Table of Contents
Gharib, Antonios, “Saint Isaac of Antioch’s homily on The Love of Learning. Translation and commentary”, SOPJ 58 (2020), 1-29
Abstract: This article provides an English translation and comprehensive commentary on the fifth-century Syriac metical homily, On the Love of Learning, attributed to Isaac of Antioch. The author examines the intricate problem of textual authenticity arising from the historical confusion among three different writers sharing the name Isaac. Structurally divided into seven sections, the homily utilizes a metrical, fictional dialogue between a master and a pupil to heavily criticize ignorance while defending scriptural studies. It positions biblical and moral learning as essential tools for ecclesiastical, ethical, and societal advancement. Ultimately, the study highlights how the text preserves native Syriac literary traditions against Greek cultural and theological encroachment within early Christian monastic milieus.
Brock, Sebastian P., “A Sughitho for the Sunday of Hosannas (Palm Sunday)”, SOPJ 58 (2020), 31-57.
Abstract: This paper presents the full text, English translation, and critical analysis of an early medieval Syriac sughitho for Palm Sunday preserved in the Harvard Syr. 31 manuscript. The author explores how the text intricately weaves biblical narratives from the Synoptic Gospels and John, emphasizing liturgical and meta-historical themes. A central feature of the study is the examination of distinct bridal imagery, which draws heavily from the Song of Songs to portray the transition from the old covenant to the new Church. Furthermore, the commentary investigates the specific vocabulary used to describe the participating children and establishes a probable seventh-century origin for the poem based on linguistic markers.
Elia, Marie-Thérèse K., « Les arguments théologiques, bibliques et analogiques dans les premières controverses des syriaques et des musulmans (viie – ixe s.) », SOPJ 58 (2020), 59-161.
Abstract: This academic study provides a comprehensive overview of the earliest Christian-Muslim theological controversies in Syriac literature from the seventh to the ninth centuries. The author meticulously examines five foundational texts, including the colloquy of Patriarch John III Sedre and the apology of Catholicos Timothy I, analyzing how Syriac Christians adapted their defense of core doctrines—the Trinity, the Incarnation, and the Crucifixion—within an evolving Islamic sociopolitical landscape. Utilizing historical-critical methods, the paper highlights the strategic deployment of scriptural arguments (primarily from the Peshitta Old Testament) and complex analogical reasoning to communicate Christian dogmas without overtly challenging Islamic authority. Ultimately, the research illustrates the shift from apocalyptic anxiety to structured apologetic dialogue, cementing linguistic and conceptual frameworks that shaped future interfaith discourses in the Middle East.
Ecumenical report
“Seventeenth Meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches”, SOPJ 58 (2020), 163-167.
“Eighth Meeting of the Anglican-Oriental Orthodox International Commission, Communiqué 2020”, SOPJ 58 (2020), 168-170.
Book Reviews
Rabo, Gabriel, Dionysius Jakob Bar Ṣalibi. Syrischer Kommentar zum Römerbrief: Einleitung, Edition und Übersetzung mit einem Verzeichnis der syrischen Handschriften zu seinen sämtlichen Werken. Göttinger Orientforschungen, I. Reihe: Syriaca 56. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2019. By Jobst Reller, SOPJ 80 (2020), 171-173
المجلة البطريركية (الإصدار الجديد) 58، 2020
المحتويات
شاتونه، فرانسواز بْريكيل – دوبْيي، موريال، “بين الذاكرة والتاريخ: المسيحيّة السريانيّة حتى القرن الرابع”، ترجمة روجيه – يوسف أخرس، المجلة البطريركية (الإصدار الجديد) 58 (2020)، ص 1-37.
[Translation of Françoise Briquel Chatonnet – Muriel Debié, Le monde syriaque. Sur les routes d’un christianisme ignoré, Paris : Les Belles Lettres, 2017, p. 39-67]
Abstract: This chapter explores the origins and institutional development of Syriac Christianity from its apostolic roots until the fourth century. The authors examine the powerful foundational narratives and collective memories built around the missions of the Apostles Thomas, Addai, and Mari, alongside early traditions surrounding the Magi, which established Edessa (Urhoy/Al-Roha) and Mesopotamia as pivotal interfaces between the Roman and Sassanid Empires. Through historical-critical analysis, the study juxtaposes these apostolic memories against factual records, surveying the emergence of distinctive native texts like the Odes of Solomon, the philosophy of Bardaisan, the Diatessaron of Tatian, and the monumental theological works of Aphrahat and Ephrem the Syrian. Additionally, the paper details the early architectural evolution of Syriac baseline churches, liturgical adaptations like the Bema and Shaqaquna, and the geopolitical conditions that drove the institutional autonomy of the Church of the East in the early fifth century.
بابي، الربّان كارلوس جان، “الحركة المسكونيّة بمدّها الشرقيّ وجزرها الغربيّ بحسب الموادّ القانونيّة 902 – 908 من مجموعة قوانين الكنائس الشرقيّة”، المجلة البطريركية (الإصدار الجديد) 58 (2020)، ص 39-82.
[Carlos Babi, « Le mouvement Œcuménique dans son flux oriental et son reflux occidental (can. 902 – 908) », SOPJ 58 (2020), 39-82]
Abstract: This research paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the Ecumenical Movement from an Eastern perspective, grounded in canons 902–908 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. The author examines the historical evolution of the term “ecumenical” and details the impact of Western missionary movements in the East between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, which fractured traditional churches and led to the rise of Eastern Catholic jurisdictions. Methodologically organized into critical thematic blocks, the study traces the roots of ecumenical thought back to biblical precedents like Pentecost, followed by the patristic contributions of Ignatius of Antioch, Ephrem the Syrian, Jacob of Serugh, and Bar Hebraeus. Finally, the paper investigates the historical points of convergence and divergence between the Syriac Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, highlighting the paradigm shift brought by Vatican II and the historic pastoral agreements of 1971 and 1984 that reshaped modern inter-church relations and joint theological dialogues.
عبيد، البروفيسور رفعت – ملكي، المطران ملاطيوس، “قوانين البطريرك إغناطيوس ابن وهيب (+1333) للحروف السريانيّة الستّة التي تقع تحت قاعدة التركيخ والتقشية”، المجلة البطريركية (الإصدار الجديد) 58 (2020)، ص 83-117.
[Translation of Rifaat Ebied & Archbishop Malki Malki, “Patriarch Ignatius Bar Wahīb’s (d. 1333) Treatise on the Six Syriac Letters that have Two Sounds”, The Harp 32 (2017), 9-33.]
Abstract: This academic paper presents the first critical edition, translation, and analytical study of a linguistic and theological treatise authored by the thirteenth-century Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius V (Ibn al-Wahib, d. 1333). Preserved within the ancient Mingana collection at the University of Birmingham, the text provides a detailed pedagogical guide on the phonetic and spiritual dualities of the six Syriac letters (Begadkefrat) governed by the rules of Rukkākhā (softening) and Quššāyā (hardening). Through a historical-critical approach, the study contextualizes the Patriarch’s turbulent rise to power during the contested triple election of 1293 and his ultimate reconciliation with Maphrian Bar Hebraeus II. The treatise brilliantly synthesizes precise grammatical spirantization rules for novice students with profound Christological and cosmological allegories, framing language as a direct reflection of divine attributes and judgment.
التقرير المسكوني
اللقاء السابع عشر للّجنة المشتركة للحوار اللاهوتيّ بين الكنيسة الكاثوليكيّة والكنائس الأرثوذكسيّة الشرقيّة. المجلة البطريركية (الإصدار الجديد) 58 (2020)، ص 119-122.
اللقاء الثامن للحوار الرسميّ بين الكنائس الأرثوذكسية الشرقية والكنيسة الأنكليكانية، المجلة البطريركية (الإصدار الجديد) 58 (2020)، ص 123.