320 Pages
by
Routledge
The studies in this volume are drawn together from a widely scattered set of publications, many difficult of access. They exemplify the variety of influences - religious, cultural, political - that interacted in Syria in Late Antiquity, and the range of responses that these evoked in changing historical circumstances. The first section of the book is concerned with the development of Syriac Christianity, with particular articles looking at the relations between Christians and Jews, and at the position of holy men. There follow two sections focusing on Marcionism and on Manichaeism, while the final studies examine aspects of Syriac Christianity after the Arab conquests.
Contents: Syriac Christianity: Jews and Christians at Edessa; Syrian Christianity and Judaism; Apocryphal literature in the cultural milieu of Osrhoëne; Taufe und Liecht: Tatian, Ebionäerevangelium und Thomasakten; Early forms of Antiochene Christology after Chalcedon; The Peshitta of Sapientia Salomonis; Solomon as teacher: early Syriac didactic poetry; Athleten des Geistes: zur politischen Rolle der syrischen Asketen und Gnostiker; The saint as symbol: conceptions of the person in late antiquity and early Christianity; Der getaufte Löwe und Theologie der Acta Pauli; Marcionism: Marcionism in Syria: principles, problems, polemics; Marcion’s reading of Gal. 4,8: philosophical background and influence on Manichaeism; Christ as warrior and merchant: aspects of Marcion’s christology; Adam and the true prophet in the Pseudo-Clementines; Manichaeism: Addai und Mani. Christentum und Manichäismus im dritten Jahrhundert in Syrien; Conflict and alliance in Manichaeism; Syriac Christianity and Islam: Antony of Tagrit’s book on the good providence of God; The Gospel of the twelve apostles: a Syriac apocalypse from the early Islamic period; Christians, Jews and Muslims in northern Mesopotamia in early Islamic times; Addenda; Index.
Biography
Han J.W. Drijvers
'The collection is extremely useful and a good reflection of Drijver’s work and approach.' Journal of Semitic Studies, Vol. 44, No.2
