Spreken over God bij Efrem de Syriër

Spreken over God bij Efrem de SyriërHet Christelijk OostenSyriaca.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/DSYX6CY9/tei

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

2024-08-15-04:00

Born digital.

CREATED: This bibl record was autogenerated from a Zotero record.Keesden BiesenSpreken over God bij Efrem de Syriërhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/DSYX6CY9https://www.zotero.org/groups/a_comprehensive_bibliography_on_syriac_studies/items/DSYX6CY9https://www.zotero.org/groups/4861694/items/DSYX6CY9Het Christelijk Oosten47:1-219957-27An analysis of the theological language in the works of St Ephrem the Syrian is offered in this article. The author pays attention particularly to his ninth 'Hymn on the Church', of which he also presents a translation in Dutch. This hymn is a very good example of Ephrem's perception of the relationship between theology and language. The paradox of transcendence and immanence of God make thinking and speaking about Him - this means theology - both possible and impossible. How can one speak about God when his essence is mysterious and hidden from human understanding? On the other hand, since God reveals himself in creation and in history we may speak about Him, but how can we speak about a mystery? This traditional problem of every theologian is also a personal dilemma in the life of St Ephrem. In his ninth 'Hymn on the Church' his heart and his mind are in conflict whether to worship God in silence or to praise Him in words. But finally love (=heart) prevails. God first spoke to men in images, symbols and analogies. Therefore man may speak about God using the same words if he realizes that no word or image can ever fully describe Him. Lack of a clearly defined terminology could be considered a point of weakness in Ephrem's theology. However, it is also his strength if we perceive theology not so much as an academic and rational discipline, but more in the patristic way as the human expression of mystical experience. Biesen, Kees den. “Spreken over God Bij Efrem de Syriër.” Het Christelijk Oosten 47:1-2 (1995): 7–27. Kees den Biesen, Spreken over God Bij Efrem de Syriër, Het Christelijk Oosten 47:1-2 (1995): 7–27.EphremHymns on ChurchIV CEIV-VII CEhymnographypoetryprimary sources [Syriac] - Dutch translationtheology