Symbols of Church and Kingdom

by Robert Murray

Publisher:

T&T Clark

, 1975

Overview

This volume is a study of Syriac Christianity up to the early fifth century C.E.: its beliefs and worship; its life and art. In this classic work, Robert Murray offers the fullest and most vivid picture yet available of the development and character of the culture, illustrating both its original close relationship to Judaism and its remoter background in Mesopotamian civilization. He is interested in the subsequent influence of Syriac Christian culture, particularly on European literature.

The Introduction locates Syriac as an Aramaic dialect, then traces the origins of Syriac Christianity, its relationship to Jewish Christianity and the Syriac Bible version, the character of Syriac asceticism (including Marcionism and Manichaeism), and of the Christian schools. Key Syriac terms are explained, and all citation of Syriac texts throughout the work are given in translation either by other scholars or by the author. The second part of the introduction reviews the literature studied in the following chapters, concentrating on Aphrahat and Ephrem.

Key Features

• Deals with a topic of interdisciplinary importance
• Describes the church at the cultural crossroads of the ancient and medieval worlds of east and west
• Examines the earliest contacts of Christianity and Islam

Contents

• Part I: Themes of Christ and the Church
  • ‘The Nation and the Nations’
  • The Body of Christ
  • The Vineyard, the Grape and the Tree of Life
  • The Church, Bride and Mother
  • Titles shared by Christ and the Apostles or Bishops
  • The Rock and the House on the Rock
  • ‘The ‘Pilgrim Church’ and its Fulfillment
  • Part II: In Search of the Sources

Praise for the Print Edition

This scrupulous book with an unfailing historical sense is alive to the language of the Late Romans, laying bare with sympathy the way in which Syriac-speaking Christians spoke of the Church.

—The New York Times Review of Books

A superb work.

—Wayne A. Meeks, Yale University

Product Details

• Title: Symbols of Church and Kingdom: A Study in Early Syriac Tradition
• Author: Robert Murray
• Publisher: T&T Clark
• Publication Date: 2006
• Pages: 416
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Topic: Early Church

About Robert Murray

Robert Murray, a Jesuit priest and former lecturer in Heythrop College (University of London), is also the author of The Cosmic Covenant: Biblical Themes of Justice, Peace and The Integrity of Creation.