From the Syriac Ephrem to the Greek Ephrem: A Case Study of the Influence of Ephrem’s Isosyllabic Sermons (memre) on Greek-Speaking Christianity

From the Syriac Ephrem to the Greek Ephrem: A Case Study of the Influence of Ephrem’s Isosyllabic Sermons (memre) on Greek-Speaking ChristianitySyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference PortalThe National Endowment for the HumanitiesThe International Balzan Prize FoundationDavid A. Michelsoncbsc_adminRecord added to Zotero bycbsc_adminSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference Portalhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/8VMKLR2T/tei

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2024-08-15-04:00

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CREATED: This bibl record was autogenerated from a Zotero record.WonmoSuhFrom the Syriac Ephrem to the Greek Ephrem: A Case Study of the Influence of Ephrem’s Isosyllabic Sermons (memre) on Greek-Speaking Christianityhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/8VMKLR2Thttps://www.zotero.org/groups/a_comprehensive_bibliography_on_syriac_studies/items/8VMKLR2Thttps://www.zotero.org/groups/4861694/items/8VMKLR2T2000This dissertation is designed to trace the influence of Ephrem the Syrian on the Greek-speaking Christianity through the corpus of the Greek Ephrem. Despite Hemmerdinger-Iliadou's extensive study and Gérard's classification (CPG), studies of the Greek Ephrem has been meager. This study seeks to explore this corpus in its own light, focusing on a fundamental issue related to the Greek Ephrem: its relation to the Syriac Ephrem. For this, it examines the four works in this corpus which have Syriac Vorlagen: three translations - Sickness of Tongue (Chapter 2), Jonah and the Repentance of the Ninevites (Chapter 3), and Testament (Chapter 4) - and a pseudepigraphy - Ascetic Sermon (Chapter 5). With an introduction to the Syriac and Greek isosyllabic sermons, it also examines two metrical sermons - Passion and Passion of the Savior - to demonstrate their dependence on the Ephremic traditions examined in this study (Chapter 6). Against the general opinion that there is nothing of Ephrem in the Greek Ephrem, my study sides with Hemmerdinger-Iliadou, revealing that at least one work in the Greek Ephrem - Sickness of Tongue - originated from Ephrem's genuine work, displaying quite a literal rendering. It also confirms the studies of Brock and de Halleux, demonstrating that the Greek version of the Jonah aims to preserve the metrical form of the Syriac original. It rejects the authenticity of its Syriac text against Beck and Brock, but in line with de Halleux. In contrast to these two translations, the Greek version of the Testament shows great freedom in adding, altering, and elaborating the Syriac text. Developing Griffith's study, my dissertation provides an extensive analysis of parallels between the Ascetic Sermon and its Syriac Vorlagen, showing the process of its adaptation of social critique and eulogy of the martyrs to monastic context. It further substantiates that the transition from the Syriac Ephrem to the Greek Ephrem involves modification of prophetic messages into monastic teachings, impact of the Monophysite Christology, development of self-reproof in various contexts and emphases, and genesis of diverse pseudonymous works and forgeries. As a case study, my dissertation serves to reveal the impact of Ephrem's sermons (memre), to trace the making of the Ephremic traditions, and to understand cross-cultural contacts. Suh, Wonmo. “From the Syriac Ephrem to the Greek Ephrem: A Case Study of the Influence of Ephrem’s Isosyllabic Sermons (Memre) on Greek-Speaking Christianity.” Ph.D. dissertation, Princeton Theological Seminary, 2000. Wonmo Suh, From the Syriac Ephrem to the Greek Ephrem: A Case Study of the Influence of Ephrem’s Isosyllabic Sermons (Memre) on Greek-Speaking Christianity” (Ph.D. dissertation, Princeton Theological Seminary, 2000).EphremEphremiana [Greek]JonahSyriac influence [Byzantine church]Testament of Ephremasceticismprimary sources [Greek]translations from Syriactranslations into Greek