Michael Philip Penn
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199755042
- eISBN:
- 9780199950508
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199755042.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
As the first Christians to encounter Islam, Syriac authors preserve the earliest Christian depictions of Muslims, Islam, and the conquests. Syriac writers also present the unusual circumstance of a ...
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As the first Christians to encounter Islam, Syriac authors preserve the earliest Christian depictions of Muslims, Islam, and the conquests. Syriac writers also present the unusual circumstance of a group interpreting not their victory, but their defeat as the outcome of a holy war. This chapter examines how Syriac Christian responses to these questions developed over time and across literary genres. It investigates how early Christian communities interpreted and reinterpreted the Islamic conquests and how their writings constructed images, rhetorical strategies, and stereotypes that later Christian writers would further elaborate.Less
As the first Christians to encounter Islam, Syriac authors preserve the earliest Christian depictions of Muslims, Islam, and the conquests. Syriac writers also present the unusual circumstance of a group interpreting not their victory, but their defeat as the outcome of a holy war. This chapter examines how Syriac Christian responses to these questions developed over time and across literary genres. It investigates how early Christian communities interpreted and reinterpreted the Islamic conquests and how their writings constructed images, rhetorical strategies, and stereotypes that later Christian writers would further elaborate.
Naomi Koltun-Fromm
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199736485
- eISBN:
- 9780199866427
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199736485.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, Religion and Society
This chapter focuses on the earliest of Syriac Christian writings, the Acts of Judah Thomas, that make a link between holiness and sexual renunciation, and which advocate total sexual renunciation as ...
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This chapter focuses on the earliest of Syriac Christian writings, the Acts of Judah Thomas, that make a link between holiness and sexual renunciation, and which advocate total sexual renunciation as the surest means to both becoming (achieving) holy and protecting one’s holiness once gained. Yet, this text is a composite text, which suggests a more complex development of this theology and its biblical interpretive roots. For in certain sections of the Acts, “living in holiness” can mean living a married life with one lifetime partner rather than total sexual renunciation. The one derives from biblical notions of achieved holiness, while the other descends from a different paradigm entirely, which in its origins was unrelated to holiness. The two constructs remain in uneasy tension in the later redactions of the Acts, even as the second one rises to the forefront.Less
This chapter focuses on the earliest of Syriac Christian writings, the Acts of Judah Thomas, that make a link between holiness and sexual renunciation, and which advocate total sexual renunciation as the surest means to both becoming (achieving) holy and protecting one’s holiness once gained. Yet, this text is a composite text, which suggests a more complex development of this theology and its biblical interpretive roots. For in certain sections of the Acts, “living in holiness” can mean living a married life with one lifetime partner rather than total sexual renunciation. The one derives from biblical notions of achieved holiness, while the other descends from a different paradigm entirely, which in its origins was unrelated to holiness. The two constructs remain in uneasy tension in the later redactions of the Acts, even as the second one rises to the forefront.
Naomi Koltun-Fromm
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199736485
- eISBN:
- 9780199866427
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199736485.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, Religion and Society
Hermeneutics of Holiness focuses on the historical, theological, and literary trajectories of the Hebrew biblical notions of holiness from the biblical context into the fourth-century Jewish and ...
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Hermeneutics of Holiness focuses on the historical, theological, and literary trajectories of the Hebrew biblical notions of holiness from the biblical context into the fourth-century Jewish and Christian interpretive traditions. This work is particularly interested in how holy communities are formed and in what ways these individuals or communities derive their notions of holiness from the biblical texts. Moreover, this book examines how and why these notions of holy-community often intersect with ideals of sexuality, sexual practice, and asceticism. The book first examines biblical constructs of holiness but then follows these ideas along their various interpretive developments through the Second Temple Literature (Ezra, Jubilees, Dead Sea Scrolls), early Christian literature (New Testament) and the early Syriac Christian tradition (Odes of Solomon, Acts of Judah Thomas, Aphrahat) on the one hand, and the Rabbinic literature on the other. This study ends with a comparative analysis between the Syriac Christian literature and early Rabbinic writings in order to better understand both the similarities between and the diversity of holiness and sexuality constructs, as well as biblical interpretive practices and traditions in these communities. In the end, this book argues that early Christian and Jewish notions of sexual production and sexual restraint derive from shared interpretive traditions of biblical holiness.Less
Hermeneutics of Holiness focuses on the historical, theological, and literary trajectories of the Hebrew biblical notions of holiness from the biblical context into the fourth-century Jewish and Christian interpretive traditions. This work is particularly interested in how holy communities are formed and in what ways these individuals or communities derive their notions of holiness from the biblical texts. Moreover, this book examines how and why these notions of holy-community often intersect with ideals of sexuality, sexual practice, and asceticism. The book first examines biblical constructs of holiness but then follows these ideas along their various interpretive developments through the Second Temple Literature (Ezra, Jubilees, Dead Sea Scrolls), early Christian literature (New Testament) and the early Syriac Christian tradition (Odes of Solomon, Acts of Judah Thomas, Aphrahat) on the one hand, and the Rabbinic literature on the other. This study ends with a comparative analysis between the Syriac Christian literature and early Rabbinic writings in order to better understand both the similarities between and the diversity of holiness and sexuality constructs, as well as biblical interpretive practices and traditions in these communities. In the end, this book argues that early Christian and Jewish notions of sexual production and sexual restraint derive from shared interpretive traditions of biblical holiness.
Muriel Debié and David Taylor
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780199236428
- eISBN:
- 9780191863349
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780199236428.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, Historiography
This chapter analyzes how Syriac historiography is a rare example of non-etatist, non-imperial, history writing. It was produced, copied, and preserved entirely within Christian church structures. ...
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This chapter analyzes how Syriac historiography is a rare example of non-etatist, non-imperial, history writing. It was produced, copied, and preserved entirely within Christian church structures. The Syriac-using Christians, however, were divided into numerous rival denominations and communities as a consequence both of the fifth-century theological controversies and of geopolitical boundaries. And since both of these factors strongly influenced both the motivations which underpinned the production of history writing and the forms it took, historians need to have some knowledge of these rival Syriac denominations. Because of internal Christian debates about the relationship of the divinity and humanity within Christ during the fifth century, the Syriac-using churches fragmented. All accepted that Christ was perfect God and perfect man, but differed fiercely about how to articulate this.Less
This chapter analyzes how Syriac historiography is a rare example of non-etatist, non-imperial, history writing. It was produced, copied, and preserved entirely within Christian church structures. The Syriac-using Christians, however, were divided into numerous rival denominations and communities as a consequence both of the fifth-century theological controversies and of geopolitical boundaries. And since both of these factors strongly influenced both the motivations which underpinned the production of history writing and the forms it took, historians need to have some knowledge of these rival Syriac denominations. Because of internal Christian debates about the relationship of the divinity and humanity within Christ during the fifth century, the Syriac-using churches fragmented. All accepted that Christ was perfect God and perfect man, but differed fiercely about how to articulate this.
Jennifer Mack
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780816698691
- eISBN:
- 9781452958774
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816698691.003.0004
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Cultural Studies
Chapter 3 examines “diaspora space”–usually used solely as metaphor–in connection with Syriac monumental architectural spaces for theSyriac Orthodox Church and the Assyriska and Syrianska soccer ...
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Chapter 3 examines “diaspora space”–usually used solely as metaphor–in connection with Syriac monumental architectural spaces for theSyriac Orthodox Church and the Assyriska and Syrianska soccer clubs, sacred and profanerespectively. These social institutions developed during the 1970s and 1980s but eventually required dedicated physical spaces.Less
Chapter 3 examines “diaspora space”–usually used solely as metaphor–in connection with Syriac monumental architectural spaces for theSyriac Orthodox Church and the Assyriska and Syrianska soccer clubs, sacred and profanerespectively. These social institutions developed during the 1970s and 1980s but eventually required dedicated physical spaces.
Jennifer Mack
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780816698691
- eISBN:
- 9781452958774
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816698691.003.0005
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Cultural Studies
Chapter 4 focuses on both permanent spaces and temporary spatial practices associated with weddings and funerals. Urban spaces have become backdrops for a roleplaying game with an ever-attentive ...
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Chapter 4 focuses on both permanent spaces and temporary spatial practices associated with weddings and funerals. Urban spaces have become backdrops for a roleplaying game with an ever-attentive audience, as Syriacs metamorphose between audience members and stage actors and continually reinscribe social expectations about personal bodily and social propriety.Less
Chapter 4 focuses on both permanent spaces and temporary spatial practices associated with weddings and funerals. Urban spaces have become backdrops for a roleplaying game with an ever-attentive audience, as Syriacs metamorphose between audience members and stage actors and continually reinscribe social expectations about personal bodily and social propriety.
Kyle Smith
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780520289604
- eISBN:
- 9780520964204
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520289604.003.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
This book reconsiders the history of Christianity in the fourth century by analyzing narratives about Constantine and the Christians of Persia. Drawing on a range of Greek, Latin, and Syriac sources, ...
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This book reconsiders the history of Christianity in the fourth century by analyzing narratives about Constantine and the Christians of Persia. Drawing on a range of Greek, Latin, and Syriac sources, it argues that there was not, and never has been, just one history of fourth-century Mesopotamia. Instead, there are multiple and fragmented histories with competing historiographical, hagiographical, and ideological agendas. The first part of the book examines how Constantine and the Roman–Persian War were seen from within the Roman Empire, and the second part focuses on how the fourth century was remembered by Syriac-speaking Christians of the Persian Empire. It shows that accounts regarding the persecution of Christians in fourth-century Persia on the basis of their presumed allegiances to the Roman Empire have been embellished by dozens of conflicting sources that were composed decades, even centuries, after the events they describe.Less
This book reconsiders the history of Christianity in the fourth century by analyzing narratives about Constantine and the Christians of Persia. Drawing on a range of Greek, Latin, and Syriac sources, it argues that there was not, and never has been, just one history of fourth-century Mesopotamia. Instead, there are multiple and fragmented histories with competing historiographical, hagiographical, and ideological agendas. The first part of the book examines how Constantine and the Roman–Persian War were seen from within the Roman Empire, and the second part focuses on how the fourth century was remembered by Syriac-speaking Christians of the Persian Empire. It shows that accounts regarding the persecution of Christians in fourth-century Persia on the basis of their presumed allegiances to the Roman Empire have been embellished by dozens of conflicting sources that were composed decades, even centuries, after the events they describe.
Jennifer Mack
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780816698691
- eISBN:
- 9781452958774
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816698691.003.0002
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Cultural Studies
Chapter 1 compares the spatial agendas of the Swedish welfare state and Syriacs. The “Million Program” (1965 to 1974) saw Sweden develop one million dwelling units through standardized forms meant to ...
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Chapter 1 compares the spatial agendas of the Swedish welfare state and Syriacs. The “Million Program” (1965 to 1974) saw Sweden develop one million dwelling units through standardized forms meant to reduce social inequalities. In contrast, Syriacs’ experiences with discrimination in theMiddle East made them positive to enclaves and spatial differentiation.Less
Chapter 1 compares the spatial agendas of the Swedish welfare state and Syriacs. The “Million Program” (1965 to 1974) saw Sweden develop one million dwelling units through standardized forms meant to reduce social inequalities. In contrast, Syriacs’ experiences with discrimination in theMiddle East made them positive to enclaves and spatial differentiation.
Kyle Smith
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780520289604
- eISBN:
- 9780520964204
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520289604.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
It is widely believed that the Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity politicized religious allegiances, dividing the Christian Roman Empire from the Zoroastrian Sasanian Empire and leading ...
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It is widely believed that the Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity politicized religious allegiances, dividing the Christian Roman Empire from the Zoroastrian Sasanian Empire and leading to the persecution of Christians in Persia. This account, however, is based on Greek ecclesiastical histories and Syriac martyrdom narratives that date to centuries after the fact. In this groundbreaking study, the author analyzes diverse Greek, Latin, and Syriac sources to show that there was not a single history of fourth-century Mesopotamia. By examining the conflicting hagiographical and historical evidence, the book presents an evocative and evolving portrait of the first Christian emperor, uncovering how Syriac Christians manipulated the image of their western Christian counterparts to fashion their own political and religious identities during this century of radical change.Less
It is widely believed that the Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity politicized religious allegiances, dividing the Christian Roman Empire from the Zoroastrian Sasanian Empire and leading to the persecution of Christians in Persia. This account, however, is based on Greek ecclesiastical histories and Syriac martyrdom narratives that date to centuries after the fact. In this groundbreaking study, the author analyzes diverse Greek, Latin, and Syriac sources to show that there was not a single history of fourth-century Mesopotamia. By examining the conflicting hagiographical and historical evidence, the book presents an evocative and evolving portrait of the first Christian emperor, uncovering how Syriac Christians manipulated the image of their western Christian counterparts to fashion their own political and religious identities during this century of radical change.
Jennifer Mack
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780816698691
- eISBN:
- 9781452958774
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816698691.003.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Cultural Studies
The Introduction explores modernism, equality, and standardization in the development of European suburbs. I question the predominant narratives of post-utopian decline or, alternatively, grassroots ...
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The Introduction explores modernism, equality, and standardization in the development of European suburbs. I question the predominant narratives of post-utopian decline or, alternatively, grassroots resilience and place the book within the framework of studies of suburbs and questions of European immigration and integration. Mack positions Sweden in the context of its international status as an ideal place for asylum seekers and immigrants.Less
The Introduction explores modernism, equality, and standardization in the development of European suburbs. I question the predominant narratives of post-utopian decline or, alternatively, grassroots resilience and place the book within the framework of studies of suburbs and questions of European immigration and integration. Mack positions Sweden in the context of its international status as an ideal place for asylum seekers and immigrants.
Jennifer Mack
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780816698691
- eISBN:
- 9781452958774
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816698691.003.0007
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Cultural Studies
Chapter 6 examines national norms defined both rational design and questions of taste and beauty, and how these intersect with new forms that Syriacs have developed in houses, churches, banquet ...
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Chapter 6 examines national norms defined both rational design and questions of taste and beauty, and how these intersect with new forms that Syriacs have developed in houses, churches, banquet halls, and other buildings in Södertälje. The frictions between them raise questions about tolerance and who may contribute to the urban image.Less
Chapter 6 examines national norms defined both rational design and questions of taste and beauty, and how these intersect with new forms that Syriacs have developed in houses, churches, banquet halls, and other buildings in Södertälje. The frictions between them raise questions about tolerance and who may contribute to the urban image.
Jennifer Mack
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780816698691
- eISBN:
- 9781452958774
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816698691.003.0006
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Cultural Studies
Chapter 5 analyzes several new and controversial Syriac-dominated neighborhoods of custom-designed and formally elaborate single-family houses that majority Swedish planners regard as cautionary ...
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Chapter 5 analyzes several new and controversial Syriac-dominated neighborhoods of custom-designed and formally elaborate single-family houses that majority Swedish planners regard as cautionary tales of too-flexible planning regulations. Syriac architectural displays of difference in affluent enclaves have required new forms of professional planning practice and reconsiderations of “participation.”Less
Chapter 5 analyzes several new and controversial Syriac-dominated neighborhoods of custom-designed and formally elaborate single-family houses that majority Swedish planners regard as cautionary tales of too-flexible planning regulations. Syriac architectural displays of difference in affluent enclaves have required new forms of professional planning practice and reconsiderations of “participation.”
Jennifer Mack
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780816698691
- eISBN:
- 9781452958774
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816698691.003.0003
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Cultural Studies
Chapter 2 focuses on Södertälje during the 1970s, when Syriacs moved to its empty Million Program neighborhoods, where Syriacs resumed their historical pattern of protective enclaves. They adapted ...
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Chapter 2 focuses on Södertälje during the 1970s, when Syriacs moved to its empty Million Program neighborhoods, where Syriacs resumed their historical pattern of protective enclaves. They adapted welfare-state spaces but retained their forms and functions, suggesting that modernist design was more successful at accommodating difference than has been acknowledged.Less
Chapter 2 focuses on Södertälje during the 1970s, when Syriacs moved to its empty Million Program neighborhoods, where Syriacs resumed their historical pattern of protective enclaves. They adapted welfare-state spaces but retained their forms and functions, suggesting that modernist design was more successful at accommodating difference than has been acknowledged.
Jennifer Mack
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780816698691
- eISBN:
- 9781452958774
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816698691.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Cultural Studies
In The Construction of Equality, Jennifer Mack shows how Syriac-instigated architectural projects and spatial practices have altered the Swedish city’s built environment “from below.” Combining ...
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In The Construction of Equality, Jennifer Mack shows how Syriac-instigated architectural projects and spatial practices have altered the Swedish city’s built environment “from below.” Combining architectural, urban, and ethnographic tools through archival research, site work, participant observation, and interviews, Mack provides a unique take on urban development, social change, and the immigrant experience in Europe over a fifty-year period.Less
In The Construction of Equality, Jennifer Mack shows how Syriac-instigated architectural projects and spatial practices have altered the Swedish city’s built environment “from below.” Combining architectural, urban, and ethnographic tools through archival research, site work, participant observation, and interviews, Mack provides a unique take on urban development, social change, and the immigrant experience in Europe over a fifty-year period.
Jennifer Mack
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780816698691
- eISBN:
- 9781452958774
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816698691.003.0008
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Cultural Studies
The Conclusion zeroes in on “urban design from below” as the aggregate result of the Syriacs’ discrete projects. This phenomenon functions as a space between the “top-down” official designs and plans ...
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The Conclusion zeroes in on “urban design from below” as the aggregate result of the Syriacs’ discrete projects. This phenomenon functions as a space between the “top-down” official designs and plans and the “bottom-up” forms of community activism without an effect on the form of physical space. So-called “users” have become designers.Less
The Conclusion zeroes in on “urban design from below” as the aggregate result of the Syriacs’ discrete projects. This phenomenon functions as a space between the “top-down” official designs and plans and the “bottom-up” forms of community activism without an effect on the form of physical space. So-called “users” have become designers.
