The Hymns on Faith

Saint Ephraem (Syrus)

CUA Press, 2015 - Music - 424 pages

Ephrem the Syrian was born in Nisibis (Nusaybin, Turkey) around 306 CE, and died in Edessa (Sanliurfa, Turkey) in 373. He was a prolific author, composing over four hundred hymns, several metrical homilies, and at least two scriptural commentaries. His extensive literary output warrants mention alongside other well-known fourth-century authors, such as Gregory of Nazianzus and Basil of Caesarea. Yet Ephrem wrote in neither Greek nor Latin, but in Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic. His voice opens to the reader a fourth-century Christian world perched on the margins between the Roman and Persian Empires.

Ephrem is known for a theology that relies heavily on symbol and for a keen awareness of Jewish exegetical traditions. Yet he is also our earliest source for the reception of Nicaea among Syriac-speaking Christians. It is in his eighty-seven Hymns on Faith - the longest extant piece of early Syriac literature - that he develops his arguments against subordinationist christologies most fully. These hymns, most likely delivered orally and compiled after the author's death, were composed in Nisibis and Edessa between the 350s ans 373. They reveal an author conversant with Christological debates further to the west, but responding in a uniquely Syriac idiom. As such, they form an essential source for reconstructing the development of pro-Nicene thought in the eastern Mediterranean.

Yet, the Hymns on Faith offer far more than a simple Syriacpro-Nicene catechetical literature. In these hymns Ephrem reflects upon the mystery of God and the limits of human knowledge. He demonstrates a sophisticated grasp of symbol and metaphor and their role in human understanding.

The Hymns on Faith are translated here for the first time in English on the basis of Edmund Beck's critical edition.

Contents

• Introduction: 3
• HYMN ONE: 57
• HYMN TWO: 63
• HYMN THREE: 68
• HYMN FOUR: 71
• HYMN FIVE: 80
• HYMN SIX: 90
• HYMN SEVEN: 99
• HYMN EIGHT: 105
• HYMN NINE: 113
• HYMN TEN: 121
• HYMN ELEVEN: 126
• HYMN TWELVE: 131
• HYMN THIRTEEN: 135
• HYMN FOURTEEN: 138
• HYMN FIFTEEN: 140
• HYMN SIXTEEN: 142
• HYMN SEVENTEEN: 145
• HYMN EIGHTEEN: 148
• HYMN NINETEEN: 151
• HYMN TWENTY: 154
• HYMN TWENTYONE: 157
• HYMN TWENTYTWO: 160
• HYMN TWENTYTHREE: 162
• HYMN TWENTYFOUR: 165
• HYMN TWENTYFIVE: 168
• HYMN TWENTYSIX: 172
• HYMN TWENTYSEVEN: 177
• HYMN TWENTYEIGHT: 180
• HYMN TWENTYNINE: 186
• HYMN THIRTY: 188
• HYMN THIRTYONE: 192
• HYMN THIRTYTWO: 196
• HYMN THIRTYTHREE: 199
• HYMN THIRTYFOUR: 201
• HYMN THIRTYFIVE: 203
• HYMN THIRTYSIX: 208
• HYMN THIRTYSEVEN: 213
• HYMN THIRTYEIGHT: 218
• HYMN THIRTYNINE: 223
• HYMN FORTY: 225
• HYMN FORTYONE: 229
• HYMN FORTYTWO: 233
• HYMN FORTYTHREE: 237
• HYMN FORTYFOUR: 240
• HYMN FORTYFIVE: 244
• HYMN FORTYSIX: 248
• HYMN FORTYSEVEN: 252
• HYMN FORTYEIGHT: 256
• HYMN FORTYNINE: 259
• HYMN FIFTY: 262
• HYMN FIFTYONE: 265
• HYMN FIFTYTWO: 269
• HYMN FIFTYTHREE: 273
• HYMN FIFTYFOUR: 277
• HYMN FIFTYFIVE: 281
• HYMN FIFTYSIX: 285
• HYMN FIFTYSEVEN: 289
• HYMN FIFTYEIGHT: 292
• HYMN FIFTYNINE: 296
• HYMN SIXTY: 300
• HYMN SIXTYONE: 305
• HYMN SIXTYTWO: 310
• HYMN SIXTYTHREE: 316
• HYMN SIXTYFOUR: 321
• HYMN SIXTYFIVE: 324
• HYMN SIXTYSIX: 328
• HYMN SIXTYSEVEN: 331
• HYMN SIXTYEIGHT: 334
• HYMN SIXTYNINE: 337
• HYMN SEVENTY: 340
• HYMN SEVENTYONE: 343
• HYMN SEVENTYTWO: 346
• HYMN SEVENTYTHREE: 349
• HYMN SEVENTYFOUR: 352
• HYMN SEVENTYFIVE: 356
• HYMN SEVENTYSIX: 359
• HYMN SEVENTYSEVEN: 361
• HYMN SEVENTYEIGHT: 365
• HYMN SEVENTYNINE: 369
• HYMN EIGHTY: 374
• HYMN EIGHTYONE HYMN ONE ON THE PEARL: 377
• HYMN EIGHTYTWO HYMN TWO ON THE PEARL: 381
• HYMN EIGHTYTHREE HYMN THREEON THE PEARL: 384
• HYMN EIGHTYFOUR HYMN FOURON THE PEARL: 387
• HYMN EIGHTYFIVE HYMN FIVEON THE PEARL: 390
• HYMN EIGHTYSIX: 393
• HYMN EIGHTYSEVEN: 398
• GENERAL INDEX: 405
• INDEX OF HOLY SCRIPTURE: 421

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Hymns on Faith; Book collections on Project MUSE; Fathers of the Church Patristic Series; Volume 130 of Fathers of the church, ISSN 0014-8814; Volume 130 of The Fathers of the Church: A New Translation
• Author: Saint Ephraem (Syrus)
• Translated by: Jeffrey Thomas Wickes
• Publisher: CUA Press, 2015
• ISBN: 0813227356, 9780813227351
• Length: 424 pages
• Subjects: Music / Religious / Hymns; Religion / Christian Church / History; Religion / Christian Theology / General; Religion / Christianity / Catholic; Religion / Institutions & Organizations; Religion / Theology