West Syrian Liturgical Theology

204 Pages·2004·11.868 MB·English

by  Baby Varghese

LITURGY, WORSHIP AND SOCIETY
SERIES EDITORS
Dave Leal, Brasenose College, Oxford, UK
Bryan Spinks, Yale Divinity School, USA
Paul Bradshaw, University of Notre Dame, UK and USA
Gregory W. Woolfenden, Ripon College, Cuddesdon, Oxford, UK
Phillip Tovey, Diocese of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University, UK
This new series comes at a time of great change in liturgy and much debate concerning
traditional and new fonns of worship, the suitability and use of places of worship, and
wider issues concerning the interaction of liturgy, worship and contemporary society.
Offering a thorough grounding in the historical and theological foundations of liturgy,
books in the series explore and challenge many key issues of worship and liturgical
theology which are currently in hot debate - issues set to make a significant impact on
the place of the church in contemporary society. Presenting an ecumenical range of
books, comparing and contrasting liturgical practices and concerns within various
traditions and faiths, this series will appeal to those in university and theological
colleges; adult education colleges; those on other ministry or lay ministry training
courses; and practitioners and those involved in worship in churches across a broad
ecumenical range.
Other titles in the series include
Death Liturgy and Ritual
Volume I: A Pastoral and Liturgical Theology
Volume II: A Commentary on liturgical Texts
Paul P.J. Sheppy
Daily liturgical Prayer
Origins and Theology
Gregory W. Woolfenden
Rituals and Theologies of Christian Baptism:
Beyond the Jordan
Bryan D. Spinks
lnculturation of Christian Worship
Exploring the Eucharist
Phillip Tovey
West Syrian Liturgical Theology
BABY VARGHESE
ASH GATE
© Baby Varghese, 2004
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded, or
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The author has asserted his moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to
be identified as the author of this work.
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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Varghese, Baby
West Syrian liturgical theology. - (Liturgy, worship and society)
I. Syrian Orthodox Church - Liturgy 2. Syrian Orthodox Church - Liturgy - History
I. Title
264'.0163
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Varghese, Baby
West Syrian liturgical theology I Baby Varghese.
p. cm. - (Liturgy, worship and society series)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-7546-0618-X (alk paper) - ISBN 0-7546-0619-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)
I. Syrian Church - Liturgy. 2. Liturgies. 3. Syrian Church - Doctrines. I. Title. II. Series.
BXl77.V37 2004
264' .0 I 63-dc22
2003059507
ISBN 0 7546 0618 X cased ISBN 0 7546 0619 8 paperback
Printed on acid-free paper
Typeset in Times New Roman by J.L. & G.A. Wheatley Design, Aldershot
Printed in Great Britain by MPG Books Ltd, Bodmin, Cornwall
Contents
Preface viii
Abbreviations x
Introduction 1
A Brief History of West Syrian Liturgy I
Liturgical Diversity 2
The Greek Legacy 4
Distinctive Features 6
Theological Foundations of Leitourgia 8
Liturgical Theology: Scope and Method 10
l. Sources JO
2. Liturgical Theology and the History of the Ordo II
3. The Theological Analysis of the Liturgical Fact 12
4. Comparative Study of Liturgy 13
5. Study of Liturgical Vocabulary 14
6. Liturgical Theology and the Biblical Exegesis 14
7. Question of Liturgical Reforms 15
8. Theological Synthesis 15
2 Leitourgia in the West Syrian Mystagogical Tradition 16
l. Beginning of the Mystagogia 16
2. Typological and Allegorical Commentaries 17
3. First Mystagogical Catechesis in Syriac 19
4. First West Syrian Commentaries 20
5. George, Bishop of the Arab Tribes 22
6. Liturgical Commentaries of Jacob of Edessa 25
7. Commentaries of Moses Bar Kepha 27
8. Commentary Attributed to John of Dara 29
3 Liturgical Vocabulary 35
1. Row 35
Row in Liturgical Use 36
A. Early use: Odes of Solomon and the Syriac Acts of Thomas 37
B. The liturgical commentaries 38
C. The West Syrian anaphoras and other liturgical texts 39
2. Teshmeshto 42
3. Qurobo; Qurbono 44
vi Contents
4. Other Important Terms 45
4 Liturgy as the Expression of Doctrine 47
1. Abba, Father! Liturgy and the Trinitarian Doctrine 50
2. The Trinitarian Structure of the Anaphora 53
3. Prayers Addressed to the Father 54
4. Eucharist and the Communion with the Holy Trinity 56
5 Liturgy as the Expression of Christology 58
l. The Christological Foundation 58
2. Prayers Addressed to Christ 61
3. Meaning of the Institution Narrative 64
4. Anamnesis and the Mystery of the Incarnation 66
5. Pre-Anaphora, Ordo Communis and the Post-Communion as
Expressions of Christology 68
6. Preparation Rites and Christological Concerns 71
6 Pneumatology of the Liturgy 74
l. Pneumatological Foundations of Liturgy 74
2. Prayers Addressed to the Holy Spirit 77
3. Meaning and Function of the Epiclesis in the Saint James Liturgy 78
A. 'Send your Holy Spirit' 80
B. 'Sanctify and make' 84
C. The Encomium of the Spirit 85
4. The Presence of the Spirit in the Eucharist 88
5. Meaning of Consecration 89
7 The Festal Gathering: The Church and the Communion of Saints 92
l. The Spirit and the Bride say 'Come' (Rev. 22: 17) 93
2. The Great Cloud of Witnesses: Liturgy and the Communion of Saints 95
3. The Mother of God 97
4. Those who have Pleased God 98
5. Place of the Diptychs 100
6. Anamnesis and the Commemorations 101
7. Epiclesis and the Commemorations 102
8 Witness to the Last Things 107
1. Eschatology and Pneumatology 107
2. Orientation Towards the East 109
3. For Ever and Ever 110
4. Repentance: the Sign of the Last Days and the New Life 111
5. Genuflection 115
6. Meaning of Fasting 115
Contents vii
7. Fasting as an Act of Repentance 116
8. Fasting and the Way of Salvation 118
9 Mystery of the Time 122
l. The Weekly Cycle 122
2. Mystery of the Day 124
3. Meaning of the Evening and the Darkness 125
4. 'Be Vigilant!': The Meaning of Lilyo 127
5. The Dawn Announces God's Victory 129
6. Themes of the Liturgical Hours 131
7. Themes of the Days and Hours 133
8. Eucharist and the Daily Offices 134
9. The Liturgical Year 135
10. Feasts of the Saints 138
11. The Meaning of Advent 140
10 The Meaning of the Ordo 144
1. Elements of the Ordo 145
2. The Eucharist and the Sacramental Celebrations 149
3. The Ordo of the Daily Office 150
4. Time and the Ordo 154
5. The Meaning of the Lectionary 155
6. The Meaning of Incense 156
7. Liturgical Music 162
8. The Meaning of the Liturgical Space 163
Conclusion 169
Bibliography 173
Glossary 185
Indices 187
Preface
It is a privilege to speak of one's own religious tradition, a tradition in which one was
born and brought up. It is often difficult for an Eastern Christian, especially for a
priest, to be critical of his own spiritual and liturgical heritage, for obvious reasons.
This book is a coup d'essai, or a first attempt to sketch the important orientations
of the West Syrian liturgical tradition. As a first attempt, my account has gaps. In
relation to secondary literature, several important works or latest editions of books
were not available to me, as I live in South India. However, most of the published
materials relating to the West Syrian tradition were consulted. In the bibliography, I
have omitted several titles that are aimed at beginners. Those interested in further
reading can use the nearly complete bibliography compiled by Sebastian Brock and
J.M. Sauget.
In the case of secondary literature, I have given special preference to Eastern
Orthodox writers. As a member of an ancient Eastern Church, I am convinced that the
factors that divide the Chalcedonian and the non-Chalcedonian (or Eastern and
Oriental) Orthodox Churches are 'not theological' .1 In fact both share the same
doctrinal, liturgical and spiritual traditions. Similarly, both the Orthodox families have
several elements in common with the Ancient East Syrian Church. The common lex
orandi needs to be rediscovered as a first important step towards the unity of the
Eastern Churches. Then the Eastern tradition can enter into fruitful dialogue with the
Churches of the West.
In spite of the divisions, theological differences and diverse liturgical practices, the
Churches of the West are becoming increasingly aware of the common elements in
the /ex orandi. Thanks to the liturgical movement, they have at least been able to
identify their common interests in the field of liturgies. One of the most conspicuous
results of the liturgical movement is the emergence of an 'ecumenical liturgical
theology', taking the liturgical experience of others into account. The Churches of the
East have not yet become active participants - with the exception, perhaps, of the late
Fr A. Schmemann - in this dialogue. 2
The liturgists have often simply identified the East with the Byzantine tradition.
But the 'Churches East of Byzantium' have remained rather faithful to the /ex orandi
of the early Eastern tradition. The history and expression of the lex orandi 'East of
I See 'The Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches' (=Joint
Commission of the Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches:
20-24 June 1989, Anba Bishoi Monastery, Egypt), Sourozh 42 (Nov. 1990), 38--43. Text also in SVFQ 34/
I (1990). 78ff.
2 The 'Conferences Saint Serge - Paris' (since the 1950s). organized by the St Sergius Orthodox
Theological Institute, have been dedicated to liturgical studies from an ecumenical perspective. However.
they have not attracted the attention of non-French-speaking circles.
Preface ix
Byzantium' provide several examples of inculturation, adaptations or even 'prudent
conservatism' for survival in a hostile religio-political situation. Each of the non
Byzantine Eastern Churches - Coptic, Ethiopian, Syrian, Armenian and East Syrian -
needs to be studied separately, giving attention to the celebration and articulation of
the Lex orandi. Then a synthesis should be attempted, taking its Byzantine expression
into account. This is an ecumenical necessity. Linguistic limitations and the limited
availability of source materials do not permit me to undertake such an ambitious
project. However, I hope one day to undertake a synthesis of the East Syrian and West
Syrian liturgical theologies. I hope that the present work will serve as a 'starting
point' for me as well as for others who are interested in such a task.
Abbreviations
AS I-III Anaphorae Syriace, Vol.1-III (Rome, 1939-)
csco
Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium (Louvain)
DS Dictionnaire de Spiritualite (Paris, 1932)
DTC Dictionnaire de Theologie Catholique (Paris, 1907)
ECQ Eastern Churches Quarterly (Ramsgate)
EL Ephemerides Liturgicae (Rome)
EO Echos d'Orient (Paris)
GLS Grove Liturgical Studies
GOFS Gottinger Orientforschungen, Reihe I, Syriaca (Gottingen)
Harp The Harp: a Review of Syriac and Oriental Studies (Kottayam)
JTS Journal of Theological Studies (Oxford)
LEW Brightman, Liturgies Eastern and Western (Oxford, 1896)
LMD La Maison Dieu (Paris)
oc
Oriens Christianus (Wiesbaden)
OCA Orientalia Christiana Analecta (Rome)
OCP Orientalia Christiana Periodica (Rome)
ODB The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, 3 vols (Oxford, 1991)
OS L'Orient Syrien (Vernon)
OTS The Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kottayam (Manuscripts of)
Pampakuda A Collection of Syriac Manuscripts and a place from which Syriac
texts were published (Kerala, S. India)
Pd'O Parole de l 'Orient, Kaslik, Lebanon, 1970--
PG J.P. Migne, Patrologia Graeca, Paris, 1857---66
PO Patrologia Orientalis, Paris, 1901-
ROC Revue de !'Orient Chretien (Paris, 1896-1946)
SC Sources chretiennes (Paris)
SL Studia Liturgica (Nieuwendam)
SVSP St Vladimir Seminary Press (New York)
SVTQ St Vladimir Theological Quarterly (New York)
Introduction
West Syrian liturgy belongs to the Antiochene family of liturgies, of which the East
Syrian ('Nestorian'), Byzantine, Armenian and the Maronite liturgies are the other
members.1 The West Syrians and the East Syrians have remained rather faithful to the
early Syriac tradition.
The West Syrian tradition had its origin and development in and around the city of
Antioch, and the centre of the East Syrian tradition was Edessa. Following the Council
of Chalcedon (4 5 I), the majority of the monks and clergy of Alexandria and Antioch
were opposed to the 'Dyophysite Christology', and were called 'Monophysites' or
'non-Chalcedonians'. The non-Chalcedonians of Antioch were known as 'Jacobites'
(after Jacob Baradeus, the sixth-century organizer of the Church) or as 'Syrian
Orthodox' in modern times. (They always used the title 'orthodox' to refer to
themselves.)
There are five Churches that follow the West Syrian liturgy: ( 1) the Syrian Orthodox
Church; (2) the Malankara Orthodox Church (both the autocephalous and that attached
to the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch; (3) the Syrian Catholic Church of Antioch;
(4 ) the Syro-Malankara Church (Kerala); and (5) the Independent Church of Malabar.
To this list, we can add the Marthoma Syrian Church (Reformed Syrians, as they
called themselves in the beginning) and the Saint Thomas Evangelical Church.2
In this book we shall quote from the liturgical texts used by the Syrian and the
Malankara Orthodox Churches. However, in the case of the Festal Breviary (Penkitho)
we shall use the Catholic edition from Mosul as well.
A Brief History of West Syrian Liturgy
A detailed description of the history of West Syrian liturgy is beyond the scope of this
work. However, for those who are not familiar with the Syriac tradition we shall give
a brief outline.
The West Syrians inherited the Antiochene anaphora in its fifth-century form. The
Antiochene Church had adopted the Jerusalemite anaphora of Saint James, probably
in the first half of the fifth century. Evidence suggests that the Chalcedonians and the
non-Chalcedonians continued to use the anaphora of St James even after their definite
I See, 1.H. Dalmais, 'The Eastern Liturgical Families', in A.G. Martimort (ed.), The Church at Prayer,
Vol.I (Collegeville, 1987). pp. 27-43.
2 The Marthoma Syrian Church is a reformed body of the Syrian Christians of Kerala, who organized
themselves as a separate Church in the middle of the nineteenth century. The Saint Thomas Evangelical
Church is a break-away group of the Marthomites since 1961.