Over the past fifty years, the field of Syriac studies has flourished mightily, with a dramatic expansion of texts, critical editions, translations, recovered and digitized manuscripts, new databases, and a dynamically vibrant scholarly ethos. The results have enriched and considerably transformed how we understand Christian history—whether the social forms, literary genres, and intellectual trajectories of ancient Christianity; or the impact of Islam, under which religion Syriac Christians have existed from the seventh century into our own time; or the emergence of Christianity as a “global religion” through the early work of Syriac missionaries east into India, south into the Arabian peninsula and the horn of Africa in the sixth century, or along the Silk Road as far as China in the seventh.
Fundamental to this scholarly flourishing has been the career of Sebastian Brock, now Emeritus Reader in Syriac Studies at Oxford University's Oriental Institute and a Fellow of Wolfson College. Few scholars have as wide and deep an impact on their field as Sebastian Brock's has been over the course of his long career, continuing at the frontiers still without signs of slowing. In 2018 on the occasion of Dr. Brock's eightieth birthday, Gorgias Press announced its new Sebastianyotho series which will collect Dr. Brock's work, organized around specific themes or topics. Volume 1 has now appeared, fittingly devoted to the fourth-century poet, theologian, and scholar Ephrem the Syrian (d. 373 CE), known in Syriac as the “Harp of the Holy Spirit.” Ephrem is arguably the best-known Syriac writer and saint and has been one of Brock's most beloved subjects from early in his career. The present volume collects twenty-four essays from the past half century, some available in English for the first time and many previously published only in journals or edited volumes difficult to obtain even in academic libraries. Many have been updated, most significantly the final chapter: “A Brief Guide to the Main Editions and Translations of the Works of St. Ephrem,” itself worth the price of the volume.
Brock has long demonstrated a dual commitment to rigorous scholarship and also to a broad general audience, inviting entry into the treasures of this often unfamiliar and understudied Christian history. Both agendas are apparent here. The collection is arranged in four sections, beginning with six essays that introduce Ephrem and his significance for Christianity past and present. Then follow eight studies on four “Themes”: Ephrem's use of poetry as a vehicle for theology, his exuberant methods of biblical exegesis, the astounding richness of his notion of “symbols” or “types” (in Syriac, raze), and his strikingly positive portrayal of biblical women—all themes profoundly influential on Syriac theology and hymnography for centuries thereafter. The next section, “Particular Texts,” provides astute, incisive analyses of specific hymns or artistic prose works. Finally, the studies in the section titled “Transmission” offer a fascinating history of how Ephrem's poetry was passed down in the various Syriac liturgical traditions, East and West. One essay here analyzes the use of Greek loan words in Ephrem as compared with another accomplished Syriac poet, Narsai of Nisibis, about a century later (Narsai died in 502). The final chapter on the main editions and translations (both ancient and modern) of Ephrem's corpus is a magisterial offering, an instrumentum studiorum of truly rare scope.
The arrangement of essays is not chronological, whether by publication or for the historical issues; quotations from Ephrem's writings are abundant and sometimes extensive so as to ensure an actual encounter with the work of this remarkable figure. The sum is a gourmet buffet, with treats for every reader—newcomer or specialist.
Ephrem's is an instructive case to illustrate how Syriac scholarship has changed in recent decades. Translated into Greek in his own lifetime, Ephrem's renown in antiquity spread far and wide. Acclaim for him and, indeed, numerous translations of his work—as well as an exceptionally influential but almost wholly misattributed Greek corpus (composed by an unknown author scholars call Ephrem Graecus)—appeared in Latin, Greek, Armenian, Christian Palestinian Aramaic, Coptic, Arabic, Ethiopic, Georgian, and Slavonic. Scholars have long been aware of Ephrem's reputation. But not until the second half of the twentieth century did Ephrem's sizeable corpus become available to scholars in reliable critical editions. Only then could scholars truly begin to grasp the brilliance, creativity, and breathtaking artistry of his accomplishments. The studies in Brock's volume show us this sea change in process. We see the significance and impact of establishing Ephrem's corpus as a whole; we see the profundity of Ephrem's imprint on Syriac theological reflection and liturgical expression for its longue durée, even to the present. We see the meticulous patience, the scrupulous care necessary to open the rich weave of Ephrem's poetic diction: the technical aspects of metrical form and style (Ephrem employed more than fifty different meters!), the density of imagery interwoven with scriptural citation or allusion, and the sophistication of theological expression. In each case, Brock's analyses are masterful, incisive, and lucidly presented yet deeply nuanced. Invariably, they are infused with luminous appreciation for Ephrem, his texts, and his modes of thought.
This volume is a worthy tribute to both its ancient subject and the modern scholar it honors. Not only does it show how much we have learned from Sebastian Brock about this singular figure and his remarkable legacy, just as importantly, it shows Sebastian Brock teaching us still. Every essay raises issues and questions that call for attention. There is work to be done, and these studies provide tools for the task. We can be grateful to Gorgias Press, even as we turn to the challenges this great teacher sets forth. And we can look forward to more as the series continues!
