The Development of a Syriac Knowledge-Based Deification Tradition

This article outlines the historical development of knowledge-based deification in the Syriac tradition. While Ephrem is the first Syriac author to articulate a knowledge-based understanding of deification, the elements that become definitive of the East-Syriac trajectory of this model of deificatio...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Scully, Jason (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2026
In: Vigiliae Christianae
Year: 2026, Volume: 80, Issue: 1, Pages: 73-104
Further subjects:B Babai the Great
B Deification
B Participation
B Ephrem
B Isaac of Nineveh
B John the Solitary
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Summary:This article outlines the historical development of knowledge-based deification in the Syriac tradition. While Ephrem is the first Syriac author to articulate a knowledge-based understanding of deification, the elements that become definitive of the East-Syriac trajectory of this model of deification, namely the language of "participation" and the imagery of the rising sun, are introduced later by John the Solitary and Babai the Great. Isaac of Nineveh further developed this trajectory by assigning the primary knowledge-giving role to the Holy Spirit. For Isaac, the Holy Spirit enables divine participation by mystically infusing knowledge into the mind.
ISSN:1570-0720
Contains:Enthalten in: Vigiliae Christianae
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15700720-bja10117