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Books > Christianity > Orthodox Churches

Missionary Stories and the Formation of the Syriac Churches (Hardcover): Jeanne-Nicole Mellon Saint-Laurent Missionary Stories and the Formation of the Syriac Churches (Hardcover)
Jeanne-Nicole Mellon Saint-Laurent
R2,902 Discovery Miles 29 020 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Missionary Stories and the Formation of the Syriac Churches analyzes the hagiographic traditions of seven missionary saints in the Syriac heritage during late antiquity: Thomas, Addai, Mari, John of Ephesus, Simeon of Beth Arsham, Jacob Baradaeus, and Ahudemmeh. Jeanne-Nicole Mellon Saint-Laurent studies a body of legends about the missionaries' voyages in the Syrian Orient to illustrate their shared symbols and motifs. Revealing how these texts encapsulated the concerns of the communities that produced them, she draws attention to the role of hagiography as a malleable genre that was well-suited for the idealized presentation of the beginnings of Christian communities. Hagiographers, through their reworking of missionary themes, asserted autonomy, orthodoxy, and apostolicity for their individual civic and monastic communities, positioning themselves in relationship to the rulers of their empires and to competing forms of Christianity. Saint-Laurent argues that missionary hagiography is an important and neglected source for understanding the development of the East and West Syriac ecclesiastical bodies: the Syrian Orthodox Church and the Church of the East. Given that many of these Syriac-speaking churches remain today in the Middle East and India, with diaspora communities in Europe and North America, this work opens the door for further study of the role of saints and stories as symbolic links between ancient and modern traditions.

Women of the Catacombs - Memoirs of the Underground Orthodox Church in Stalin's Russia (Hardcover): Wallace L Daniel Women of the Catacombs - Memoirs of the Underground Orthodox Church in Stalin's Russia (Hardcover)
Wallace L Daniel; Foreword by Roy R. Robson; Preface by Archpriest Aleksandr Men; Introduction by Wallace L Daniel
R2,895 Discovery Miles 28 950 Ships in 12 - 19 working days

The memoirs presented in Women of the Catacombs offer a rare close-up account of the underground Orthodox community and its priests during some of the most difficult years in Russian history. The catacomb church in the Soviet Union came into existence in the 1920s and played a significant part in Russian national life for nearly fifty years. Adherents to the Orthodox faith often referred to the catacomb church as the "light shining in the dark." Women of the Catacombs provides a first-hand portrait of lived religion in its social, familial, and cultural setting during this tragic period. Until now, scholars have had only brief, scattered fragments of information about Russia's illegal church organization that claimed to protect the purity of the Orthodox tradition. Vera Iakovlevna Vasilevskaia and Elena Semenovna Men, who joined the church as young women, offer evidence on how Russian Orthodoxy remained a viable, alternative presence in Soviet society, when all political, educational, and cultural institutions attempted to indoctrinate Soviet citizens with an atheistic perspective. Wallace L. Daniel's translation not only sheds light on Russia's religious and political history, but also shows how two educated women maintained their personal integrity in times when prevailing political and social headwinds moved in an opposite direction.

The Orthodox Church in Ukraine - A Century of Separation (Paperback): Nicholas E Denysenko The Orthodox Church in Ukraine - A Century of Separation (Paperback)
Nicholas E Denysenko
R1,464 Discovery Miles 14 640 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The bitter separation of Ukraine's Orthodox churches is a microcosm of its societal strife. From 1917 onward, church leaders failed to agree on the church's mission in the twentieth century. The core issues of dispute were establishing independence from the Russian church and adopting Ukrainian as the language of worship. Decades of polemical exchanges and public statements by leaders of the separated churches contributed to the formation of their distinct identities and sharpened the friction amongst their respective supporters. In The Orthodox Church in Ukraine, Nicholas Denysenko provides a balanced and comprehensive analysis of this history from the early twentieth century to the present. Based on extensive archival research, Denysenko's study examines the dynamics of church and state that complicate attempts to restore an authentic Ukrainian religious identity in the contemporary Orthodox churches. An enhanced understanding of these separate identities and how they were forged could prove to be an important tool for resolving contemporary religious differences and revising ecclesial policies. This important study will be of interest to historians of the church, specialists of former Soviet countries, and general readers interested in the history of the Orthodox Church.

Languages and Cultures of Eastern Christianity: Greek (Hardcover, New Ed): Scott Fitzgerald Johnson Languages and Cultures of Eastern Christianity: Greek (Hardcover, New Ed)
Scott Fitzgerald Johnson
R6,925 Discovery Miles 69 250 Ships in 12 - 19 working days

This volume brings together a set of fundamental contributions, many translated into English for this publication, along with an important introduction. Together these explore the role of Greek among Christian communities in the late antique and Byzantine East (late Roman Oriens), specifically in the areas outside of the immediate sway of Constantinople and imperial Asia Minor. The local identities based around indigenous eastern Christian languages (Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, Georgian, etc.) and post-Chalcedonian doctrinal confessions (Miaphysite, Church of the East, Melkite, Maronite) were solidifying precisely as the Byzantine polity in the East was extinguished by the Arab conquests of the seventh century. In this multilayered cultural environment, Greek was a common social touchstone for all of these Christian communities, not only because of the shared Greek heritage of the early Church, but also because of the continued value of Greek theological, hagiographical, and liturgical writings. However, these interactions were dynamic and living, so that the Greek of the medieval Near East was itself transformed by such engagement with eastern Christian literature, appropriating new ideas and new texts into the Byzantine repertoire in the process.

Woman, Women, and the Priesthood in the Trinitarian Theology of Elisabeth Behr-Sigel (Paperback): Sarah Hinlicky Wilson Woman, Women, and the Priesthood in the Trinitarian Theology of Elisabeth Behr-Sigel (Paperback)
Sarah Hinlicky Wilson
R1,637 Discovery Miles 16 370 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Elisabeth Behr-Sigel (1907-2005), a convert to Orthodoxy in her early twenties and a central figure of Orthodox theology among Russian emigres in Paris, first began to reflect on the question of women in the priesthood in 1976. Initially supporting the general consensus that priesthood would be impossible for the Orthodox, she came to retract this view, finding a basis for female ordination in women's distinct spiritual charisms. Behr-Sigel later shifted the foundation of her case to personhood, inspired by the work of fellow Orthodox theologian Vladimir Lossky, and arrived at the conclusion that all the Orthodox arguments against the ordination of women were, in fact, heretical at root. In this volume, Wilson analyzes all of Behr-Sigel's writings about women and the priesthood across the whole sweep of her career, demonstrating the development of her thought on women over the last thirty years of her life. She evaluates her relationship to feminism, Protestantism and movements within Orthodoxy, finally drawing conclusions about this much-contested matter for the ongoing debate in both the East and the West.

Journeys of Faith - Evangelicalism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Anglicanism (Paperback): Robert L. Plummer Journeys of Faith - Evangelicalism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Anglicanism (Paperback)
Robert L. Plummer; Francis J. Beckwith, Christopher A. Castaldo, Lyle W. Dorsett, Craig A Blaising, …
R674 R630 Discovery Miles 6 300 Save R44 (7%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Research indicates that on average, Americans change their religious affiliation at least once during their lives. Today, a number of evangelical Christians are converting to Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Anglicanism. Longtime Evangelicals often fail to understand the attraction of these non-Evangelical Christian traditions. Journeys of Faith examines the movement between these traditions from various angles. Four prominent converts to Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Evangelicalism and Anglicanism describe their new faith traditions and their spiritual journeys into them. Response chapters offer respectful critiques. Contributors include Wilbur Ellsworth (Eastern Orthodoxy), with a response by Craig Blaising; Francis J. Beckwith (Roman Catholicism), with Gregg Allison responding; Chris Castaldo (Evangelicalism) and Brad Gregory s Catholic response; and Lyle Dorsett (Anglicanism), with a response by Robert Peterson. This book will provide readers with first-hand accounts of thoughtful Christians changing religious affiliation or remaining true to the traditions they have always known. Pastors, counselors and students of theology will gain a wealth of insight into current faith migration within the church today."

The Way of a Pilgrim - And The Pilgrim Continues His Way (Paperback): R.M. French The Way of a Pilgrim - And The Pilgrim Continues His Way (Paperback)
R.M. French; Translated by R.M. French
R376 R342 Discovery Miles 3 420 Save R34 (9%) Ships in 9 - 17 working days

In The Way of a Pilgrim, an unknown pilgrim describes his wanderings through mid-nineteenth century Russia and Siberia, from one holy place to another, in search of the way of prayer. R. M. French's superb translation conveys the charm of the original text, as well as brilliantly communicating the spiritual truths of the gospel. In the much-loved sequel, The Pilgrim Continues His Way, the narrator shares more of his story, as desire burns within him to discover deeper experiences of prayer, and to draw closer to the heart of God.

Jacob of Sarug's Homily on Epiphany - Metrical Homilies of Mar Jacob of Sarug (Paperback, Annotated edition): Thomas... Jacob of Sarug's Homily on Epiphany - Metrical Homilies of Mar Jacob of Sarug (Paperback, Annotated edition)
Thomas Kollamparampil
R1,575 Discovery Miles 15 750 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This edition of Mar Jacob of Sarug's (d. 521) homily on Epiphany discusses John the Baptist's role in washing the church, the bride of Christ, preparing and sanctifying her for the Bridegroom. The volume constitutes a fascicle of The Metrical Homilies of Mar Jacob of Sarug, which, when complete, will contain the original Syriac text of Jacob's surviving sermons, fully vocalized, alongside an annotated English translation.

Prayer Book - Molitvoslov - Church Slavonic edition (Red cover) (English & Foreign language, Hardcover): Holy Trinity Monastery Prayer Book - Molitvoslov - Church Slavonic edition (Red cover) (English & Foreign language, Hardcover)
Holy Trinity Monastery
R416 Discovery Miles 4 160 Ships in 9 - 17 working days

A complete prayer book in the Slavonic language printed with the Cyrillic (old orthography) alphabet. Includes morning and evening prayers, the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, various Akathists and Canons annd much more besides.

Living Icons - Persons of Faith in the Eastern Church (Hardcover, New): Michael Plekon Living Icons - Persons of Faith in the Eastern Church (Hardcover, New)
Michael Plekon
R4,014 R2,794 Discovery Miles 27 940 Save R1,220 (30%) Ships in 12 - 19 working days

Living Icons presents an intimate portrait of holiness as exemplified in the lives and thoughts of ten people of faith in the Eastern Orthodox Church. In this inspiring volume, Michael P. Plekon introduces readers to a diverse and unusual group of men and women who strove to put the Gospel of Christ into action in their lives.

The "living icons" Plekon describes were, among other things, priests, theologians, writers, and caregivers to the homeless and poor. One was an artist who became the greatest icon painter in this century; another was assassinated for his teachings in post-Soviet Russia. These remarkable people of faith lived through times of great suffering: forced emigration, the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. Many of them were criticized, if not condemned, by ecclesiastical opponents and authorities. Yet each demonstrate a unique pattern for holiness, illustrating that the path to sainthood is open to all.

With the fall of state socialism, Eastern Orthodox churches and monasteries are being reopened and receiving renewed interest from believers and nonbelievers alike. Plekon calls to our attention people like Saint Seraphim of Sarov (1759-1832), a monk, mystic, counselor, healer, and visionary; Father Alexander Man (1935-1990), a Russian whose writings after Glasnost ultimately led to his tragic assassination; Mother Maria Skobtsova (1891-1945), a painter, poet, and political activist who was killed in a concentration camp for hiding her Jewish neighbors; and Father Lev Gillet (1893-1980), one of the twentieth century's greatest spiritual teachers.

Living Icons, which includes a foreword by Lawrence S. Cunningham, brings to life the beautiful, and oftenunfamiliar, spirituality of the Eastern Orthodox Church through some of its most remarkable members. It shows with simplicity and clarity that Christ and the Gospel are often manifested in extraordinary ways in the lives of ordinary people.

Converging Worlds - Religion and Community in Peasant Russia, 1861-1917 (Hardcover, New): Chris Chulos Converging Worlds - Religion and Community in Peasant Russia, 1861-1917 (Hardcover, New)
Chris Chulos
R1,263 Discovery Miles 12 630 Ships in 12 - 19 working days

Converging Worlds describes the interplay between peasant religious life and the broader social and cultural transformation of late tsarist Russia. Through a detailed examination of religious practices and ceremonies among the peasantry in the province of Voronezh, Chulos challenges existing conceptions of religion in Russia and sheds new light on the development of modern national identity. Age-old rituals, customs, and beliefs helped peasants to adapt to industrialization and modernization by providing a spiritual and psychological framework for change. The dependable rhythms of village holidays and rituals marking the stages of human life gave the peasantry a sense of stability and comfort as their traditions slowly unraveled in the face of urban culture. Encouraged by educated Russians who traveled the countryside in search of the ideal national type, peasant communities began to reconstruct tales of their village origin. These stories linked people in remote locales to the central events and heroes of imperial Russian history. Village and urban cultural worlds clashed over peasant demands for the devolution of political, cultural, and social authority. By the time revolutionary fervor ignited the countryside in 1905, the village faithful demonstrated a new confidence in their ability to shape their own future-and Russia's-as they agitated for greater control over local religious life. By 1917, peasant disenchantment reached new heights and helped to create a new popular Orthodoxy that no longer looked to tsar and church as valid sources of authority and identity. As peasant believers took control of their local religious life, they inadvertently aided antireligious activists in driving religion underground, thereby estranging future generations from a fundamental pillar of their cultural heritage.

Eastern Christians in Anthropological Perspective (Hardcover, New): Chris Hann, Hermann Goltz Eastern Christians in Anthropological Perspective (Hardcover, New)
Chris Hann, Hermann Goltz
R2,962 Discovery Miles 29 620 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Sociocultural anthropologists have taken increasing interest in the global communities established by Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, but the many streams of Eastern Christianity have so far been neglected. "Eastern Christians in Anthropological Perspective" fills this gap in the literature. The essays in this pioneering collection examine the primary distinguishing features of the Eastern traditions - iconography, hymnology, ritual, and pilgrimage - through meticulous ethnographic analysis. Particular attention is paid to the revitalization of Orthodox and Greek Catholic churches that were repressed under Marxist-Leninist regimes.

Eastern Christians in Anthropological Perspective (Paperback): Chris Hann, Hermann Goltz Eastern Christians in Anthropological Perspective (Paperback)
Chris Hann, Hermann Goltz
R1,198 Discovery Miles 11 980 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Sociocultural anthropologists have taken increasing interest in the global communities established by Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, but the many streams of Eastern Christianity have so far been neglected. "Eastern Christians in Anthropological Perspective" fills this gap in the literature. The essays in this pioneering collection examine the primary distinguishing features of the Eastern traditions - iconography, hymnology, ritual, and pilgrimage - through meticulous ethnographic analysis. Particular attention is paid to the revitalization of Orthodox and Greek Catholic churches that were repressed under Marxist-Leninist regimes.

Ivan Sergeevich Gagarin - The Search for Orthodox and Catholic Union (Hardcover, New): Jeffrey Bruce Beshoner Ivan Sergeevich Gagarin - The Search for Orthodox and Catholic Union (Hardcover, New)
Jeffrey Bruce Beshoner
R4,013 R2,793 Discovery Miles 27 930 Save R1,220 (30%) Ships in 12 - 19 working days

Ivan Sergeevich Gagarin analyzes questions of nationality and religious identity in nineteenth-century Russian history as reflected in the life of Jesuit priest Ivan Gagarin. A descendent of one of Russia's most ancient and politically powerful families, Father Ivan Gagarin, S.J. (1814-1882) dedicated his life to creating a union between the Orthodox and Catholic churches that would preserve the dogmatic and traditional beliefs of both.

Traditional understandings of Russian identity have emanated from the perspective of the dominant Orthodox religion; this captivating study uses the unionist work of Gagarin to illumine Russia's national identity from the perspective of Roman Catholicism. Seeing his unionist proposals as necessary for the preservation of Russian stability, Gagarin found himself in frequent opposition to the Orthodox Church. While Gagarin believed that Church union would preserve Russia from the threats of communism and revolution, the Russian Orthodox Church believed that union would mean the sacrifice of religious truth, ecclesial independence and religious orthodoxy.

Jeffrey Beshoner's even-handed analysis reveals that the Roman Catholic Church presented its own share of barriers to attempts at church union. Ivan Sergeevich Gagarin examines Roman Catholic attitudes of superiority vis-a-vis the Orthodox Church and argues that the nineteenth- century Roman Catholic Church simply did not possess the humility or respect for Eastern beliefs that church union required.

Despite the failure of his unionist activity, Gagarin exerted important influence on such contemporary and later Roman Catholic and Russian thinkers as Pope Plus IX, Alexei Khomiakov and VladimirSolovev. As the collapse of communism has permitted Russia to again seek its national identity in Russian Orthodoxy, Gagarin's ideas and perspectives on the relationship between national and religious identity continue to prove relevant.

Origenes Im Koptischen Agypten - Der Traktat Des Schenute Von Atripe Gegen Die Origenisten (German, Hardcover): Alfons Furst Origenes Im Koptischen Agypten - Der Traktat Des Schenute Von Atripe Gegen Die Origenisten (German, Hardcover)
Alfons Furst
R1,978 Discovery Miles 19 780 Ships in 12 - 19 working days
Der heilige Krieg von Putin und Kyrill - Der religioese Faktor im russisch-ukrainischen Konflikt (German, Paperback): Massimo... Der heilige Krieg von Putin und Kyrill - Der religioese Faktor im russisch-ukrainischen Konflikt (German, Paperback)
Massimo Rubboli; Preface by Paolo Naso; Translated by Thomas Mayer
R331 Discovery Miles 3 310 Ships in 10 - 15 working days
Hegoumena Thaissia van Leouchino - Brieven aan een Novice (Dutch, Paperback): Thaissia Salopiva Hegoumena Thaissia van Leouchino - Brieven aan een Novice (Dutch, Paperback)
Thaissia Salopiva; Translated by Vader Gerard Mathijsen
R581 R523 Discovery Miles 5 230 Save R58 (10%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days
All Who Go Do Not Return - A Memoir (Paperback): Shulem Deen All Who Go Do Not Return - A Memoir (Paperback)
Shulem Deen
R453 R407 Discovery Miles 4 070 Save R46 (10%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

A moving and revealing exploration of Hasidic life, and one man's struggles with faith, family, and community

Shulem Deen was raised to believe that questions are dangerous. As a member of the Skverers, one of the most insular Hasidic sects in the US, he knows little about the outside world--only that it is to be shunned. His marriage at eighteen is arranged and several children soon follow. Deen's first transgression--turning on the radio--is small, but his curiosity leads him to the library, and later the Internet. Soon he begins a feverish inquiry into the tenets of his religious beliefs, until, several years later, his faith unravels entirely.

Now a heretic, he fears being discovered and ostracized from the only world he knows. His relationship with his family at stake, he is forced into a life of deception, and begins a long struggle to hold on to those he loves most: his five children. In All Who Go Do Not Return, Deen bravely traces his harrowing loss of faith, while offering an illuminating look at a highly secretive world.

George, Bishop of the Arabs on Myron - Homily on the Consecration of Myron (Paperback): Baby Varghese George, Bishop of the Arabs on Myron - Homily on the Consecration of Myron (Paperback)
Baby Varghese
R1,130 Discovery Miles 11 300 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

George was one of the last scholarly Syrian Orthodox bishops to live in the early Islamic period. His metrical homily, probably composed to be sung during the consecration of the Myron, is presented here with the vocalised Syriac text and English translation on facing pages.

Holy Sobriety in Modern Russia - A Faith Healer and His Followers (Hardcover): Page Herrlinger Holy Sobriety in Modern Russia - A Faith Healer and His Followers (Hardcover)
Page Herrlinger
R1,754 Discovery Miles 17 540 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Drawing on multiple archives and primary sources, including secret police files and samizdat, Holy Sobriety in Modern Russia reconstructs the history of a spiritual movement that survived persecution by the Orthodox church and decades of official atheism, and still exists today. Since 1894, tens of thousands of Russians have found hope and faith through the teachings and prayers of the charismatic lay preacher and healer, Brother Ioann Churikov (1861–1933). Inspired by Churikov's deep piety, "miraculous" healing ability, and scripture-based philosophy known as holy sobriety, the "trezvenniki"—or "sober ones"—reclaimed their lives from the effects of alcoholism, unemployment, domestic abuse, and illness. Page Herrlinger examines the lived religious experience and official repression of this primarily working-class community over the span of Russia's tumultuous twentieth century, crossing over—and challenging—the traditional divide between religious and secular studies of Russia and the Soviet Union, and highlighting previously unseen patterns of change and continuity between Russia's tsarist and socialist pasts. This grass-roots faith community makes an ideal case study through which to explore patterns of spiritual searching and religious toleration under both tsarist and Soviet rule, providing a deeper context for today's discussions about the relationship between Russian Orthodoxy and national identity. Holy Sobriety in Modern Russia is a story of resilience, reinvention, and resistance. Herrlinger's analysis seeks to understand these unorthodox believers as active agents exercising their perceived right to live according to their beliefs, both as individuals and as a community.

(Paradise of Keraza) ????? ??????? (Arabic, Paperback): Bishop Youssef (Paradise of Keraza) بستان الكرازة (Arabic, Paperback)
Bishop Youssef
R629 Discovery Miles 6 290 Ships in 10 - 15 working days
Making Martyrs East and West - Canonization in the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches (Paperback): Cathy Caridi Making Martyrs East and West - Canonization in the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches (Paperback)
Cathy Caridi
R996 Discovery Miles 9 960 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

For centuries, Catholics in the Western world and the Orthodox in Russia have venerated certain saints as martyrs. In many cases, both churches recognize as martyrs the same individuals who gave their lives for Jesus Christ. On the surface, it appears that while the external liturgical practices of Catholics and Russian Orthodox may vary, the fundamental theological understanding of what it means to be a martyr, and what it means to canonize a saint, are essentially the same. But are they? In Making Martyrs East and West, Caridi examines how the practice of canonization developed in the West and in Russia, focusing on procedural elements that became established requirements for someone to be recognized as a saint and a martyr. She investigates whether the components of the canonization process now regarded as necessary by the Catholic Church are fundamentally equivalent to those of the Russian Orthodox Church and vice versa, while exploring the possibility that the churches use the same terminology and processes but in fundamentally different ways that preclude the acceptance of one church's saints by the other. Caridi examines official church documents and numerous canonization records, collecting and analyzing information from several previously untapped medieval Russian sources. Her highly readable study is the first to focus on the historical documentation on canonization specifically for juridical significance. It will appeal to scholars of religion and church history, as well as ecumenicists, liturgists, canonists, and those interested in East-West ecumenical efforts.

Mijn spirituele Reis. Op zoek naar kennis en wijsheid (Dutch, Paperback): Maria Toonen Mijn spirituele Reis. Op zoek naar kennis en wijsheid (Dutch, Paperback)
Maria Toonen; Edited by Gouri Gozalov; Illustrated by Tatiana Spasolomskaya
R529 R489 Discovery Miles 4 890 Save R40 (8%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days
Typikon Enorion - Orthros kathemerinon ean tychei Hagios heortazomenos (Greek, Paperback, 2nd Greek ed.): P. Papadimitriou Typikon Enorion - Orthros kathemerinon ean tychei Hagios heortazomenos (Greek, Paperback, 2nd Greek ed.)
P. Papadimitriou
R367 Discovery Miles 3 670 Ships in 10 - 15 working days
The Library of Paradise - A History of Contemplative Reading in the Monasteries of the Church of the East (Hardcover): David A.... The Library of Paradise - A History of Contemplative Reading in the Monasteries of the Church of the East (Hardcover)
David A. Michelson
R3,768 Discovery Miles 37 680 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Contemplative reading is a spiritual practice developed by Christian monks in sixth- and seventh-century Mesopotamia. Mystics belonging to the Church of the East pursued a form of contemplation which moved from reading, to meditation, to prayer, to the ecstasy of divine vision. The Library of Paradise tells the story of this Syriac tradition in three phases: its establishment as an ascetic practice, the articulation of its theology, and its maturation and spread. The sixth-century monastic reform of Abraham of Kashkar codified the essential place of reading in East Syrian ascetic life. Once established, the practice of contemplative reading received extensive theological commentary. Abraham's successor Babai the Great drew upon the ascetic system of Evagrius of Pontus to explain the relationship of reading to the monk's pursuit of God. Syriac monastic handbooks of the seventh century built on this Evagrian framework. 'Enanisho' of Adiabene composed an anthology called Paradise that would stand for centuries as essential reading matter for Syriac monks. Dadisho' of Qatar wrote a widely copied commentary on the Paradise. Together, these works circulated as a one-volume library which offered readers a door to "Paradise" through contemplation. The Library of Paradise is the first book-length study of East Syrian contemplative reading. It adapts methodological insights from prior scholarship on reading, including studies on Latin lectio divina. By tracing the origins of East Syrian contemplative reading, this study opens the possibility for future investigation into its legacies, including the tradition's long reception history in Sogdian, Arabic, and Ethiopic monastic libraries.

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