, many people in our society associate the t e r m "Mongolian" with wildness, coarseness, danger and unpredictability. These connotations have their roots in the perceptions of our ancestors. To western Christians, the Mongolians simply appeared to be anti-Christian. With profound fear and anxiety it was reported, t h a t a barbaric people, of unheard of cruelty, have come in endless numbers to our land from remote and unknown areas. We don't know why they have come, except t h a t they want to godlessly pursue and kill all Christians. "Spellbound, the westerners were transfixed on the incalculable mass of people in the east and their potential for violence. " A n innumerable army of God's enemies has formed, composed of all peoples and nations". This group plans the destruction of the Christian world and threatens to realise their intentions. The westerners' perception of cruelties performed by foreign or unfamiliar ethnic group did not necessarily mean that they would recognise their own cruelties. Did the western nations not wreak havoc, just as thoughtlessly, with the profit-driven capture of Constantinople? Equally unforgettable is the cruelty of the crusaders in the Muslim orient: the massacre of around 3000 prisoners and their women and children, at the hands of the soldiers of King Richard the Lionheart, of England. Unspeakable scenes took place there as well. However, the Mongolians' violence and unbridled lust for power shifted the westerners to the role of helpless innocence. The Mongolians "ravage everyone and spare no one, old or young, rich or poor - they kill women with their small children and violate the chastity of women and girls in unbelievable ways. They are slaves to gluttony, orgies and filthy behaviour in sacred places. And in like manner they destroy houses and churches, fortified cities and cloisters." The westerners became numb with fear and forgot their own guilt. Seldom was a voice lifted to declare t h a t the Mongolians appeared "as a result of our sin". However, the voices t h a t were lifted were not referring to concrete historical offences t h a t would have

COEXISTENCE

A N D DISCUSSION . . . A MODEL W I T H F U T U R E ?

27

been forbidde n in the f u t u r e if people had felt deep sorrow and remorse for them, but rather, they called for a detachedf r o m - t h e - w o r l d piety. For this purpose, the Mongolians seemed " t o have emerged., totally unexpectedly, from the jaws of hell." Such images were possible in those times, as the people knew so little about the Mongolians. A contemporary reporter confessed to his readers, in his fables and legends; that he had dealt with "unknown heathens. Nobody knows who they are, where they come from, what language they speak, which tribe they are or what their beliefs are." When more information was available, the people had to deal with the amazing discovery t h a t a not insignificant number of Christians were fighting on the side of the enemy. B.

Nestorians in the Mongolian Empire

Therefore, let us now examine Nestorian Christianity as a part of Mongolian state and social structure. The Mongolian Empire was founded by a relatively unknown Prince named Temudschin, who served, like his father, as a close friend and b r o t h e r - i n - a r m s to the Christian (Nestorian!) Khan of Kerait: At the end of the 12th century, the T u r k o Tartarish, Christian Kerait people were the rulers of Mongolia In 1203, the Prince beat his former lord to annihilation, and went as "Ghengis K h a n " from then on. The Christian-Nestorian peoples of Central Asia were one by one incorporated into the Mongolian Empire: the Kerait were followed by the Naiman, and later by the Ongut, whose capital city was Olon Sume-in Tor. This city was north of the H w a n g - H o and had preserved the monuments of its Christian past. Nestorian Christians filled the leadership positions in the new Empire: they were army leaders and governors, secretaries-of-state, chancellors, administrators and court physicians. Christian women were wives of Khans. Ghengis Khan and his sons had Christian wives from the Markiten and Kerait peoples. Especially Sorghoqtani, a Kerait and wife of Ghengis Khan's fourth son, Tului, encountered the Nestorian Mongolians with reverence and respect. Even 80 years after her death, the Nestorians in Kanchow worshipped her by means of a picture in their church. She was the mother of Chief Khans Mongke and Kubilai, as well as the later Ilkhan of the Western Empire, Hulagu, who was taught by Christian priests

28

THE

HARP

how to read, using the Bible. Mongolian—occupied China, in particular, received many Nestorian Christians for the positions of governors and head administrators. The Chinese people felt such malevolence towards the Mongolian-dominated government that they hated all men with beards, in fact, they planned a rebellion in which it was decided that all men with beards would be strangled. In Karakorum, the Mongolian capital, it was clearly shown that among the actual Mongolian people, Nestorians remained a religious minority: 12 so-called "heathen temples" stood up against a single Nestorian church. The social status of Nestorians was high and their churches were sumptuously furnished. The large number of cloisters formed the essential backbone of the Church's organisational structure C.

Demarcations

How, then, did Nestorian Christianity reach the central areas of the Mongolian Empire ? It came unplanned with Syrian and Persian traders. Central Asia was opened up to the exchange of goods, religion and culture over the widely-ramified road network of the silk trade. "The Nestorians had to establish their beliefs in this polyglot and multi-religious environment." In the cities, small core-communities formed and were cared for by monks and priests. "Especially because of the uncompromising example set by the monks," these groups won "followers from the indigenous people," The Catholic patriarch Timotheus I (780-823) tried to set the missionary movements of his church into rigid structures by giving missionaries linguistic and theological training, and ordaining bishops for the newly-accessible areas for example, for Tibet. Despite this, chance remained the basic element in the mission expansion. The conversion of an entire ethnic group to Christianity was never attempted, however, the Christian lifestyle was publicly established everywhere. When, jn the beginning of the i l t h century, 200 000 Kerait south of Baikal Lake were baptised with their Khan, they joined the group of people spreading Nestorian Christianity: they carried the new message "with considerable success" to neighbouring tribes, especially the Naiman. Travelling monks brought the message wherever they went - the Gospel was spread with highest

COEXISTENCE A N D DISCUSSION . . . A MODEL W I T H

FUTURE?

priority through a pious life, and, as a second priority, through prohibitions and rules. The Church leaders took the special situation in the central-Asian region into account when making decisions. The Metropolitans of the "remote areas" were allowed to establish or dissolve dioceses. Bishop-candidates did not have to be ordained by the "Katholikos", and two instead of three Bishops could validly carry out the ordination. Obtaining a certificate from the "Katholikos", which would have required a long journey, could be omitted. The attendance at synods was replaced by written reports every six years. For nomadic peoples, the Metropolitan was assigned to the ethnic group, not a specific location. In addition to the Syrian language, which was the official language of the Church and brought about a feeling of togetherness, the native languages were also used. The Nestorians stood out from the world around them as a result of various traditions. For example, it was usual for the Uiguren to face north when praying. "They folded their hands together, threw themselves on the floor, bent their knees and laid their foreheads on the palms of their hands." It was reported that the Nestorians distanced themselves from this practice. "Because of this practice, the Nestorians living there did not fold their hands when they prayed. Rather, they stretched their palms out in front of their chests." It is possible that the Nestorians' rejection of the ringing of bells can be traced back to the practices of the Uiguren, who had especially large bells. The Nestorians suspected men without beards of heing, at the very least, non-Christian. Regarding gifts from ruling families, people tried to be humble to avoid being associated with the followers of Shamanism, "whose style and attire were exclusively foeused on gifts." The Nestorian practice of keeping their dead in the church was, for the followers of Shamanism around them, downright disgusting. The followers of Shamanism left their dead alone, out of an aversion for death and a fear of the ghosts of their ancestors. The Nestorians complicated the process of inculturation through the demarcations and differences between them and the Mongolian environment. As outlined by Wassolios Klein, "The inculturation in Central Asia was not simplified by the f a c t that Asians were missionaries to Asians. There were substantial cultural and religious differences, or, in general, differences in mentality, between Syrians^ Iranians, Turks, Mongolians and

30

THE

HARP

Chinese." The Mongolians who experienced their culture internalised the truisms, the customary traditions and practices, the borders of individual permissiveness and the taboos of the community, consistently more completely. The life of the Mongolian was influenced by his or her culture in fundamental and f a r reaching ways. If the outward appearance of Nestorian Christianity was not in accordance with the Mongolian culture, it remained foreign to them. Christ's Gospel can develop its holy power only there, where it touches people and is accepted by them. It cannot flourish when it remains foreign, separate from people's lives. Therefore, the Gospel must be fitted into the cultural framework of the people t h a t it is meant to reach: the Gospel must be inculturated and proven to relate to the context. Whoever is in another culture and has the goal of inculturating the Christian beliefs using the thoughts, hopes and feelings of the traditional religion in a certain cultural framework, is quickly suspected of practising syncretism. D.

Coexistence and Syncretism

In any case, the act of inculturation had to take place among the Mongolians if the Christian message was not to become a matter exclusively concerning the people belonging to the Syrian-Iranian cultural complex. This inculturation was not a p a r t of a missions strategy, rather, it was a result of the entry into the Mongolian multi-ethnic community. The religious communities of the Nestorian Christians and followers of Shamanism, among the Mongolians, were already connected as "neighbours" and "kinsfolk". A mutual penetration occurred from this base: reciprocally, they took up the traditions and conventions of the other. For example, the Christian converts shared the fear of the goblins of the Altai Mountains with their Shamanistic brethren. Kerait Chinkai, a representative of the socially privileged Nestorians a n d an influential, high-ranking statesman serving under several Chief Khans, reported such an unpleasant meeting between a Naiman ruler and one of these goblins. In another case, Chinkai was convinced t h a t a brother of the Chief Khan Giiyuk was the victim of a fatal spell, cast by his own mother's servant. The wife of a Nestorian priest cast love-charms on the ruler t h a t she longed for, by mixing a potion t h a t contained a spell-covered piece of paper, b u r n t to ashes. One could encounter graves of Nestorian Christians t h a t

COEXISTENCE

A N D DISCUSSION . . . A MODEL W I T H F U T U R E ?

31

were furnished after Shamanistic customs; meat and mare's milk were left as grave offerings. Such a grave was then furnished with long poles on all sides, between which four hors-e-skins were hung towards the four cardinal directions. With t h a t , it is shown t h a t the shyness towards the spirits of the ancestors was still alive. On account of these spirits, sacrifices were brought and people kept clear of the burial place. Amulets, stones fastened in leather straps, were taken on by the Christians as protection from the calam'tous effects of thunderstorms. The .stick oracle of the Shamans is also found among the Nestorian Christians. For example, to predict the outcome of a certain venture, two sticks were rubbed together, over which verses of Psalms, instead of " o a t h formulas" were recited as a symbol of Christianisation. Logically, the Nestorian priests did not accuse their congregations of practising sorcery. One father from the West was shocked t h a t Shamanistic magic customs occurred and were tolerated in the Nestorian sphere of influence. "These priests were never instructed about the harm of these practices. On the contrary, they participated in them themselves and even taught those things." When, annually on May 9th, the Mongolians rounded up and blessed all the white mares from their herds, the Nestorian "priests had to show up with their barrels of incense. They then sprinkled the ground with fresh mare's milk." The day began with huge festival, celebrating the first drinking of mare's milk t h a t year. Fortune-telling Shamans and Nestorian priests were allowed to report the dates of their festivals to the Chief Khan. He would then hold a gathering in. which both groups would appear before him, one after another, to pray for him and bless his cup. He wanted "everyone to pray for him." In t h a t way, the Nestorian Mongolians carried two belief systems: the one into which they were born and the one that they adopted first as a foreign influence and then as their own, new way of life. This dichotomy was not unproblematic. One was, as it were, torn into two pieces, belonging to both worlds. This view of life found its way to the ruling families. A high-ranking official of such a christianised Khan, who was himself a Nestorian Christian, will give the following guideline to European ambassadors for their meeting with the next Khan: "Make no big speeches about our ruler being a Christian. He is not a Christian - he is a Mongolian." The commentary of the astonished Europeans was inevitable:

32

THE

HARP

" T h e i r arrogance has g r o w n t o the point that they don't like to be called Christians, stian beliefs. e v e r y other E.

even though they have adopted some Chri-

T h e y want t o raise their name,

Mongolian,

above

name."

The Religious Dialogue of 1254 T h e religious dialogue of 1254 was

the outstanding

among the open discussions between the religious groups. discussions existed

in addition

dialogue took place b y

order

to of

the the

implicit

event These

exchange.

The

Chief K h a n Mongke, who

was raised a Christian and was the son of the famous Sorghoqtani. T h e official i n v i t a t i o n read. " E a c h

of

t o be the best and y o u r

your

writings,

the purest truth. T h e r e f o r e , the together

to

compare

your

you

claims y o u r religion

holy books, t o

Khan

contain

wants

you

all

with

and

against

teachings

to come one

another. In addition, y o u should record them, so that the K h a n himself w i l l be able to recognise the t r u t h . " T h e Nestorian priests, t o o , prepared themselves f o r the public debate and w r o t e d o w n e v e r y t h i n g " t h a t they had to say." T h e religious dialogue began on before Pfmgsten

(50 days

w r i t t e n d o w n a history of

after the

May

Easter). world,

30th, 1254 the

"The

Nestorians

day had

f r o m its creation t o the

suffering and death of Jesus Christ. O m i t t i n g the Passion of the L o r d , t h e y went on recording

Christ's ascension to H e a v e n , his

resurrection f r o m the dead and the L a s t J u d g e m e n t . " W i t h that, they

had already reacted t o

ners,

whose

ideas

of

the

their

Shamanistic discussion

beyond

and

of

eternity

were

specific. I n M o n g o l i a n Shamanism, the idea of " e t e r n a l as a distant

and

incomprehensible

deity

was

partnot

Heaven"

developed

only

later. W i t h the Ascension, the R e s u r r e c t i o n and the L a s t Judgement, the Nestorians could make concrete secular f o l l o w e r s of

Shamanism were

t o the opinion of the research,

renowned

W e r n e r Heissig,

assertions,

which the

not capable of.

According

master

people

there

of

Mongolian

were

not

religion

capable

"of

o v e r c o m i n g the constant threat upon their existence, as expressed i n the they

ghost-and

have created

demon-world no

doctrine

of

Shamanism.

of

salvation,

On

their

own,

or teachings that

promise them a paradise." T h e Passion was ignored because, f o r

C O E X I S T E N C E A N D DISCUSSION . . . A MODEL W I T H F U T U R E ?

-33

the Mangolians, holy power was made evident in the success and victory of the rulers, who occasionally could be given the title "Son of God", and to whom the manifestation of God in suffering and death was simply contradictory. In addition, the Central Asian Nestorians understood the cross as a cross of triumph and therefore tolerated no depicition of the crucifix. It meant to them, rather, the "completion of all mysteries", itself one of the seven mysteries of the Church. It was cosmically interpreted and thought to have emerged at the time of Creation. God "erected the cross in order to identify the four cardinal directions." The overcoming of human misery was expected from it. The Syrian inscription, carved in stone in the Nestorian cloister of Fangshan (west of Peking), advised its readers to: "look at it and put your hopes in it." A French craftsman, captive in a Mangolian prison, made a crucifix upon a cross for the head secretary of the Chief Khan's court. The Nestorian priests took fright when confronted with the depiction of the dying Christ on the cross. "When the priests noticed the cross, they immediately removed the image of the Lord." The Nestorian priests, with their notes, assembled in their house of prayer together with their opponents. Three secretaries of different religious affliations were sent by the Chief Khan as referees. To beign, they announced a decree from the Chief Khan Mongke. Nobody was allowed "to assert that this decree would be incompatiable with God's Commandments. He commands that upon penalty of death, nobody should have the impudence to use quarrelsome or insulting words against the other group, or start a tumult which would disturb these proceedings." The Chief Khan knew what he was doing. His brother had once asked an Armenian monk his opinion on the Moslems who, as Saracens, belonged to the Khan's brother's entourage. "The monk responded: " I know that they are dogs. Why do you have them with you?' The Mosleems asked him: 'Why do you insult us although we don't insult you?' The monk countered: ' I speak the truth. Because you and your Mohammed are mean dogs.' Then they began to defame Christ, until "the brother of the Khan "forbid them to do so: You are not allowed to talk like that because we know that the Messiah is God!" The Khan's brother had an interest in the declarations of the different religions-this interest was inherent in nearly all

34

THE

IIARP

Mongolian leaders. The Chief Khans were renowned for their "religious tolerance." J u s t as God gave the hand different fingers, he gave people different ways to reach salvation", was how Mongke summed up the Mongolian position on religion. And Kubilai assured his respect and veneration. By worshipping all gods, he sought to be heard by the truly highest one. " I ask the one who is among them truly the highest, for his help." Whatever effect the brother of the Khan expected from his question, it was everything but a successful dialogue in terms 01 an anxious preliminary consensus. The Armenian puts Islam down by appealing to the t r u t h , which was supposed to be a p a r t of the discussion. The reaction of the Saracens was only too understandable. However, it provided f u r t h e r support for the monk's assertion. The intervention by the Khan's brother demonstrates conclusively how deep the Christian philosophy was already embedded in the ruling families. But, is the passionate dispute not closer to dialogue than the wise, rational discussion? To quote Martin Buber, " i t is not a question of tame satisfaction, it is better to perform violence on a real being, than to give ghostly care to the faceless numbers. From that one leads a path to God, from this one only the path to nothing!" Buber feels the need to state explicitly. " B u t the one who immediately hates is nearer to the relationship than the one who neither hates nor loves." As stated before the Chief Khan knew what he did when he forbade such human emotions. With their code of tolerance, the Mongolian Khans are seen today as one of the reasons t h a t the mission-enthusiasm of the Nestorians could find "no f u r t h e r field of activity." Nevertheless, the public debate on religion attracted the people in crowds. After the order of tolerance was announced "everybody was silent. Many people had appeared: because every party had brought along its cleverest minds and, in addition, a large crowd of other people had accumulated." The Franciscan father Wilhelm von R u b r u k dominated t h e main part of the discussion. Therefore, he should only be mentioned for the sake of completeness. The opposition contrasted the one God of the Christian to a whole hierarchy of their gods. They reacted to the power of God declared by the Christians with the question: " W h y then does he make half of everything bad?" The Christian refused to make any comment on the origin of wickedness. He concluded with the statement t h a t it did not

COEXISTENCE

A N D DISCUSSION . . . A MODEL W I T H F U T U R E ?

35

stem from God and retorted persistently with the question of whether his opponent believes "that any god would be almighty." What should the answer be to t h a t ? In the pragmatic this - world religions the vague concepts of "eternal Heaven "and" the highest in Heaven, whose origin is not yet known" were means of satisfying religious needs and not subjects of reflection. Regarding the people's worship of different godheads, a short answer seemed to be satisfactory. "In one land they are so, in another land they are different." The question about God's omnipotence, which contained the confession that nothing is more powerful than God, had t o be disturbing, regarding "eternal Heaven" as an unrecognised and remote divinty. An answer was not possible - it would have contradicted the Shamanistic image of God and made a statement about that which "is not yet known." A helpless silence occurred. Finally, the arbitrators had to command that the question be answered. "No god is almighty. Christians and Moslems alike broke out into laughter. Shamanism appeared to be defeated. "After such a comment, none of your gods are in the position to rescue you from any kind of danger, as the situation could occur that he does not possess the power to do so. Moreover, nobody can serve two masters. H o w should you be able to serve so many gods in heaven and on earth?" It is no surprise that the Shaman, who was caught in the web of Christian arguments that were outside the realm of his own religion, was now silent. It is clearly attested to, that the Nestorian part of the discussion was found to be interesting, with its proof of the Trinity and its comphrehensive tales that reached until the arrival of the Antichrist on earth. Alone: in spite of the intellectual superiority, nobody was convinced and everything remained without consequences or commitments. The lack of understanding for the Shamans' only goal, mastering the here-and-now, and the resulting weaknesses in their arguments on transcendence, thwarted the discussion. The possibility to question and enrich their own position through the Shamans or to expose their own doctrines and practices to the answers of the Shamanistic belief system, was wasted. Instead of reciprocal pervasion and inspiration, the Christian deprived himself of the crucial basis of Mongolian life, which was the mastering of the here-and-now. Therefore, the followers of Shamanism were forfeited the liberation from this-world captivity by a

36

THE

HARP

sincere and loving Christian theology, which would have dealt with their questions of life and death and their views of themselves. Although supposedly victorious in this discussion, the Christian side did not really gain any ground. Mongke pointed out t h a t the Mongolians live and die in God and t h a t they give their whole hearts to him. "God gave you his holy word, but you don't follow it. He gave us prophets We act according to what they say, and we live in peace." The humanness and practical, here-and-now-oriented elements of Shamanism remained the insurmountable barriers to the conversion to Christianity, even for Kubilai Khan. He simply could not respond when his Shamans told him t h a t their entire strength came about "through their own holiness." Their Christians had nearly no compelling practical advice. F.

Conclusion and Outlook

The Nestorian Mongolians eventually vanished after the 15th century. In the 20th century, only " t h e remnants of Nestorianism under the Mongolians" were found. Only in the beginning of the 1930s did Antonie Mostaert learn about the Mongolian Erkiit people, found in the northern bow of the Hwang-Ho. Their secret religion is clearly influenced by Nestorian Christianity, but they themselves did not know about Christian beliefs or remember their own church's historical origin anymore. Therefore, all t h a t remains of Nestorian Christianity is what was integrated through the Mongolians' enthusiasm for syncretism. As previously said: today, the fascination with the Nestorian mission is t h a t it lacks the historical burden of coexisting mission and secular power. The environment of this church and its mission seems to be the anticipated f u t u r e of our situation: openness, diversity and the mixture of ideological systems were given. As a result, the Nestorians had to withstand the tension between identity and openness. Their readiness for syncretistic religious practises was a result of their openness to a given culture and its prevailing religious system, and an expression of their will to survive in an environment dominated by other religions. With t h a t , the Nestorian Mongolians conform to present-day demands, made by Chung Hyun Kyung in 1990: "My hope ... is t h a t it moves away f r o m the doctrinal p u r i t y oi

COEXISTENCE

Christian

theology

AND

and

DISCUSSION ... A MODEL WITH F U T U R E ?

risks

the

survival-liberation

37

centred

syncretism." T o d a y , the c u l t u r a l identity of our f e l l o w - b e i n g s seems mainly to be anchored in a secular understanding of the w o r l d , technology and economics. It is c o n c e n t r a t e d on the mastering of the h e r e - a n d - n o w . D o n ' t we, too, have Shamans who foretell the f u t u r e and tell us what to do? Back then, the Mongolians wanted to be so Mongolian t h a t their Christianity did not compromise their c u l t u r a l i d e n t i t y ( " H e is not a Christian - rather, a Mongolian"). F o r this reason, Nestorian Christianity vanished among the Mongolians, whose Shamanism was a l w a y s open to syncretism. I t is not surprising, then, that Theo Sundermeier demonstrates, w i t h Central Asian Christianity, the a m b i v a l e n c e of c o e x i s t e n c e - b a s e d syncretism, which leads " t o alienation, in w h i c h the i d e n t i t y of Christian beliefs gets l o s t . " " T h e vanished heterodox Christianity along the Silk R o u t e is one of many examples of this; b u t it must be added, based on recent research: this grain of w h e a t disappeared, dying, and in its death p r o f o u n d l y influenced other religions." F r o m this, it could be possible to reach the conclusion t h a t the supposedly Christian must see itself as demarcated from and in opposition to this world. B u t would t h a t really guarantee the successful sounding of the Gospel in the present, and the p a r t i c i p a t i o n in the salv a t i o n of God, which shines in single moments of h i s t o r y ?

THE

HARP

Take the example of Noah: he is able to rebuke All his contemporaries, lor if they had wanted they too could have prospered, since the strength of our human free will was the same in them as in Noah. St. Ephrem

(Church

3:9)

The nature of our free will is the same in everyone: if its power is weak in one, it is weak in all, if its power is strong is one, it is the same in all. The nature of sweetness seems sweet to someone in good health, b u t bitter to anyone sick; so too it is with free will: it is sickly with sinners, b u t in good health with the righteous. When someone wants to test the n a t u r e of sweetness he does not test or t r y it out in the mouths of people who are ill: it is the healthy mouth that provides the furnace to assay tastes. When again someone wants to test the power of free will he should not test it in the impure, who are sick with ugly deeds; no, a pure person, who is healthy, should provide the furnace in which to assay it. If a sick person should say to you t h a t the taste of sweetness is bitter, observe how strong his sickness has grown, so t h a t he has abused the sweetness, t h a t source of delights. If again some impure person should say to you t h a t the power of free will is feeble, observe how he has cut off his hope by impoverishing free will, the treasure t h a t h u m a n i t y possesses. St. Ephrem

(Church

2:18-23)

THE

HARP

Vol. X, No. 1,2, March 1977, pp. 3 9 - 4 4 P. K. Varghese*

A Canticle of Advices of Saint Ephream Prologue

Hear and wonder 01 the wisel You shall not miss t h e words of spirit as our Lord has said in His gospel t o those who loved and kept His words and fulfilled His works in faith. 1 0 ! God i m p a r t wisdom to those who love wisdom and to the teacher who teachers diligently and make him great in your kingdom The one who loves wisdom will always be industrious and t h e one who loves laziness cannot be diligent. 2 Gain 0 ! Son of man diligence, t h e great t r e a s u r e of wisdom and d e p a r t f r o m sloth t h a t gathers f u l l of want. Read t h e books carefully f r o m which you shall take pleasure, Neglect those who love the stomach so t h a t you shall not lose w h a t you have already gained. *

P. K. Varghese, A priest of the Chaldean Syrian Church of the East, Trissur/ An eminent syriac scholar and teacher.

THE

HARP

3 Select to you the piety of God and respect your parents. So that you shall be protected by their prayers from snares and obstacle Your friends shall be men who too are the friends of God and you shall not adhere to the friends of intoxication not even on the road. 4

Gold and wealth if you gain you shall not be exalted and you shall not be proud on the contrary you walk meekly in all your ways. Gold in measure you gain but wisdom without measure. Difficulties gold increases and wisdom, rest and happiness. 5

In your childhood be meek so that you shall be praised To good manners give yourself that you shall live a life of happiness Learn these 0! disciple, and fulfil in deed. So that you and parents and teachers shall be glad and gay. 6

You shall not be fast to speak when you sit among your mates. Be quiet till you are asked and then you speak slowly. And wisely you weigh your words that your listeners might praise you and bless your parents and pray for your teachers.

A CANTICLE OF

AOVICES

OP

SAINT

EPHitEAM

7 Equip yourself with good things, Until there are provisions enough, So t h a t when you depart from here You shall have no want there. Time you will have for all matters so you have to do properly. Eating and drinking along with knowledge and reading. 8 Have mercy 01 boy on your adolescence So t h a t you shall not be food for fire, And remember pains and diseases And dotage come after you. Restrain your mouth from oaths And from blasphemies and revilements And your tongue should be singing Songs of all glorification. 9 Wisdom is better than weapon Knowledge than money It is better for a boy to be still so And wise than an old foolish .King. Boy! gain knowledge and be disciplined in your ways So t h a t you shall be happy in this world And be pleasant in the other to come. 10 Respect the elders Love the toil of the old And sit hourly at their feet And learn and listen to their words Listen 0! boy of the day of Judgement And tremble at the hearing of gehanna (The place of torment) and take refuge From the t o r t u r e and worm and eternal fire.

THE II,VIUJ 11

Wisdom plaits a crown And places on the head of his lovers And from dung-hill to the high throne of the kingdom, he lifts and sits. Books would be his food (of which sprouts the pleasure) They shall be your drink That you shall sleep, with a sleep of rest. 12 Don't be an associate to the wicked And don't follow the cheat And don't resemble the revilers And don't go along with the rash Don't be bitter much Lest your onlookers hate you Don't be moved much Lest you should fall in the hands of your enemies. 13 When you have been a friend to the people you shall not be greedy for money And be good to your neighbours As to yourselves as they might bless you Receive counsel of the wise And keep the commandment of your parents Don't feel bad at all Against a man who has denied you. 14 The light of all your actions Should be your word of truth And again don't haste to make oaths So t h a t everybody will give credit to you Your words should be truthful Then you shall be loved F o r , everybody far and near They will be praying for your life.

A CANTICLE OF a d v i c e s of saint EPHREAM 15 Do good as you can Towards t h e associates and strangers as well Speak good to the good as well as t o the bad H o p e in God and keep his ways And walk in all his c o m m a n d m e n t s You shall not defy the hope of any m a n N o t to wither like grass. 16 On God alone be relied always F o r , those who rely upon him Are blessed in both worlds The world passes away as it is w r i t t e n And the J u d g e m e n t remains as it is sealed Remember boy and don't sin And if you sin at all, soon r e p e n t . 17 Recompense God, praise F o r all good t o w a r d s you R e s p e c t your p a r e n t s and teachers According to your ability Let y o u r m o u t h practice in gloria And your tongue in t r u t h f u l n e s s . Again, d o n ' t swear and cheat N o t by the lord or by yourself. 18 P r a y daily seven times As had son of Jesse Spoken And as t h e holy apostles have Laid as the laws of ecclesiastics F a s t f o r t y days of lent And give your bread to t h e h u n g r y And gain goodwill to you More t h a n all the wealth. 19 Read all 0 ! disciple and u n d e r s t a n d The words of your m o u t h Be a lover of t h e good So as your soul will be filled with blessings The speech t h a t said your lips You shall listen diligently And behave as the wise in all t h e deeds of yours

THE

HARP

20 Take heed, many before you, kings, and paupers, and warriors See' they have left from the world And you like them pass away Think of your departure from the world: And your going to t h a t to come And in resurrection believe in your heart And out of Judgement, tremble and lake refuge. 21 Boy hear the proclamation of the Judgement And be far from the iniquity So as the grace remains in your heart And you shall not feel shame in f r o n t of the Judge Hear the words of exhortation And repent if you are a sinner And if you are righteous Be watchful of fall again. 22 You shall praise the name of the creator Hourly night and day And if you shall gain all the world Don't forget t h a t the death is coming Praise to Thy name Good Master You have made us the speakers as well as the Wise, as your will, To guard in both worlds

hearers

Epilogue Let us all shout in one accord Glory to you 0! Good Master For your grace has brought us to existence As it is pleased to you Glory to You, to Your Son And Glory to the Holy Spirit, the comforter. The original Syriac text is in the HUDRA, Published in 3 volumes at Trissur/INDIA in 1960-1962.

THE

HARP

Vol. X, No. 1,2, March 1997, pp. 45-50 Prof. Dr. Sebastian Brock*

The Importance and Potential of SEEM in an International Context

Although Christianity originated in an Aramaic-speaking environment, the fact t h a t there has always existed an Aramaic tradition within Christianity, represented by the various Syriac Churches today, has normally been forgotten. Thus, according to the general modern perception of the history of Christian tradition there exist just two main strands within t h a t tradition, represented by the 'Greek E a s t ' and the 'Latin West', the former consisting of the Greek, Russian and other Orthodox Churches, the latter comprising the Catholic and various Reformed Churches: the existence of a third essential strand, which may be titled the 'Syriac Orient', is left totally out of consideration. There are a number of reasons of a purely historical nature which can help explain how this restricted vision of history has come about, and it is worth briefly considering these. In the first place, Eusebius's great Ecclesiastical History, which deliberately confined its coverage to the history of Christianity within the Roman Empire, has been taken as a model for almost all subsequent writing of Church history, right up to an including this century, resulting in an overwhelmingly Europe-centred approach to the subject. Accordingly, since Aramaic/Syriac speaking Christianity belongs to Asia and in large p a r t developed outside the Roman Empire, its importance and significance have generally been overlooked or played down. •

S. P. Brock, Professor in the Oriental Institute of the Oxford University. Address presented at the inauguration of SEERI as an autonomous institute 31-1-1997.

46

THE

HARP

Secondly, as a result of the Christological controversies of the fifth century, there occurred a two-way split within Christianity, those who accepted the doctrinal formulation of the Council of Chalcedon (451) - i.e. primarily the Latin West and the Greek East-, and those who found it unsatisfactory - i.e. the Oriental Orthodox Churches and (for different reasons, of course) the Church of the East, in other words, the third component of Christian tradition which is here • termed the 'Syriac Orient'. Since the Chalcedonian Churches regarded the non-Chalcedonian Churches as either (at best) schismatic, or (at worst) heretical, this third Christian tradition rapidly became marginalised and for the most part disappeared from general awareness. I t is true, of course, that the tradition of the- Syriac Orient survived marginally within the Chalcedonian tradition, in the Maronite Church and the (originally) Syriac-speaking parts of the Melkite Church, before the latter tradition became strongly Constantinopolitanized in the Middle Ages. A third reason for the general neglect of the Syriac Orient lies in the way the academic study of Christian history has developed in Europe: partly because the Council of Chalcedon has traditionally been taken as the sole touchstone, the emphasis in both research and teaching has almost always been concentrated on the Latin West and Greek East. Furthermore, because oriental languages, such as Syriac, have usually been taught in Oriental, rather than in Theological, Departments and Faculties, the study of Syriac Christianity has become disconnected from the study of the mainstream Christian tradition, and so very rarely finds a place in any theological curriculum. It will readily be observed that these three reasons have to do with the way western Christian tradition has developed primarily within Europe, and nothing at all to do with the intrinsic merits or demerits of the Syriac tradition itself. In the modern context, however, there are some welcome signs that at least in some quarters attitudes arc beginning to change. In the first place, the Eurocentric legacy of the Eusebian model of Church History is beginning to become rather less dominant; indicative of this is the appearance of such books as S. H. Moffett's recent A History of Christianity Asia (1922)

THE IMPORTANCE

A N D POTENTIAL . . . C O N T E X T

47

where considerable attention is paid to the importance and role of Syriac Christianity in this history. Secondly, ecumenical dialogue during the last few decades has led to a much more positive a t t i t u d e on the p a r t of the Chalcedonian Churches towards the non-Chalcedonian Churches. Evidence of this can be seen in the common declarations of faith made in recent years by Pope John Paul II with the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch Moran Ignatius Zakka Iwas (in 1984) and with the Catholicos of the Assyrian Church of the East, Mar Dinkha, in 1994; or again, in the accords between t h e Greek Orthodox and Syrian Orthodox Patriarchates of Antioch in 1991. All of this should encourage a much more balanced approach, on the p a r t of the Latin West and Greek East in general, to the role of the Syriac Orient and its contribution to the history of Christian tradition seen as a whole. Turning to the third point, the total absence, or serious neglect, of any teaching about the Syriac Orient in theological education, one can observe t h a t here too there are stirrings of change, and at least in theory a t t e n t i o n is now supposed to be given to non-western Christian traditions as well as western. I t might be mentioned here t h a t a laudable beginning in this direction was taken by the Council of Vienne as long ago as 1301: one of the decisions of this Council was t h a t the study of Chaldean (i.e. Aramaic and Syriac), as well as of Greek and Hebrew, should be promoted in at least three European universities; implimentation, however, was another matter, for it was not until many centuries later t h a t any teaching in this subject became available at any of the universities in question. One hopes that recent directives will be implemented very much more swiftly! What, then, is the importance of the Syriac Orient within Christian tradition as a whole? The fact t h a t Syriac is a dialect of Aramaic a Palestinian form of which Jesus will have spoken, is not just a sentimental link with the past t h a t is to be treasured: the significance of this link is much greater. Although the written Gospels reached Syriac by way of Greek, the earliest oral preaehing will have been in Aramaic, and some direet traces of this can be discerned in early Syriac tradition; b u t

48

THE

HARP

evenmore important than the language is the thought world t h a t early Syriac Christianity shared with the Judaism within which Jesus lived. This special empathy which this more 'Semitic' pole of Syriac tradition 1 had with the biblical tradition allowed for a highly creative and insightful approach to the Bible-above all in the hands of poets who were often at the same time fine theologians, the prime example, of course being St. Ephrem. It is in fact this use of poetry, r a t h e r than prose, as a prime vehicle for profound theological writing t h a t perhaps characterizes the early Syriac tradition best, and since this is an approach to theological endeavour t h a t has been seriously overlooked in the mainstream of the tradition of the Latin West and the Greek East, it is this aspect of the Syriac Orient t h a t may be seen as the most valuable today from the point of view of Christian tradition as a whole. 2 Thus, if the genius of the Latin West may be said to lie in the sphere of law, and t h a t of the Greek East in t h a t of philosophy, then that of the Syriac Orient lies in the sphere of poetry. In order, then, to achieve the full expression of Christian tradition as a whole, each of these traditions needs to be taken into account: if they are taken singly, or in pairs, there will always be something defective. Each of these traditions, of course, in fact also overlaps in many respects with the other two, b u t at the same time each has its own distinctive features which in combination, make for the enrichment of Christian tradition as a whole. One might compare the situation to the case of trinitarian theology: for any balanced approach, proper account has to be taken of the distinctive characteristics and role of each Person of the Trinity, alongside the harmony of action of all three. Thus, in the history of theology, whenever 1. For the two poles within Syriac tradition, one more 'Semitic' and the other more hellenized, see my "The two poles of Syriac tradition", in C. Payngot (ed.). Homage to Mar Cariattil (Rome, 1987), pp. 58-62. 2. My emphasis here on the 'Semitic' pole of Syriac Christianity is not to belittle the significance of the other pole, which provides a fusion of Semitic and Greek elements that is unique within the Christian tradition. One might adduce here the East Syriac tradition of spirituality represented best by St Issac of Nineveh, whose importance for the entire Christian tradition is readily attested by the fact that his works have been translated into at least a dozen different languages and are more widely read today than ever before.

THE IMPORTANCE AND POTENTIAL . . .

CONTEXT

49

a t t e n t i o n has b e e n focused p r e d o m i n a t e l y o n t h e roles of t h e F a t h e r a n d t h e Son, t o t h e neglect of t h e H o l y S p i r i t , t h e r e s u l t is a v e r y u n b a l a n c e d t h e o l o g y of t h e T r i n i t y ; so t o o , w h e n e v e r a t t e n t i o n is f o c u s e d solely o n t w o , r a t h e r t h a n all t h r e e s t r a n d s of C h r i s t i a n t r a d i t i o n , t h e r e s u l t i n g p i c t u r e lacks b a l a n c e a n d is t h e r e f o r e seriously d e f e c t i v e . L e t me c o m e n o w to t h e r o l e of S E E R I in all this. T h e p o i n t I h a v e t r i e d t o m a k e so f a r is t h a t t h e strand of C h r i s t i a n t r a d i t i o n w h i c h m a y be called t h e Syriac O r i e n t is a n essential c o m p o n e n t of C h r i s t i a n t r a d i t i o n as a whole: L a t i n W e s t , Greek E a s t a n d S y r i a c O r i e n t c a n a n d s h o u l d m u t u a l l y e n r i c h one a n o t h e r ; none t a k e n alone, or in p a i r s , c a n r e p r e s e n t t h e f u l l r i c h n e s s of t h e C h r i s t i a n t r a d i t i o n . T h e s t u d y of t h e L a t i n W e s t a n d (to a lesser e x t e n t ) t h e Greek E a s t is of c o u r s e well p r o v i d e d f o r in theological e d u c a t i o n a l establishments s c a t t e r e d all over t h e w o r l d . T h e s i t u a t i o n w i t h r e g a r d t o t h e Syriac O r i e n t s t a n d s in s t a r k c o n t r a s t : in E u r o p e a n d A m e r i c a its e x i s t e n c e is a l m o s t e n t i r e l y i g n o r e d as f a r as t h e o l o g i c a l syllabuses a r e c o n c e r n e d - d e s p i t e t h e f a c t t h a t t h e r e a r e n o w l a r g e i m m i g r a n t c o m m u n i t i e s f r o m all t h e Syriac C h u r c h e s in b o t h E u r o p e a n d A m e r i c a ; it is o n l y a t a very l i m i t e d n u m b e r of u n i v e r s i t i e s t h a t it is possible to s t u d y t h e S y r i a c l a n g u a g e a n d t h e r i c h l i t e r a r y h e r i t a g e of t h e S y r i a c C h u r c h e s a t all. a n d n o w h e r e a r e t h e s e a c c o r d e d a n y c e n t r a l role in t h e c u r r i c u l u m . F u r t h e r m o r e , it is o n l y very r a r e l y t h a t it is possible t o s t u d y t h i s t r a d i t i o n in a n y d e p t h , a n d in n o n e of t h e w e s t e r n u n i v e r s i t i e s , colleges or s e m i n a r i e s w h e r e a t l e a s t some a s p e c t of t h e Syriac t r a d i t i o n is t a u g h t , has it been possible t o e s t a b l i s h a C e n t r e specifically d e v o t e d t o t h e s t u d y of the Syriac O r i e n t . T h u s w h a t is urgently needed - a n d t h i s is f o r t h e sake of t h e entire C h r i s t i a n t r a d i t i o n , a n d n o t j u s t f o r t h e sake of t h e S y r i a c C h u r c h e s a l o n e - is a t least one a c a d e m i c c e n t r e s o m e w h e r e in the w i r l d w h s r e t h e S y r i a c O r i e n t is the central f o c u s of a t t e n t i o n , and n o t jlist a sideline. Only in t h i s w a y will it b e possible t o begin effectively to r e d r e s s the i m b a l a n c e m e n t i o n e d a')ove - a n i m b a l a n c e t h i t i j to t h e d e t r i m e n t of all t h e Churches. It seems t o m e t h a t S E E R I is in a n a d m i r a b l e p o s i t i o n t o t a k e on t h i s role - a n d indeed it could be said t o h a v e b e g u n t o do so already:, t h a n k s t o t h e f o r e s i g h t a n d e f f o r t s of i t s

50

THE

HARP

Director, it has built up a remarkable specialist library of Syriac studies - one of which any long-established western university m ; g h t justly f e j l proud; it is s i t u a t e d in one of the h e a r t l a n d s of the Syriac Churches, and a network of excellent ecumenical contacts all over the world is being built up; it hosts a very successful series of i n t e r n a t i o n a l Syriac conferences, which have led to i m p o r t a n t academic c o n t a c t s with Syriac scholars on every c o n t i n e n t . In these, an 1 in other areas, t h e f o u n d a t i o n s have already been well established: w h a t is needed now is the will and cooperation t h a t are necessary i n order t o exploit this p o t e n t i a l of S E E R I t h a t is already present. Once properly recognized as a higher educational establishment where f u t u r e teachers of the Syriac t r a d i t i o n can be t r a i n e d , S E E R I will prove to be a resource which will benefit, not only t h e Churches of the Syriac t r a d i t i o n , b u t also t h e wider Church as a whole, since S E E R I will be playing a very i m p o r t a n t p a r t , on an i n t e r n a t i o n a l scale, in enabling Christians of all t h e Churches gradually to recover a proper awareness of - and t h u s benefit f r o m - this l i t t l e - k n o w n third (and essentially Asian) s t r a n d of Christian tradition. Mere, t h e n , is an o p p o r t u n i t y whereby S E E R I can plav role t h a t is not only of i n t e r n a t i o n a l significance f r o m an academic point of view, b u t also which will be of benefit to the entire Christian t r a d i t i o n . It is m u c h to be hoped t h a t this o p p o r t u n i t y will not be lost.

Lord, Y o u r symbols are everywhere, yet You are hidden f r o m everywhere. T h o u g h Y o u r symbol is on high, yet t h e height does not perceive t h a t You though Your symbol is in the depth, it does not comprehend who Y o u are; t h o u g h Y o u r symbol is in t h e sea, You are hidden f r o m the sea; though Y o u r symbol is on dry land, it is not aw.are w h a t Y o u are. Blessed is t h e H i d d e n One shining out. St. Ephrem

are;

(Faith

4:9)

THE HARP

Vol. X , No. 1,2. March 1997, pp. 51-58 Harald Suermann*

Timothy and his Concern for the School of Basos The p a t r i a r c h T i m o t h y I. 1 is one of t h e most i n t e r e s t i n g persons in the h i s t o r y of t h e Church and specially of t h e N e s t o r i a n church. His p a t r i a r c h a t e covered a period which saw d r a m a t i c changes and was one of t h e longest and most successful governm e n t of t h e N e s t o r i a n church. D u r i n g his t i m e t h e Nestorians s e n t missionaries to China and India and f o u n d e d new dioceses. T i m o t h y presided over several synods and he introduced i m p o r t a n t canonical reforms. During his time m a n y schools flourished and t h e Muslims were eager to learn Greek philosophy which was being t r a n s l a t e d by Christians and Jews. Also, as p a t r i a r c h , T i m o t h y showed a special concern for t h e school where his priests were being educated. Timothy T i m o t h y was b o r n in Hazzâ, near Arbelas, either in 727 AD or 728 AD. As was not u n u s u a l a t t h a t time, T i m o t h y ' s *

Harald Suermann, Lecturer in the University of Bonn, Institute of Missiology of Missio, Aachen. Address presented on 31-1-1997, at SEERI.

1. Bibliograpics: Hanna P. J. Cheikho, Dialectique du langage sur Dieu. Lettre de Timothée I (728-823) â Serge. Etude, Traduction et édition critique, R o m e 1983, 1-26; Anton Baumstark, Geschichte der syrischen Literatur; R. Bidawid, Les Lettres de patriarche nestorien Timothée I = Studie e Testi 187, Vatican 1956, 1-87; I.Dc Urbina, Patrologia syriaca, R o m e ,1965 201, G. Graf, Geschichte der christlichen arabischen Literatur II = Studi e Testi 133, Vatican 1949, 114-118; H Labourt, De Timotheo I nestorianorum patriarcha (128-823) et christianorum codicione sub chaliphis abbasidis, Paris 1904., 1-14; A. MINGANA, The Apology of Timothy the Patriarch before the Caliph Mahdi, in: Woodbròoke Studies I I , 1928, 1-15; H. Putman, L'Eglise et l'Islam sous Timothée I (780-823) - Recherches Nouvelle Série B, Orient Chrétien I I I , B e y r o u t h 1977, 13-23; E. Tisserant, Timothée I, in: Dictionnaire de Théologie Catholique 15, P a r i s 1946, 1121-1139.

52

TIIE

HARP

uncle George, the bishop of Beit Bagas, had t o t a k e care of t h e f o r m a t i o n of the y o u n g boy which should p r e p a r e h i m f o r an ecclesiastical career. T i m o t h y was t h u s sent to t h e school in Basôs, in the D i s t r i c t of Saphsaphâ, 2 where a m o n k called A b r a h a m t a u g h t his pupils s c r i p t u r e , l i t u r g y and t h e philosophy of Aristotle. 3 The s t u d e n t s of this school had to learn to read t h e Greek f a t h e r s in the original language and t h e best were given the t a s k to t r a n s l a t e the f a t h e r s . T i m o t h y m u s t have been p r o p e r l y trained by t h e school and he m u s t have been one of t h e b e t t e r s t u d e n t s , because he received several m a n u s c r i p t s of his famous teacher A b r a h a m . Several of his schoolmates were l a t e r to hold i m p o r t a n t positions in society as T i m o t h y himself: Isô c barnûn, who became T i m o t h y ' s a d v e r s a r y and finally even his successor; Abu Nuh of A n b â r , later governor of Mossul, a n d Sargis, first head of t h e school in Basos, t h e r e a f t e r t h e m e t r o p o l i t a n of Elam. A large collection of l e t t e r s with the l a t t e r has been preserved and with him T i m o t h y shared his concern for t h e school. A f t e r his f o r m a t i o n T i m o t h y became bishop of t h e Diocese of Beit Bagas and t e n years l a t e r , in 779 AD, when t h e catholicos Hcnanisôc II. died, he became c a t h o l i c o s - p a t r i a r c h of SeleuciaCtesiphone. His catholicate lasted 43 years, and he died in 823 A.D. a t the high age of 95. Timothy's concern for the formation of the clergy The f o r m a t i o n of t h e clergy was always a point of special i n t e r e s t to T i m o t h y . He judged a p r o p e r f o r m a t i o n indispensable for t h e survival of the c h u r c h in n o n - C h r i s t i a n s u r r o u n d i n g s , where Christians were always invited t o c o n v e r t t o Islam. B u t also t h e J a c o b i t e Church a t t a c k e d t h e Nestorian Church and t r i e d t o e x t e n d its a u t h o r i t y in the E a s t e r n regions. F r o m a b o u t 200 l e t t e r s which T i m o t h y has w r i t t e n , only a p a r t is t r a n s m i t t e d to us. B r a u n edited 59 l e t t e r s , some more 2. J, M. Fiey, Assyrie Chrétienne. Contribution à l'étude de l'histoire et de la géographie ecclésiastiques et monatiques du Nord de l'Iraq l = Recherches 22, B e y r o u t h 1965, 257-260. 3. S. t h e l e t t e r of T i m o t h y : Timothei patriarchae I epistulae (ed. 0. Braun) CSCO 74,Syripl. SyriJO, P a r i s 19.14, 110; Timothei patriarchae I epistulae ( t r a d . 0. Braun) = CSCO 75, Script. Syri 31, P a r i s 1915, 73.

TIMOTHY A N D HIS CONCERN FOR

THE

SCHOOL OF

BASOS

53

are edited in other publications. Out of the 59 letters 12 have a reference to Timothy's concern for the school of Basds. This high percentage shows his personal interest in this school. The letters are almost all addressed to Sargis, who was director of the school at t h a t time. In letter* 4 Timothy writes: "Take care of the school with your whole soul. Remember yourself to beget sons of the church and to educate them. Take care of the education of our Brother Humansah, and teach him the fear of God first of all and instruct him in the scriptures and laudable doctrines." In letter VI 3 Timothy asks Sargis: "Take care of Humansah, not only corporeally, b u t also spiritually and mentally; educate him as a perfect man both in theory and praxis. " I n another letter Timothy writes. 6 "Teach your servant Humansah scrupulously and constantly the fear of God, reasoning and the wisdom, of the scriptures." In letter X I 7 Timothy thanks Sargis for his good work: " W h a t your Sanctity has written about Humansah increased my joy greatly and I praise God the Lord who instructs ignorant and stupid ones and changes bad ones into good ones through your Sanctity. A.nd if you extract the precious from the worthless (Jer 15, 19), it is liked by the mouth of God. Anoint him constantly like an athlete with the oil of admonition. I n s t r u c t him in the fight of virtue and eloquence. I will not give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids; until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob. (Ps. 131, 4)" Timothy seemed to have had a special relation to the student Humansah, but we do not know anything about this person, except t h a t he brought some manuscripts to Timothy. 8 Though we do not know, whether the education was successful, we know what Timothy wanted him to learn. He asks Sargis to teach him fear of God, knowledge of wisdom of the scriptures, laudable doctrines, which means the doctrine of the church, reasoning, virtue, eloquence, spirituality, theory and praxis. In 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Lettre V: CSCO, 82-82, trad. 53. L e t t r e VI: CSCO, 84-86; trad. 54-55. Lettre VII: CSCO 86-87, trad. 55-56. Lettre XI: CSCO 101-102, trad. 65-67. Lettre X X X : CSCO 153-151; trad. 104; L e t t r e X X X I : CSCO 154-155; trad. 104-105.

54

THE HARP

his letter of condolence at the death of Rabban Petion, the of the school of Ba§os, Timothy solemnizes the master who the two aims of ecclesiastical education: to instruct and to in piety. He asks Sargis, the new director, to nourish the munity of the church with the virtue of the Holy^Spirit, to them with rich food of the holy scriptures and to make rest near the soft waters of the virtue.

head knew form comfeed them

At the school education covered three areas. The first was the spiritual formation, which Timothy called the teaching of the fear of God and virtue. How this was t a u g h t and what were the exercises we do not know, but we can with some reason presume t h a t the daily life in school followed the agenda of a monastery. The second covered positive knowledge like the knowledge of scripture, the doctrines and reasoning. The l a t t e r probably means Aristotelian philosophy. At the time Timothy himself was student, the director of the school, called Abraham bar Dasandad, taught Aristotelian philosophy. 9 Timothy, even as patriarch, was very much interested in this subject and he had a dispute with an Aristotelian. He himself translated, together with his schoolmate Abu Nuh, the " T o p i c " of Aristotle from a Syriac version jnto Arab at the request of the Caliph. At t h a t time Muslims' interest covered the whole Greek heritage and particularly Aristotelian philosophy, which was translated either directly f r o m Greek manuscripts into Arabic or indirectly through Syriac translations. We have already mentioned t h a t during Timothy's schooldays students had to read Greek fathers in the original language and the best ones were chosen to translate them into their mother language Syriac. Although Timothy did not mention this subject in his letters, we may reasonably presume t h a t it was taught. Reading Church fathers in Greek and translating them may have been considered part of the laudable doctrine. What else has to be understood by doctrines? It meant also moral doctrine and canonical matters. We can conclude this from a long letter which Timothy wrote to the director of the school in answer to a question. We may also presume t h a t sacred music was taught. We know t h a t the director of the school at the time Timothy was a student, Abraham bar Dasandad, was a pupil of Babai of 9. Bar Bahlul, Lexicon syriacum auctore Hassano Bar Bahlulc, cd. R. Duval, in: Collection Orientale 15, 2, 1, Paris 1888,15.

TIMOTHY AND

HIS

CONCERN FOR

THE SCHOOL UF BASUS

L>Ecclesiological aspects« were clearly shown in the papers read by Rev. Dr. Frans Bouwen, regional superior of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) in the Holy Land and northern Africa, director of the review Proche-Orient chrétien (Jerusalem), and the Armenian Archbishop Dr. Mesrob Krikorian of Vienna. 4

» Ecumenical Cooperation on the pastoral level in central Europe« was the topic of three papers. Prof. Dr. J. Madey spoke from the Catholic point of view; Bishop Damian, Höxter, on behalf of the Coptic Orthodox and Archbishop-Patriarchal

REGIONAL SYMPOSIUM OF PRO ORlENTE

Vicar

Mar

Orthodox

Dionysios,

Warburg,

on

behalf

of

the

75

Syrian

communities.

F u r t h e r i n t e n t i o n s of t h e s y m p o s i u m were to discuss t h e practical problems connected with t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t of c h u r c h e s , parishes and dioceses of t h e Oriental O r t h o d o x Churches in c e n t r a l E u r o p e ; p e r s o n a l e x p e r i e n c e of t h e r i c h l i t u r g i c a l t r e a s u r e s of t h e O r i e n t a l O r t h o d o x Churches a n d t h e p o s s i b i l i t y of m u l t i p l e e n c o u n t e r s . T h i s was achieved t h r o u g h t h e t h e o l o g i c a l papers and t h e discussions, p l e n a r y and in working groups, then t h r o u g h t h e s e l f - p r e s e n t a t i o n of t h e O r i e n t a l O r t h o d o x Churches in word and p i c t u r e and especially t h r o u g h c o m m o n worship. W e were p a r t i c u l a r l y m o v e d b y t h e p r e s e n t a t i o n of t h e h i s t o r y and t h e f a t e of t h e S y r i a n O r t h o d o x Church in t h e T u r A b d i n a f t e r t h e c e l e b r a t i o n of Vespers (rctmso) in t h e c h u r c h of Polheim-Giessen. T h e r a n k of this symposium was emphasised b y t h e f a c t t h a t distinguished p e r s o n a l i t i e s of different Churches were p r e s e n t . 9 T h e t h e o l o g i c a l work c o n c e n t r a t e d in a special w a y on t h e u n i t y achieved in t h e s o - c a l l e d V i e n n a c h r i s t o l o g i c a l f o r m u l a and on some p o i n t s of ecclesiology still at issue. H e r e t h e q u e s t i o n b e c a m e v e r y r e l e v a n t in which w a y t h e O r i e n t a l Orthodox and t h e Catholic Churches, m a i n t a i n i n g their r e s p e c t i v e c o n s t i t u t i o n a l figure, could m o v e t o w a r d s each o t h e r . P a r t i c u l a r l y helpful were t h e discussions a b o u t t h e p a s t o r a l work of t h e Churches which are on t h e way t o c o n s t i t u t e t h e m s e l v e s in c e n t r a l E u r o p e , t h e i r needs, t h e i r a c h i e v e m e n t s and t h e i r f u t u r e necessities. In t h i s r e s p e c t t h e b r o t h e r l y help of t h e r e s p e c t i v e regional C a t h o l i c and evangelical Churches is e x p e c t e d , u n t i l the n e w c o m e r C h u r c h e s w i l l be able t o develop t h e i r own p a s t s o r a l e . The

participants

c a m e t o an a g r e e m e n t

in

regard t o t h e

following p r o p o s a l s : 1. T h e r e s u l t s of t h e V i e n n a dialogue should a m u c h larger e x t e n t , m o r e effectively.

be publicized t o

9. T h e names of the bishops present were mentioned already in the first part of this article.

76

THE HAKP

2. The new Oriental O r t h o d o x c o m m u n i t i e s (parishes) should a t t e m p t t o e n t e r i n t o dialogue with the neighbouring Catholic and evangelical parishes. 3. The r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s c o n t a i n e d in the joint s t a t e m e n t s of t h e R o m a n Popes and the hierarchical heads of t h e Oriental O r t h o d o x Churches are to be realised and filled with concrete life. 4. The Oriental O r t h o d o x c o m m u n i t i e s should have access t o the c o m m u n i c a t i o n process of t h e o t h e r Churches on all levels and actively t a k e p a r t i n it. 5. The exchange of spiritual experience should be fostered b e t ween religious and m o n a s t i c c o m m u n i t i e s . 6. In t h e dialogue with Islam, experience and i n f o r m a t i o n should be sought f r o m Oriental O r t h o d o x experts, too. 7. A deepened s t u d y of t h e councils of E p h e s u s (449) and C o n s t a n t i n o p l e (553) is much r e c o m m e n d e d . 8. All t e r m i n o l o g y r e f e r r i n g t o p e r s o n s or p a s t events which h u r t the other Church should be avoided. 9. The Oriental O r t h o d o x parishes should be given the o p p o r t u n i t y to preserve their c u l t u r e and language. These are enriching f o r E u r o p e , p a r t i c u l a r l y in t h e f o r m s of their liturgies. 10. All r e l a t i o n s a m o n g Christians and their communities should be m a r k e d b y love and mercy. G r a t e f u l and filled by m a n y lively impressions, t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s look back t o the F i f t h P R O O R I E N T E Regional Symposium. W e hope t h e p a p e r s and m i n u t e s of this s y m p o s i u m will a p p e a r soon in t h e Pro Oriente booklet series in German as well as in o t h e r languages.

THE

HARP

Vol. X., No. 3, December 1997, 77

SEERI Chronicle November 15-20, 1997

Prof. Dr. Karl Ileinz Kuhlmann of the Louvain University in Belgium delivered a series of lectures on various aspects of the Reformation. Rev. Dr. P. S. Daniel, Principal of the Mar Thoina Theological Seminary at Kottayam inaugurated the lecture series. The topic covered by Dr. Kuhlmann included, in addition to an introduction on " L a t e Medieval Religion." 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Humanism and Reformation; The Doctrine of Justification by Faith; The Doctrine of Pre-destination; The R e t u r n to Scripture; The Doctrine of Sacraments; The Doctrine of the Church; The Political thought of the Reformation; The Impact of Reformation Thought upon History; Syriac Heritage and Reformation.

The lectures were well attended and deeply by all the participants.

appreciated

November 3 to December 8, 1997

An intensive liturgy course for the Junior Sisters of the Bethany Congregation was conducted under the auspices of S E E R I , in their Generalate at Kalathipady. 58 Sisters attended the entire course. It was found very f r u i t f u l .

THE

HARP

Vol. X . , No. 3, D e c e m b e r 1997, 78-87

Book

Reviews

J. F. Coakley & K. Parry (eds.): The Church of the East: Life and Thought [ - B u l l e t i n of t h e J o h n R y l a n d s U n i v e r s i t y L i b r a r y , vol. 78, no. 3], M a n c h e s t e r , A u t u m n .1996, 198 pp., n.p. The a r t i c l e s of t h i s v o l u m e which is e n t i r e l y d e d i c a t e d t o t h e C h u r c h of t h e E a s t p r o v i d e t h e r e a d e r w i t h a n e x c i t i n g r e a d i n g . J . A . M C G U C K I N opens a c h a p t e r of C h u r c h h i s t o r y d e s c r i b i n g t h e political b a c k g r o u n d of t h e t i m e in w h i c h N e s t o r i u s of C o n s t a n t i n o p l e l i v e d , in his e l a b o r a t e p a p e r " N e s t o r i u s a n d t h e p o l i t i c a l f a c t i o n s of f i f t h - c e n i u r y B y z a n t i u m : f a c t o r s in his p e r s o n a l d o w n f a l l " . W e s t e r n as well as o r i e n t a l e c u m e n i s t s a n d c h u r c h h i s t o r i a n s c a n n o t pass over in silence t h e p r o f o u n d explanations of S. P. B R O C K ' S c o n t r i b u t i o n "The 'Nestorian' Church: a lamentable misnomer". H e proves t h a t » t o continue t o call t h a t C h u r c h (The C h u r c h of E a s t ) > N e s t o r i a n < is, f r o m a h i s t o r i c a l p o i n t of view, t o t a l l y m i s l e a d i n g a n d i n c o r r e c t - q u i t e a p a r t f r o m b e i n g h i g h l y offensive a n d a b r e a c h of e c u m e n i c a l good m a n n e r s « (p. 3 5 ) . A . V. W I L L I A M S p r e s e n t s a s t u d y on t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p of Z o r o a s t r i a n s , who w e r e t h e m a j o r i t y , a n d C h r i s t i a n s in S a s a s a n i a n I r a n . A n o t h e r c h a p t e r of p o l i t i c a l a n d c h u r c h h i s t o r y , a f t e r t h e t a k i n g over of p o w e r b y I s l a m i c r u l e r s , is offered b y V I C T O R I A L. E R I - I A R T in h e r s t u d y " T h e C h u r c h of t h e E a s t d u r i n g t h e p e r i o d of t h e F o u r R i g h t e o u s C a l i p h s « . T h e t w o articles t h a t f o l l o w c o n c e n t r a t e o n l i t u r g i c a l issues: F i r s t , A. G E L S T O N discusses t h e q u e s t i o n " T h e o r i g i n of t h e a n a p h o r a of N e s t o r i u s : Greek or S y r i a c ? " . H e t a k e s i n t o c o n s i d e r a t i o n t h e d o c t o r a l d i s s e r t a t i o n s of J . V a d a k k e l , The East Syrian Anaphora of Mar Theodore of Mopsuestia, K o t t a y a m ( O I R S I ) 1989, a n d of S. N a d u t h a d a m , L'Anaphore de Mar Nestorius ( I n s t i t u t C a t h o l i q u e

BOOK R E V I E W S

79

de P a r i s 1992, not yet published) as well as the s t u d i e s of B. D. Spinks and P. Yousif. L U I S E A B R A M O W S K I , in her article " D i e liturgische Ilomilie des Ps. Narses m i t dem Messbekennlnis und einem T h e o d o r - Z i t a t " (with an a b s t r a c t in English) speaks on P s e u d o - N a r s a i ' s homily e n t i t l e d » E x p o s i t i o n of t h e Mysteries« by R. II. Connolly which seems to be t h e earliest source r e f e r r i n g to the crecd as p a r t of the Divine L i t u r g y of t h e Church of t h e E a s t . In his brief paper " L ' i m p o r t a n c e de la C u l t u r e dans I'Eglise d'Orient A s s y r o - C h a l d e e n n e " (there is an a b s t r a c t in English), J . H A B B I shows us I he c u l t u r a l riches of t h e ( u n d i v i d e d ) Church of t h e E a s t . While in t h e first, p r e - I s l a m i c period, ecclesiastical and religious writings were d o m i n a n t , t h e r e is a b u n d a n c e of a u t h o r s in t h e Islamic period w r i t i n g works on philosophy, medicine, o t h e r sciences and h i s t o r y , even e n c y c l o pedic works. The following articles deal with p a r t i c u l a r themes. So S. H . G R I F F I T H writes on the "Muslim philosopher A l - K i n d i and his Christian readers: t h r e e A r a b Christian t e x t s on t h e " T h e Dissipation of sorrows'", E. C. D. H U N T E R on " T h e Church of t h e E a s t in Central Asia". K . PARRY, in his a r t i c l e " I m a g e s in t h e Church of t h e E a s t : t h e evidence f r o m Central Asia and China", rebuffs t h e opinion the Church of t h e E a s t had always been iconoclast; t h e late J. M. F I E Y explains how it h a p p e n e d t h a t the Christian Occident began t o speak of t h e f a i t h f u l of t h e Church of t h e E a s t , especially those in c o m m u n i o n w i t h R o m e , as of »Chaldeans« (15th cent.). M A R A P R E M ( G . Mooken) gives a historical survey of t h e Mar Narsai Press in T r i c h u r (now Thrissur); this article was completed before t h e a u t h o r ' s u n i o n with the New Calendarists under Catholicos Mar Dinkha IV in 1995. The last paper published in this volume m e r i t s p a r t i c u l a r a t t e n t i o n , because J. F. C O A K L E Y succeded in p r e s e n t i n g a s u c c i n c t h i s t o r y of " T h e Church of the E a s t since 1914". W i t h t h e i n a u g u r a t i o n of t h e non-official dialogue w i t h i n the Syriac T r a d i t i o n organised by the f o u n d a t i o n P R O O R I E N T S (Vienna, Austria) including all t h e Churches of S y r o - O c c i d e n t a l (Antiochene) a n d Syro-Orie.ntal t r a d i t i o n , Catholic and n o n - C a t h o l i c , also t h e t w o branches of the Church of the E a s t , New Calendarists and Old Calendarists, have entered into the ecumenical work of our time. I n this c o n t e x t , a publication of the calibre of this issue of t h e Bulletin deserves a t t e n t i o n , p a r t i c u l a r l y of the hierarchs and the scholars. J.

MADEY

80

THE

HARP

Reinhard Thole: Orlhodoxe Kirchen in Deutschland. M i t 32 A b b i l d u n gen [= B e n s h e i m e r H e f t e 85], 61602 B e n s h e i m : K o n f e s s i o n s k u n r l l i c h e s I n s t i t u t des E v a n g e l i s c h e n B u n d e s ( P o s l f a c h 1255), 1997, 111 p p . , p p b . n . p . O r t h o d o x y at large has become, a f t e r the R o m a n Catholic C h u r c h a n d t h e E v a n g e l i c a l Landeskirchen, the third denomination in Germany. There are now more t h a n one million Christians belonging to the Eastern and the Oriental Orthodox Churches. I n t h i s b o o k l e t , R e v . R . T h o l e h a s a t t e m p t e d to give a n e x a c t i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e C h u r c h e s w h i c h h a v e g o t p a r i s h e s or o t h e r c o m m u n i t i e s in a c o u n t r y m a r k e d b y w e s t e r n C h r i s t i a n i t y . T h e a u t h o r d e s c r i b e s t h e i r h i s t o r y a n d a c t u a l s i t u a t i o n as well as t h e i r c o m m i t m e n t in t h e e c u m e n i c a l m o v e m e n t s t r e s s i n g p a r t i c u l a r l y t h e i r r e l a t i o n s w i t h t h e E v a n g e l i c a l C h u r c h in G e r m a n y ( E K D ) . T h e E a s t e r n O r t h o d o x C h u r c h e s p r e s e n t in G e r m a n y a r e : 1. t h e G r e e k O r t h o d o x M e t r o p o l y of G e r m a n y , 2. t h e O r t h o d o x A r c h b i s h o p r i c of W e s t e r n E u r o p e , 3. t h e G r e e k or R u m ( A r a b i c s p e a k i n g ) O r t h o d o x C h u r c h of A n t i o c h , 4. t h e R u s s i a n O r t h o d o x Church, 5. t h e S e r b i a n O r t h o d o x C h u r c h , 6. t h e R o m a n i a n O r t h o d o x C h u r c h , 7. t h e B u l g a r i a n O r t h o d o x C h u r c h , 8. t h e P o l i s h O r t h o d o x C h u r c h , 9. t h e U k r a i n i a n O r t h o d o x C h u r c h . T h e G r e e k Metropoly, the Orthodox (formerly Russian) Archbishopric and t h e U k r a i n i a n C h u r c h a r e u n d e r t h e i m m e d i a t e j u r i s d i c t i o n of t h e E c u m e n i c a l P a t r i a r c h a t e of C o n s t a n t i n o p l e . In the c h a p t e r o n t h e Rum (= M e l k i t e ) O r t h o d o x P a t r i a r c h a t e of A n t i o c h , t h e r e is a slight e r r o r (p. 21), T h e L a t i n P a t r i a r c h a t e of A n t i o c h d o e s n o t l o n g e r e x i s t a n d i t s t i t l e is also a b s e n t f r o m t h e Annuario Poniificio. After having dealt with the Eastern Orthodox Churches, P a s t o r T h o l e t u r n s his a t t e n t i o n t o t h e O r i e n t a l O r t h o d o x C h u r c h e s d e s c r i b i n g , 10. t h e C o p t i c O r t h o d o x C h u r c h , 11. t h e Ethiopian Orthodox Church, 12. t h e S y r i a n O r t h o d o x C h u r c h , 13. t h e » I n d i a n O r t h o d o x C h u r c h of M a l a b a r « ( = M a l a n k a r a Orthodox Syrian Church), 14. t h e A r m e n i a n A p o s t o l i c C h u r c h , a n d 15. t h e H o l y A p o s t o l i c C a t h o l i c [ A s s y r i a n ] C h u r c h of t h e East. The Polish Orthodox and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian C h u r c h e s a r e t h e s m a l l e s t in n u m b e r h a v i n g o n l y one p r i e s t t o look a f t e r t h e i r f a i t h f u l . T h e m o s t n u m e r o u s c o m m u n i t y is t h e Greek Metropoly with a m e t r o p o l i t a n and several vicar bishops. T h e p a r t t h a t f o l l o w s is e n t i t l e d » C o m m o n w a y s « , T h e r e a d e r is i n f o r m e d a b o u t t h e » C o m m i s s i o n of t h e [ c a n o n i c a l ] O r t h o d o x

BOOK R E V I E W S

81

Churches in Germany« and a b o u t Orthodox T h e o l o g y i n German universities; added is a short paragraph on the Oriental Orthodox Churches. The last part entitled » S e p a r a t e w a y s « is dealing w i t h those E a s t e r n O r t h o d o x Churches w h i c h are not in communion w i t h t h e » c a n o n i c a l « Churches, namely the Macedonian O r t h o d o x Church ( w h i c h separated f r o m the Serbian Church), the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - P a t r i a r c h a t e of K i e v , the Ukrainian A u t o c e p h a l o u s Orthodox Church - K i e v a n Patriarchate, the Orthodox Catholic [ w e s t e r n rite] Church of France, the Greek Orthodox Old Calendarists. The t w o Ukrainian Churches appeared quite r e c e n t l y in Germany. A t last, we find a l i s t w i t h the addresses of those responsible for the above m e n t i o n e d Churches and of other O r t h o d o x i n s t i t u t i o n s in Germany. It can be asserted t h a t this booklet which, despite a f e w inaccuracies, is offering a solid i n f o r m a t i o n , has a chance of b e c o m i n g a useful guide for all who are interested in t h e c o u n t r y ' s Christia n i t y of E a s t e r n and Oriental traditions. J.

MADEY

National Conference of Catholic Bishops /Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches: Oriental-Orthodox - Roman Catholic Interchurch Marriages and Other Pastoral Relationships, Washingt o n , D. C.: U n i t e d S t a t e s Catholic Conference Inc., 1995, 164 pp.., No. 0 9 7 - 4 , ppb. $17.95. (Publishing and P r o m o t i o n Services, U n i t e d S t a l e s Catholic Conference, 3211 F o u r t h Street N E , W a s h i n g t o n , D.C. 20017-1194, U.S.A. This publication, although addressed to t h e clergy and f a i t h f u l in the U n i t e d States, may be very useful also for others t h r o u g h o u t t h e world, where Oriental Orthodox Churches are present. The editorial c o m m i t t e e was c o m p o s e d of Rev. Garabed K o c h a k i a n (Armenian Apostolic), Rt. R e v . Chorepiscopus J o h n Meno (Syrian Orthodox) and Rev. Ronald G. Roberson CSP ( R o m a n Catholic). The book is dedicated to an Oriental Orthod o x pioneer of the official e c u m e n i c a l c o n s u l t a t i o n , Archbishop Mar A t h a n a s i u s Yeshue Samuel (see my » I n M e m o r i a m « , in The Harp 10 [1997] 111-116), and the other members of the c o n s u l t a t i o n who have fallen asleep in the Lord. It begins w i t h t w o valuable, official d o c u m e n t s , Purpose, scope, and Method of the Dialogue between the Oriental Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches and the Agreed Statement on the Eucharist. Besides we find

82

THE

HARP

different studies which d e m o n s t r a t e to which e x t e n t t h e commu n i o n b e t w e e n t h e Churches involved in the official c o n s u l t a t i o n , especially t h e Syrian O r t h o d o x and A r m e n i a n Apostolic and t h e R o m a n Catholic, has developed. The following t w o c h a p t e r s cont a i n guidelines t o be observed in the case of mixed marriages. T h e first is a u t h o r e d by t h e Rev. G A R A B E D K O C H A K I A N and Chorepiscopus J O H N M E N O , Oriental Orthodox Guidelines for Marriages with Roman Catholics. U n f o r t u n a t e l y , the guidelines »do not p e r t a i n to t h e Coptic and E t h i o p i a n Churches, because mixed marriages do not exist in these two Oriental t r a d i t i o n s « p. 19). Due a t t e n t i o n should be given also to t h e appendices. The guidelines for Catholics are presented by Rev. Prof. C L A R E N C E G A X L A G H E R S J of the Pontifical Oriental I n s t i t u t e in Rome, Mixed Marriages Between Catholics and Oriental Orthodox: A Canonical Guide for Catholics. The a u t h o r emphasizes the i m p o r t a n c e of the a g r e e m e n t achieved in t h e official dailogue b e t w e e n t h e Catholic Church and t h e Malankara Syrian O r t h o d o x Church (in communion with the P a t r i a r c h a t e of Antioch) d e v o t i n g it several pages u n d e r t h e headline. The Kerala Agreement - A model for Legislation in Practice (pp. 32ff.): » t h e Kerala Agreement ... r e p r e s e n t s an i m p o r t a n t step f o r w a r d in the ecumenical dialogue. We look f o r w a r d to seeing h o w this a g r e e m e n t is p u t i n t o practice and also w h e t h e r it will affect the ecumenical dialogue with o t h e r E a s t e r n Churches, which p r e s e n t l y do n o t p e r m i t mixed marriages and insist t h a t either t h e Catholic p a r t y become O r t h o d o x or t h e O r t h o d o x p a r t y become a Catholic« (p.37). Rev. F R E D E R I C R. M C M A N U S , r e t i r e d professor of Canon Law, Catholic U n i v e r s i t y of America (Washington, D. C.), complem e n t s these t w o studies by his exposition of Marriage in the Canons of the Eastern Catholic Churches, because there are some essential differences between the law on m a r r i a g e as expressed in t h e Code of Canon Law for t h e L a t i n Chinch and the Code of Canons of t h e Oriental Churches which have to be t a k e n into consideration. In t h e following c h a p t e r , t h e Rev. A E L R E D C O D Y OSB p r e s e n t s t h e h i s t o r y of t h e official c o n s u l t a t i o n in the U n i t e d S t a t e s which has its beginning as early as in 1978. P e r h a p s it would have been b e t t e r t o place this s t u d y at the beginning of t h e book. The last s t u d y is due t o Rev. R O N A L D G . R O B E R S O N CSP, Associate Director of t h e S e c r e t a r i a t for Ecumenical and I n t e r r e l i g i o u s Affairs of the N a t i o n a l Conference of Catholic Bishops in W a s h i n g t o n , who is widely k n o w n because of his

BOOK R E V I E W S

83

The Eastern Christian Churches: A brief Survey which has appeared so f a r in five u p d a t e d editions. He deals with The Contemporary Relationship Between the Catholic and Oriental Orthodox Churches. The book is concluded by several appendices: A. The Common Declarations signed by the H e a d s of the R o m a n Catholic and Oriental O r t h o d o x Churches - B. Other Official D o c u m e n t s P e r t a i n i n g to t h e Oriental O r t h o d o x - R o m a n Catholic R e l a t i o n s C. The Oriental O r t h o d o x Churches: A Brief Description - D. A. Glossary of Ecclesiastical Terms Used in this B o o k - E . A Select Bibliography of Books and Essays - F. D i r e c t o r y of the R o m a n Catholic Church and the Oriental O r t h o d o x Churches in t h e U n i t i d States of America - In closing we express the hope t h a t t h e same editors will c o n t i n u e their ecumenical activities and present us with more books of this sort. The p r e s e n t publication m e r i t s t o be p r e s e n t in every p r i v a t e and public library and t h o r o u g h l y studied. J.

MADEY

Sijriac Dialogue: Second non-official Consultation on Dialogue within the Syriac Tradition. E d i t e d on behalf of the F o u n d a t i o n P r o Oriente by Alfred Stirnemann/Gerhard Wilflinger. Vienna: P r o Oriente, 1996, 236 pages, ppb., n. p. ( I l o f b u r g , Marschallstiege II, A-1010 Vienna, Austria). T h e second non-official c o n s u l t a t i o n on dialogue w i t h i n t h e Syriac T r a d i t i o n took place in Vienna f r o m F e b r u a r y 22 to 27, 1996. At this meeting all t h e Churches of Syriac T r a d i t i o n (s) were represented (Asyrian Church of t h e E a s t , Ancient Church of t h e E a s t [Old calendarists], Syrian O r t h o d o x Church, Malankara O r t h o d o x Syrian Church, Syrian Catholic Church, Chaldean Church, Maronite Church, Syro-Malabar Church, S y r o - M a l a n k a r a Church). O t h e r p a r t i c i p a n t s were of the staff of Pro Oriente, seven e x p e r t s , observers, keepers of the m i n u t e s , and simultaneous i n t e r p r e t e r s (English/Arabic, Arabic/English). The v o l u m e also c o n t a i n s the i n a u g u r a l addresses by t h e P r e s i d e n t of Pro Oriente, Mr. A l f r e d S t i r n e - m a n t i , and its P a t r o n , Most Rev. Dr. Christoph S c h o n b o r n , Archbishop of Vienna, as well as the Greeting Messages of the hierarchical heads of all the Churches q u o t e d above. The first p a p e r s read a t the c o n s u l t a t i o n presented a Summary of the Christological debate in the five Vienna Consultations (with the Oriental Orthodox Churches) and its Applicability

84

THE

HARP

to the Dialogue with the Assyrian

Church of the East ( F . B O U W E N W F Syrian O r t h o d o x Metrop o l i t a n of Aleppo (Syria), M A R BULOS M A T A R , M a r o n i t e P a t r i a r chal Vicar, and M A R B A W A I S O R O , Assyrian Bishop of W e s t e r n U. S. A., gave Comments to and Reception of the Common ChristoloIV. gical Declaration between Pope John Paul II and Mar Dinkha The Council of E p h e s u s was t h e next topic: Does Ephesus Unite or Divide? ( M A R S E V E R I O S , Syrian O r t h o d o x Archbishop, Director of Mosul Seminary, L . S A K O [Chaldean], E. [ K H A L I F E ] , M a r o n i t e professor of H o l y Spirit U n i v e r s i t y , Kaslik, and M A R B A W A I S O R O ) . The Three Chapters Controversy was dealt with by G . C I I E D I A T H , S y r o - M a l a n k a r a professor of patrology, Chorepiscopus, M. J. B I R N I E of the Assyrian Church of t h e E a s t in the U.S.A., M A R G R E G O R I O S SALIUA, Syrian O r t h o d o x Archbishop of Mosul, and V. P O G G I S J , of the Pontifical Oriental I n s t i t u t e in R o m e , A t last, B. V A R G H E S E of t h e Malankara Orlliodox Seminary in K o t t a y a m , J. M A D E Y of the J. A. M o h l e r - I n s t i t u t e f o r Ecumenics in P a d e r b o r n , Chorepiscopus P. YOUSIF, Chaldean P a t r i a r c h a l Vicar in P a r i s and professor a t t h e Pontifical Oriental I n s t i t u t e in Rome, and M. J . B I R N I E spoke on t h e East Syrian Liturgy as an Expression of Christology. The p a p e r s of t h e Symposium are concluded by t h e J o i n t Communique which was read by S. P. BROCK, i n the a n n e x , we find some i n f o r m a t i v e studies and d o c u m e n t s : Recent Ecumenical Initiatives of the Assyrian Church of the East by M A R B A W A I SORO, the Joint Patriarchal Statement signed by P a t r i a r c h s M A R DINKI-IA IV and M A R R A P H A E L I B I D A W I D , S. B R O C K ' S r e p o r t s on the first and t h e second Syriac c o n s u l t a t i o n s published earlier in SobornostjEastern Churches Review ( L o n d o n ) and The Current Theological Dialogue with the Assyrian Church of the East by D. W I N K L E R . We are looking f o r w a r d t o seeing soon t h e p u b l i c a t i o n of t h e p a p e r s read a t t h e t h i r d non-official c o n s u l t a t i o n hosted by Mar Dinkha IV a t Chicago in early 1997. M A R A P R E M G. M O O K E N ) , M A R G R E G O R I O S ,

J.

MADEY

Wilhelm Nyssen/Hans-Joachlm Schulz/Paul Wiertz [eds.]: Handbuch der Oslkirchenkunde. Band I I I . B e a r b e i t e t von Martin Petzolt. Dusseldorf: P a t m o s Verlag, 1997, 315 pp., cloth DM 54, 80. W i t h the publication of t h i s volume, the Handbook has reached its final stage. Vol. I came o u t i n 1984 and volume II in 1989.

BOOK R E V I E W S

85

In t h e m e a n t i m e , t w o of its editors, W. Nyssen and P. Wiertz passed away. The p a r t i c u l a r i t y of vol. I l l is, t h a t , for t h e first t i m e Greek O r t h o d o x theologians were asked for their c o n t r i b u t i o n s , a proof of t h e growing c o m m u n i o n b e t w e e n the Catholic Church a n d t h e Orthodox Churches. The first section of this volume, p a r t Five of the whole work, contains c o n t r i b u t i o n s devoted to t h e e a s t e r n s p i r i t u a l i t y , m o n a c h i s m and religious folklore (called " p e o p l e ' s c u l t u r e " , Volkskullar). T O M A S S P I D L I K , t h e well known professor of the Pontifical Oriental I n s t i t u t e , exposes E a s t e r n Christian s p i r i t u a l i t y in its facets: m a r t y r d o m and works of c h a r i t y , c o n t e m p l a t i o n as t r u e gnosis, hesychasm, h e a r t and spiritual s e n t i m e n t s , image of the invisible, the charismatic and t h e Church. In a second c o n t r i b u t i o n , he describes eastern monachism and life of piety: origin, e x t e n s i o n and i m p o r t a n c e of m o n a c h i s m in the Orient, the ascetic ideal: c o n t e m p l a t i o n and work, the transmission of t h e m o n a s t i c - a s c e t i c ideal i n t o society, e a s t e r n and western ways of piety. G E O R G I O S M A N T Z A R I D I S deals with t h e h i s t o r y of Mount Atlvos a n d , in second c o n t r i b u t i o n , he presents a sketch of an O r t h o d o x a n t h r o p o l o g y and sociology. The c o n t r i b u t i o n 0.11 the religious folklore in t h e E a s t e r n and Oriental Churches is due to the late P. W I E R T Z and M. P E T Z O L T . P a r t Six is dealhig with O r t h o d o x Church Law. Very useful, although m u c h too short (pp. 145-178), is the survey a u t h o r e d by P A N A O I O T I S B O U M I S . It can be quickly grasped t h a t t h e a u t h o r deals with t h e basic law of t h e Churches of B y z a n t i n e t r a d i t i o n . Although the canon law of t h e Oriental O r t h o d o x Churches is r a t h e r similar, t h e r e are differences which o u g h t to be t a k e n i n t o consideration. The bibliography m e n t i o n s , with few exceptions, only Greek a u t h o r s . In p a r t Seven, the missionary c o m m i t m e n t of t h e B y z a n t i n e and R u s s i a n O r t h o d o x Churches in earlier times and in the 20th c e n t u r y is described by ANASTASIOS Y A N N O U L A T O S , f o r m e r l y professor at the U n i v e r s i t y of Athens, now Archbishop of the A l b a n i a n A u t o c e p h a l o u s Church. In an excellent, clear and i n f o r m a t i v e s t u d y , H A N S J O A C H I M S C I I U L Z , professor of the h i s t o r y of t h e E a s t e r n Churches and E c u m e n i c a l Theology at the Catholic F a c u l t y of Theology of the U n i v e r s i t y of W u r z b u r g , p r e s e n t s t h e whole s p e c t r u m of the ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic Church and the E a s t e r n O r t h o d o x Churches, of t h e dialogue with the Oriental O r t h o d o x Churches giving also due a t t e n t i o n to the Vienna c o n s u l t a t i o n s of Pro Oriente, and finally he comes t o speak also

86

THE

HARP

of t h e new r e l a t i o n s w i t h the A s s y r i a n C h u r c h of t h e E a s t . T h e c o n t r i b u t i o n of G E O R G I O S G A L I T I S , r e t i r e d p r o f e s s o r of t h e u n i v e r s i t y of A t h e n s (biblical exegesis) o n " T h e O r t h o d o x C h u r c h in d i a l o g u e " is r a t h e r d i s a p p o i n t i n g . T h e reviewer agrees w i t h P a s t o r T h o l e ' s j u d g e m e n t : » G e o r g i o s G a l i t i s ' c o n t r i b u t i o n on t h e > O r t h o d o x C h u r c h in d i a l o g u e < r e m a i n s s h a d o w y in t h e p r e s e n t a t i o n a n d e v a l u a t e s t h e r e s u l t s of t h e dialogue w i t h t h e w a r n i n g l a m p s > U n i a t i s m < t o w a r d s t h e C a t h o l i c side, > p r o s e l y t i s m < t o w a r d s t h e P r o t e s t a n t side, > o r d i n a t i o n of w o m e n < t o w a r d s t h e Old C a t h o l i c a n d A n g l i c a n p a r t n e r s « (Materialdienst den Konfcssionskundlichen Instituts Bensheim 48/4 [1997] 78]. P a r t N i n e is t h e c o n t r i b u t i o n of M e t r o p o l i t a n D A M A S K I N O S P A P A N D R E O U of S w i t z e r l a n d on t h e P a n o r t h o d o x Council which is still b e i n g p r e p a r e d . This is a first-hand i n f o r m a t i o n , as t h e M e t r o p o l i t a n is t h e S e c r e t a r y of t h e p r e p a r a t o r y c o m m i s s i o n . R e g r e t f u l l y , w e do n o t find a n y t h i n g a b o u t t h e a c t u a l s i t u a t i o n of t h e E a s t e r n a n d O r i e n t a l Catholic C h u r c h e s a n d on t h e Code of C a n o n s of t h e O r i e n t a l C h u r c h e s (CCEO) giving s p a c e f o r t h e p a r t i c u l a r law of t h e i n d i v i d u a l a u t o n o m o u s Churches. Also t h e e f f o r t s f o r r e s t o r i n g t h e u n i t y of t h e P a t r i a r c h a t e of Antioch coming f r o m t h e Melkite Greek C a t h o l i c P a t r i a r c h a t e s h o u l d h a v e been given d u e a t t e n t i o n . D e s p i t e t h e s e lacunae, t h e Handbook will r e m a i n a s t a n d a r d w o r k also in t h e f u t u r e . J . M a d eY Hamilcar S. AHvizatos: Die Oikonomia: Die Oikonomia nach dem kanonischen Recht der Orthodoxen Kirche. Herausgegeben u n d m i t einer E i n l e i t u n g v o n A n d r é a Belliger. F r a n k f u r t ( L e e r b a c h s t r . 42, 60322 F r a n k f u r t / G e r m a n y ) : O t t o L e m b e c k , 1998, 150 pp., p p b . DM 44.00 / A U S 321 / Sfr. 41,00. T h e a u t h o r of t h e s t u d y ( A t h e n s 1949) is c o n s i d e r e d as one of t h e great scholars in Canon Law and as one of t h e g r e a t e c u m e n i s t s in t h e G r e e k - s p e a k i n g w o r l d . I n s p i t e of his f a m e , it is f o r t h e first t i m e , t h a t his w o r k could a p p e a r , a l m o s t 30 y e a r s a f t e r his d e a t h , in a m o r e accessible l a n g u a g e . In the first p a r t of t h i s G e r m a n e d i t i o n , A n d r é a Belliger p r e s e n t s us t h e a u t h o r and his t h o u g h t or m e t h o d of a p p r o a c h . Since O i k o n o m i a h a s n e v e r g o t a s t r i c t , j u r i d i c a l d e f i n i t i o n in t h e Christian E a s t , it is d e s c r i b e d v e r y d i f f e r e n t l y by different authors. Nevertheless, t h e m a i n idea b e h i n d

BOOK R E V I E W S

87

O i k o n o m i a is t h a t of m e r c y . I t is c e r t a i n l y n o t a c c i d e n t a l t h a t A l i v i z a t o s p u t s a b o v e liis f o r e w o r d t w o q u o t a t i o n s : t h e f i r s t f r o m A r i s t o t l e , t h e s e c o n d f r o m c. 3 of t h e S y n o d i n - T r u l I o : I n t h e First p a r t , he a t t e m p t s t o give a d e f i n i t i o n of O i k o n o m i a a n d to s h o w w h e r e it h a s i t s l i m i t s . P a r t t w o of t h e b o o k h a s t h e h e a d l i n e : C o n c r e t e a p p l i c a t i o n s . H e r e he is d e a l i n g w i t h t h e q u e s t i o n s : W h a t is t h e p r a c t i c e of t h e [Greek O r t h o d o x ] C h u r c h in u s i n g O i k o n o m i a ? W h i c h are t h e r e a s o n s of g r a n t i n g o i k o n o m i a ? W h i c h is t h e c o m p e t e n t a u t h o r i t y t o g r a n t it? T h e a n s w e r s a r e g i v e n also in t h e p a r t w h e r e t h e a u t h o r s p e a k s of t h e a p p l i c a t i o n of O i k o n o m i a in r e g a r d t o t h e s a c r a m e n t s , d o g m a , w o r s h i p e t c . A l i v i z a t o s ' s w o r k is n o t e x h a u s t i v e . H e says it himself a n d i n v i t e s t h e y o u n g e r g e n e r a t i o n of s c h o l a r s t o c o n t i n u e his w o r k . H i s c o n c r e t e a i m was to s h o w his A n g l i c a n f r i e n d s of t h e c o m m i t t e e p r e p a r i n g t h e S y n o d of L a m b e t h t o be held in 1940 a n d o n whose i n v i t a t i o n he h a d m a d e t h i s s t u d y , in which w a y t h e O r t h o d o x C h u r c h is m a k i n g use of O i k o n o m i a as a d y n a m i c , p a s t o r a l a n d j u r i d i c a l p r i n c i p l e of ecclesial a c t i o n in r e g a r d t o c o n c r e t e issues w i t h i n t h e t e n s i o n b e t w e e n j u r i d i c a l n o r m a n d life real ty. Since V a t i c a n I I , t h e q u e s t i o n of O i k o n o m i a h a s also c o m e m o r e t o t h e a t t e n t i o n of C a t h o l i c a u t h o r s . W e a r e t h e r e f o r e g r a t e f u l to the e d i t o r f o r h a v i n g s u p p l i e d a b i b l i o g r a p h y including also authors coming from the western church traditions. J.

Fr. Robert Matheus, Palestine in Jesus' Time K o t t a y a m , 1998, R s . 2 0 0 / - (S 20)

MADEY

p. 512 ( O I R S I ) ,

T h e B o o k Palestine in Jesus' Time b y R e v . F r . R o b e r t M a t h e u s , a B e l g i a n b o r n p r i e s t , b e l o n g i n g t o T h u c k a l a y diocese, c o n t a i n s 157 t i t l e s in 512 pages a p p o r t i o n e d i n t o five p a r t s w i t h a b o u t t h r e e c h a p t e r s apiece, except part 3 which has four, a n d p a r t 6 w h i c h h a s b u t o n e c h a p t e r . T h e f o r w a r d t o t h e b o o k is w r i t t e n b y R e v . D r . J . P. M. V a n d e r P l o e g , t h e r e p u t e d bible scholar. T h e i n t r o d u c t o r y c h a p t e r s , ( P a r t 1) s p e a k a b o u t t h e Bible in general, its divine h u m a n authorship, its c o n t e n t - Jesus, its k i n s h i p t o t h e C h u r c h , t h e c o n c e p t of t h e u n i v e r s e a n d t h e p l a c e of m a n a n d his d e s t i n y in i t - all f r o m t h e J e w i s h b a c k d r o p .

88

THIS

HARP

P a r t 2 presents t h e g e o g r a p h i c a l climate

and

cultivation.

It

also

location

informs

us

of P a l e s t i n e , its on

the

mode

of

Jewish house c o n s t r u c t i o n and t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , i n f o r m a t i o n which is hard

to glean f r o m other books.

While part the people of member,

3

provides

Palestine,

a

their

very

life

detailed k n o w l e d g e

as i n d i v i d u a l s ,

as

a

as a v i l l a g e m e m b e r and as a m e m b e r of the nation.

P a r t 4 dissects the p o l i t i c a l religious and c u l t u r a l of P a l e s t i n e in the sources - non

y e a r 30.

evangelical

Part 5 tersely

and

evangelical

Jesus life. T h e result: p a t i e n t readers can hensive

grasp

on

Palestine,

the

Bible

H i m s e l f . T h e b o o k p r o v e s to be not s t u d y , b u t also one of e x p e r i e n c e

that

and

shed

the

an

illustration

m a t t e r t r e a t e d in the end

which

which

body.

clarifies

Besides

help to k i n d l e

there

on

compre-

of

Bible

Jesus serious

classes

for

exploration.

E a c h chapter is

with are

t h e interest

various light

person

a product

taking

T h e book has c e r t a i n notable specialities. followed by

situation

the

g e t the most

only

in

states

y o u t h which renders it a m u s t - b e - r e a d b o o k in B i b l e

at t h e

about family

examples exercises

of

the

the given

reader

to

k n o w more about Jesus and t h e B i b l e . A l s o the b o o k a e q u i p p e d w i t h an i n d u x which contains m o r e than 500 entries. T h e author skilfully combines i n - d e p t h i n f o r m a t i o n about P a l e s t i n e and Jesus with this

unusual book

in

readability your

shelf,

and

clarity.

your library

For can

want

of

become

a copy

poor I F r . John

oooooouo

of

immensely

Kudiyiruppil

THE

I-IARP

Vol. X., No. 3. December 1997, 89-92

News

In memoriatn Petro B. T. Bilaniuk

On September 8, 1998, the Rt. Rev. Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. h.c. Petro B. T. Bilaniuk of the University of St. Michael's College in the University of Toronto, Canada, passed away. He left his extensive library collection to the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies at the Faculty of Theology of St. Paul University, Ottawa. The late professor who was also a Mitrophoric Archpriest (the highest rank a married priest can obtain in the Ukrainian Catholic Church), was born at Zalishchyky in Western Ukraine on August 4, 1932. Due to World War II, his family flew to Poland in 1940 and to Berlin in 1944. Because of the Soviet occupation of one part of Germany, they moved westward, first to the region of S t u t t g a r t , Germany, and in 1949 to Canada. After having studied at the University of Montreal and at the Pontifical Urbanian University in Rome, he spent more t h a n five years at the University of Munich under the direction of the then professor of dogmatic theology, R t . Rev. Msgr. Prof. Dr. Michael Schmaus. He married Franziska Maria Theresia Limbach in 1960. Having been awarded the degree of Doctor in Theology, the young couple with their first child born in 1961 returned to Toronto where Dr. Bilaniuk started his teaching career. Since 1969 Dr. Bilaniuk was Associate Professor of Theology and Religious Knowledge. During his sabbatical year, the family - there were now four sons: Stefan, Nykolai, Mykhail and Iosyf - came to Europe. At t h a t time, Fr. Peter submitted another dissertation on The Fifth Lateran Council (1512-1517) and the Eastern Church at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Ukrainian Free University in Munich and was awarded with the degree of

90

NKWS

D o c t o r of P h i l o s o p h y (1972). This u n i v e r s i t y a p p o i n t e d h i m V i s i t i n g P r o f e s s o r in 1973, so also t h e J o h n X X I I I I n s t i t u t e of F o r d h a m U n i v e r s i t y , N e w Y o r k , i n 1978. I n t h e same y e a r he delivered The Placid Lectures in h o n o u r of P r o f . Dr. D r . Dr. P l a c i d .J. P o d i p a r a CMI a t t h e P o n t i f i c a l O r i e n t a l I n s t i t u t e in R o m e w h i c h e v e n t u a l l y w e r e p u b l i s h e d u n d e r t h e t i t l e Theology and Economy of the Holy Spirit. An Eastern Approach (Bangalore: D h a r m a r a m , 1980). In 1980, K y r I s i d o r e (Borecky), U k r a i n i a n Catholic e p a r c h of T o r o n t o , o r d a i n e d P r o f e s s o r B i l a n i u k to t h e D i a c o n a t e , and in 1981, H i s B e a t i t u d e P a t r i a r c h J o s e p h I ( c a r d , Slipyj) o r d a i n e d him t o t h e H o l y P r e s b y t e r a t e . On F r i d a y 15, 1982, t h e H e a d of t h e U k r a i n i a n C a t h o l i c C h u r c h a w a r d e d F r . P r o f . B i l a n i u k t h e silver p e c t o r a l c r o s s . On O c t o b e r 14, 1985, his s u c c e s s o r , H i s B e a t i t u d e Myroslav I v a n ( c a r d , L u b a c h i v s k y ) raised him t o t h e d i g n i t y of A r c h p r i e s t , and on N o v e m b e r 18, 1988, B i s h o p I s i d o r e of T o r o n t o e l e v a t e d h i m t o t h e d i g n i t y of M i t r o p h o n i c A r c h p r i e s t . In the 80's, P r o f e s s o r B i l a n i u k also edited his Studies in Eastern Christianity (4 v o l u m e s ) . H e was also one of t h e a c t i v e p a r t i c i p a n t s of t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l C o n f e r e n c e of t h e Catholic O r i e n t a l C h u r c h e s in K o t t a y a m w h e r e he delivered a p a p e r on Ukrainian Catholic Church in the Light of Contemporary Ecclesiology. On t h e occasion of his GOth a n n i v e r s a r y , t h e D e p a r t m e n t of A n c i e n t C h r i s t i a n A r c h e o l o g y of t h e I n s t i t u t e f o r classic a r c h e o l o g y of t h e U n i v e r s i t y of V i e n n a a n d t h e L i t u r g i c a l I n s t i t u t e a t t h e K a r i - F r a n z e n s - U n i v e r s i t a t of Graz, A u s t r i a , in c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h T h e B y z a n t i n e O r d e r of t h e H o l y S e p u l c h r e , S c a r b o r o u g h , O n t a r i o , C a n a d a a n d T h e C a n a d i a n T e i l h a r d de Chardin Association p u b l i s h e d a F e s t s c h r i f t in h o n o u r of F r . P e t r o The Divine Life, Light and Love: Euntes in mundum universum w h i c h also c o n t a i n s a list of t h e p u b l i c a t i o n s of t h i s e m i n e n t O r i e n t a l C a t h o l i c scholar. Till his d e a t h he belonged t o t h e e d i t o r i a l b o a r d of Logos: A Journal of Eastern Christian Studies, e d i t e d b y t h e M e t r o p o l i t a n S h e p t y t s k y I n s t i t u t e . Vicna iomu pam'iat'! May his memory be eternal! Licentiate and Doctorate degrees program in Eastern Christian Studies at St. Paul University in Ottawa On O c t o b e r 23, 1998, S a i n t P a u l U n i v e r s i t y ' s S e n a t e officially g r a n t e d its a p p r o v a l f o r a P o n t i f i c a l L i c e n t i a t e a n d Doctorate degree program in E a s t e r n Christian Studies. The p r o g r a m will b e offered t h r o u g h t h e F a c u l t y of T h e o l o g y ' s

NEWS

91

M e t r o p o l i t a n Andrt'y S h e p t y t s k y I n s t i t u t e . This is t h e first t i m e in h i s t o r y t h a t a n a c a d e m i c i n s t i t u t i o n f o u n d e d and s p o n s o r e d b y U k r a i n i a n ( B y z a n t i n e - r i t e ) Catholics is able t o p r o v i d e a f u l l P o n t i f i c a l theology degree s t u d y p r o g r a m . S a i n t P a u l U n i v e r s i t y w o r k s u n d e r t w o c h a r t e r s , ecclesial a n d civil. T h e a p p r o v a l of P o n t i f i c a l degree p r o g r a m s now p a v e s t h e w a y f o r a d d i t i o n a l a c c r e d i t a t i o n on civil degrees as well. T h e p r o c e s s , w h i c h i n c l u d e s a p p r o v a l by t h e U n i v e r s i t y School of G r a d u a t e S t u d i e s a n d R e s e a r c h , its S e n a t e , a n d also b y O n t a r i o ' s M i n i s t r y of E d u c a t i o n , is e x p e c t e d t o be c o m p l e t e d b y t h e s p r i n g of 1999. Specialization will i n c l u d e : E a s t e r n C h r i s t i a n T h e o l o g y a n d Spirituality. Eastern Christian Liturgy, Ukrainian and Eastern Church History, and E a s t - W e s t Ecumenism. The M a s t e r ' s ( L i c e n t i a t e ) p r o g r a m will be a c c e p t i n g s t u d e n t s s t a r t i n g in S e p t e m b e r 1999. Congratulations to the Metropolitan Sheptytsky institute's staff. Melkite hierarchs at the Sheptysky Institute of St. Paul University, Ottawa I n O c t o b e r , t w o Greek-Melkite C a t h o l i c h i e r a r c h s a d d r e s s e d t h e staff a n d s t u d e n t s of M e t r o p o l i t a n S h e p t y t s k y I n s t i t u t e . On O c t o b e r 1, 1998, Kyr Nicholas (Samra), a u x i l i a r y b i s h o p in t h e E p a r c h y of N e w t o n , U. S. A., spoke on The Ecumenical Initiatives of the Church of Antioch: Past and Present. I n his t h o u g h t f u l p r e s e n t a t i o n , Bishop N i c h o l a s offered e n c o u r a g i n g e x a m p l e s of local e c u m e n i s m b e t w e e n t h e s e p a r a t e d E a s t e r n C a t h o l i c a n d O r t h o d o x b r a n c h e s of t h e C h u r c h of A n t i o c h . On O c t o b e r 15, t h e f a m o u s a u t h o r a n d s p i r i t u a l l e a d e r , Kyr Joseph (Raya) r e t i r e d A r c h b i s h o p of A k k a , H a i f a a n d all Galilee, gave a colloq u i u m on t h e Basic Characteristics of Byzantine Theology. Ah i n s p i r i n g a n d e n g a g i n g s p e a k e r , t h e 8.1 y e a r old p r e l a t e c o n v e yed t h e E a s t ' s deep sense of awe a n d h u m i l i t y b e f o r e t h e i n f i n i t e T r i u n e God a n d spoke of t h e g i f t of d i v i n i z a t i o n offered t o all c r e a t i o n . H e also a d d r e s s e d t h e m a n y c h a l l e n g e s of l e a d i n g a life w o r t h y of t e m p l e s of t h e H o l y S p i r i t . »What is Eastern Christian Theology« A n a u d i o t a p e of t h e 53rd A n n u a l C o n v e n t i o n of t h e Catholic T h e o l o g i c a l S o c i e t y of A m e r i c a ( J u n e 13, 1998) is n o w a v a i l a b l e ($ 10.00 CDN/8 8.00 USA). T h e c o n v e n e r of t h i s conv e n t i o n was P e t e r Galadza of St. P a u l U n i v e r s i t y ( O t t a w a ) its

92

THE

HARP

moderator Jerry Skira of the University of St. Michael's College (Toronto). Four theologians presented their papers: Robeat Taft, Pontifical Oriental Institute (Rome), Andriy Chirovsky, St. Paul University (Ottawa), Myroslav Tataryn, University of Saskatchewan, Peter Galadza. Orders may be addressed to: Metzropolitan A. Sheoptytsky Institute, St. Paul University, 223 Main St., OTTAWA, Ont. KIS 1C4, Canada. Oriental Theology 1998/99 at St. Paul University, Ottawa The Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute (MASI) Newsletter of November 1998 offers the main title of the lectures held during the current academic year. Possibly many readers of this review will also be interested to know something about them. The name of the lecturer (professor) is given in brackets: - Sources of Holy Tradition (Fr. I. Kutash) - The Patristic Moral Tradition (A. Krawchuk) - Eastern Christian Doctrine I: Triadology, Christology, Pneumatology (Fr. A. Chirovsky) - Graduate level-. Liturgy, Theology and Spirituality; The Legacy of Alexander Schmemann (Fr. P. Galadza) - The Holy Mysteries: Byzantine Sacraments (Fr. P. Galadza) - The Seven Ecumenical Councils in Eastern Tradition (A. Krawchuk) - Selected Topics in Eastern Church History: The Ukrainian Churches in North America (A. Krawchuk) - Theology and Spirituality of Icons (Fr. A. Chirovsky) At the Monastery Valley, California

of the Holy Transfiguration, (June 19 — July 17)

- Early Kyivan Spirituality

ML Tabor,

Redwood

(Fr. A. Chirovsky)

- Reform and Renewal in Byzantine Liturgy (Archimandrite Boniface [Luykx])

as»»