The Poetic Hymns of Saint Ephrem the Syrian: A Study in the Religious Use of Poetry in Fourth-Century Christianity

Description

This study presents an analysis of specific hymns of Ephrem which are selected for their affiliation to the Eucharist, showing textual evidence to identify the main aspects of Ephrem's Eucharistic theology, while giving credit to his unique way of expressing his theology Abstract Foreword by C.T.R. Hayward iii Introduction to the study Eucharistic Theology in Ephrem Chapter One — The Eucharist and Healing 15 Introducing the Eucharist as the reality of Christ 15 Eucharist vs. Passover: Some thoughts on similarities and differences in Jewish and Christian practices, according to Ephrem 24 The Eucharist as the Medicine of Life: Physicality of the Sacrament, a unique feature in Ephrem's theological approach 34 Christ = Medicine of Life, Treasury of Healing 36 Physicality of Redemption (and the Incarnation) 38 The Medicine of Life vs. Death 38 Chapter Two — The Eucharist and Scripture: The Eucharist as an accumulation of the Old and New Testament types. 43 OT types in Ephrem 44 Joseph's bones, the Tabernacle, Noah's Ark, Asher as Ephrem's types for the Eucharist 45 NT types in Ephrem 52 The Eucharist and the Last Supper 52 The Last Supper: the dipping of bread recollection 60 Eyes of Faith matter 60 Eyes of Faith: Free will and Faith in the realm of God's Revelation and in collaboration with it 65 Eucharistic Theology and Praxis: Perception of the Eucharist through the 'Eyes of Faith' 67 Christ on the Cross as a prototype of the Eucharist 70 Christ and Adam, Church and Eden: Types or antitypes? 73 Chapter Three — Defining the Eucharist by association 77 The concepts of Fire and Spirit in Ephrem's Hymns: Types for the Eucharist = Presence of Christ / Fire and Spirit: Ephrem's sacramental theology and attributes/types for the Eucharist 77 Chapter Four — Ephrem's Eucharistic narrative in the Tenth Hymn in Faith 83 Chapter Five — Christology and Ecclesiology in relation to the Eucharist 97 Conclusion of the study 110 Bibliography 116 Index 125