The book under review is an exhaustively researched investigation into the Sedrō of Entrance, a lengthy and complex rite during which the bread and wine are prepared for the celebration of the Eucharist in the Syriac Orthodox Church. It would be hard to overestimate the importance of this seminal work for two reasons, first, because of the contribution it makes to one of the least studied liturgical traditions in Eastern Christianity; and second, because the rite under consideration recalls the core unit in West Syriac liturgical prayer: the frumiyun, from the Greek proëmion or “introduction,” followed by the sedro, Syriac for “enumeration” or “list.” Together, these two components follow a pattern of prayer with deep scriptural foundations. The frumiyun gives praise and thanks to God as the source of all blessings. This, in turn, sets the stage for the sedro which petitions God for the current needs of the community.

As is often the case in matters relating to West Syriac liturgical tradition, the original simplicity of the frumiyun and sedro became increasingly complex as a result of the Christological controversies of the fifth century which divided Syriac-speaking Christianity along doctrinal lines. What began as a simple prayer of praise followed by an equally simple list of requests, developed into complex Christological statements that supported a Syriac Church that was now divided among Chalcedonian, Miaphysite, and East Syrian counterparts. As the primitive frumiyun/sedro format expanded to accommodate these theological concerns, new components were added to the rite. These included a four-stanza chant, or qolo, an incense offering, or ‘etro, followed by the ‘eqbo, or prayer for the acceptance of the incense, which was followed by a formal closing prayer called the hutomo, or “seal.” The present study represents the frumiyun/sedro form of prayer at its most complex and highly developed.

As the author points out, the components of the Sedrō of Entrance are referred to colloquially in Syriac liturgical parlance as the husoyo. Although this term does not appear in either manuscript or printed editions of the Sedrō of Entrance, it is far from irrelevant to the author’s vision since it underscores a central theme of both the rite and this study. Husoyo is the word that the rabbinic translators of the Hebrew Bible into Syriac chose to render the Hebrew kapporet, the space between the outstretched wings of the cherubim that surmounted the Ark of the Covenant. It was here that divine mercy descended on the Day of Atonement to forgive the sins of the people and wipe away guilt. The Sedrō of Entrance calls repeated attention to the sinfulness of the officiating priest and the worshipping community and petitions God to cleanse and erase the filth of accumulated sin.

The study addresses two closely related research concerns, first, to discover how the Sedrō of Entrance was conducted in the period under review, and second, to elucidate the role of the Sedrō of Entrance in constructing the sanctuary as a sacred space, and the worshipping community as Church. To answer these questions, the author draws from manuscript evidence for the rite from the ninth through the thirteenth centuries which is read in consultation with ancient commentaries and modern studies.

Liturgy by nature only expands as new texts and rubrics are added to existing ones. The result is a rite that has become heavily repetitive and prolix. The author cautions against efforts to discover a core text or to speculate as to how the Sedrō of Entrance was conducted in antiquity. In lieu of these, readers are referred to an exhaustive Appendix which gives the Syriac texts of all relevant manuscripts along with full English translations.

One of the most important conclusions of this study is how, over time, the clericalization of the Sedrō of Entrance distanced the rite from the worshipping community. This happened in two ways: the rite, which in its origins included the reception of the bread and wine from the congregation, over time became the sole reserve of priests assisted by deacons. In addition, the rite was conducted behind the drawn curtain of the sanctuary. With these developments, the congregation became passive, non-participants, physically cut off from the liturgical action. While the author clearly and persuasively charts these changes, he wisely avoids the temptation of suggesting how modern congregations might reassume their role as active, indeed, necessary participants in a ritual which, in its origins, they played a central part. The hope is that future research will build on this foundational study.

The closing decades of the twentieth century saw the study of Syriac Christianity assume its rightful place in the academy alongside Greek and Latin traditions. At the same time, however, the increased attention by Western scholars encouraged viewing the patrimony of the Syriac East, which in its origins is distinct from Christianity as it developed in the Greek and Latin West, through the lens of Western academic models, with their associated jargon and presuppositions. It is helpful to note in this regard that nascent forms of the frumiyun/sedro begin to appear in the writings of Aphrahat, Ephrem, and Jacob of Sarug. These authors return us to the formative period of Syriac liturgical worship when sacred time and space were marked off by an initial rushmo, or “signing” with the cross, and concluded with a final hutomo or “sealing.”