Eastern Theology

EASTERN CHURCHES
EASTERN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

AND LITURGY
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Christianity has its roots in the Asian soil and the
Asian cultural milieu that is eastern/oriental.
The Semitic cultural milieu into which Christianity was
born is both Asian and a constituent element of the
biblical thought patterns and religious expressions.
Fundamentals of Eastern Theology unveil
Eastern/Oriental and Asiatic modes of theological
reflections that are much necessary to strike a
healthy balance, as a sort of complementality, to
the Greco-Roman modes of theological reflections.
With respect to the Indian context the basic
orientations, perspectives and themes of Syriac
Christian theological reflections will be exposed and
analyzed with the help of early Syriac Christian
writings.
I. CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS AND THE CHURCH
PART A
-The image of the Church evolves/develops from time
to time as She travels forward.
Incarnation > assuming the whole creation
‘New Creation’ > the ‘Mystical Body of Christ’ (1Cor
12:13; one body and several members; LG 7).
The mystery of the Church as ‘Mystical Body of Christ’
pervades a multitude of relationships, social,
cultural, religious, even technical and political.
The Spirit poured on the day of Pentecost and the
transformation for a new creation (LG 7).
Christian Task
Guiding and driving all new forms of
relationships in humanity under the purview
of the sacramental vision of the Church as
the ‘Mystical Body of Christ’. This Mystical
Body is formed by the power of the Risen
Lord who is active in the world and in the
Church.
Beyond knowing and understanding, a
Christian needs doing/action, doing the faith
(acts of faith), life of observance, everyday
has to be made a day of Pentecost.
-Apostolic Church in different cities, the ‘Church of Christ’ and
the Churches in the early centres of Christianity
-Church and Churches

-Church is the community of faith, hope and Charity;
faith in Christ, hope in the promises of Christ and
charity is the oil of Christian existence, or the
Christian living action in the world.
As in the incarnate Son, the visible and the invisible,
divine and human, heavenly and earthly in the
Church should not be seen as opposing poles, but as
existential outcome of the ‘not-yet’ of the fully
integrated ‘body of Christ’ in the world, not-yet of
the fuller ‘Kingdom of God’.
The process of integration is taking place at the levels of
social, sacramental/spiritual and mystical levels
(1Thess. 5:23).
BODY
SOUL
SPIRIT
CH UR CH CHURCH CH UR CH
Mystical level
Sacramental Level
Social level
Christian Task
Understand, acknowledge and make functional
the different categories, conditions and rules
of developments at the
Social (body) level,
Sacramental/personal (soul/person) level,
& Mystical (spiritual) level.
of the functioning of the Church, the People
of God.
Persecuted Church
Persecuted Church in the East and in the West
(Roman and Persian empires)
• Persecuted Church is a paradigm for
being ‘salt of the earth and light of the
world’ (Mt 5:13-14).
• As Christ assumed the fallen body of
Adam and recreated it into a New
Creation, the Church has to undergo the
needed struggle to transform the world
into a new creation, into a ‘New Heaven
and a New Earth’ (cf. Rev 21:1,2).
Christian Task
Being ‘salt of the earth and light of the world’
(Mt 5:13,14) in the mode of remaining and
functioning in the world for transforming it
into a ‘new heaven and a new earth’, a new
Jerusalem.
Reflect about the present day efficacy of the
Church in bearing witness to the Gospel
values (Kingdom values) in the world,
especially in the globalizing world.
Imperial Church
Imperial Church from the 4th century in Europe and the
Church under the patronage of the Greco-Roman
cultural and political hegemony.
- Political patterns of Church governance
- Hierarchical structure of the Church & Rome
- Disintegration of the Roman Empire and Church
- European medieval Church and the feudal usages in
the Church
- Year 1054 & EAST < > WEST rupture of communion
- Papal states (from 754 – 1870) & politicised Papacy
- Centralization in the Church & Roman/Latin cultural
thrust
Christian Task
The need of regaining the proper balance

and integration between the social,
sacramental and mystical levels of the
life in the Church.
Needed balance with unity in diversity in

the Church has to be achieved day by
day.
Understanding of the concepts East and West,
Oriental and Occidental
The terms: Eastern/Oriental > oriens – orientis = rising
> rising of the sun (oriental)
Western/Occidental > ob (towards, down) + cadere
(fall) = occidens – occidentis = falling > falling of the
sun (West/Occidental).
Present day globalization and the encounter of world
cultures; worldwide migration and the spread of
Christianity and Christian message.
At present the Eastern and Western distinction is
based not much on geographical terms but on
cultural, social and thought patterns with
ideologies and practices.
Christian Task: Need of dialogue, understanding and
communion between the East and West
Christian Church and Churches / Christian Tradition
and Traditions
The pattern of the spread of Gospel Message,
its pattern: Acts 1: 7,8; Witnessing Life
• Spread of the Gospel message from
Jerusalem (Lk 24:47) to the ends of the world.
• The writing on the Cross in three languages,
John 19:20 (Hebrew, Latin and Greek).
• Engagement between Gospel message and
the world cultures = Christian traditions:
MAJOR CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS
Semitic Judeo-Christian Traditions
Hellenistic/Greek Christian Traditions
Latin/Roman Christian TraditIons
Semitic Judeo-Christian Traditions
A FEW CHARACTERISTICS
Engagement > covenantal fidelity
Faithfulness in freedom > loving engagment
Mystical ascent in faith
Narrative theology, liturgy (participative repetitions)
Finding inner relations & synchronic vision
HELLENISTIC/GREEK CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS
Knowledge of the truth, analysis and definition

Philosophical – dialectical reflection & definition
Speculative theology, ontological interrelationships
Rational and logical approach in dialectical thinking
Dogmatic definitions and conceptual precision
LATIN / ROMAN CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS
Order, organization & discipline based on regulations

Ordering of the revealed truths and evolved practices
Management of the system of life and actions
Hierarchical distinctions
Juridical approach
LITURGICAL FAMILIES IN THE CHURCH
• The Antiochian Liturgical Family

• The Alexandrian Liturgical Family
• The Church of the East Liturgical Family
• The Armenian Liturgical Family
• The Byzantine Liturgical Family
• The Roman/Latin Liturgical Family
A. INDIVIDUAL CHURCHES IN THE CATHOLIC COMMUNION
(Catholic Church is a communion of 23 Oriental and 1 Latin Churches)
1. ORIENTAL CHURCHES
Church of the East :Chaldean Catholic Church

Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
Antiochiene :Syrian Catholic Church
Maronite Catholic Church
Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
Armenian Catholic Church :Armenian Church (Catholic)
Alexandrian :Coptic Catholic Church
Ethiopian Catholic Church (Ghe’ez)
Asmara Eritrean Church
Byzantine Catholic Fold: Greek Melkite Ukrainian
Ruthenian Rumanian
Slovak Hungarian
Italo-Albanian Krizevic (Yugoslavia)
Russian Greek (Byzantine)
Bulgarian Byelorussian
Albanian Lithuanian
2. LATIN/ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES
Roman/Latin Group: Latin/Roman
Ambrosian (Milan)
Gallican (Lyons)
Mozarabic (Spain)
B. NON CATHOLIC ORIENTAL CHURCHES
Church of the East Family: The Assyrian Church of the East
The Assyrian Church of the East in India (Kerala)
Oriental Orthodox Churches: The Syrian orthodox Church
(Antiochiene) The Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church
The Malankara Orhodox Syrian Church
The Thozhiyoor Church
The Mar Thoma Church
Alexandrian: Coptic, Ethiopian & Erithrean Orthodox Churches
Armenian: The Armenian Apostolic Church
SEMITIC JUDEO-CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS
Traditionally West Asia is the geographical centre of
Semitic peoples. They are mainly divided into three
groups: Jews, Christians and Muslims.
The ethnic and cultural peculiarities of the Semitic
people are historically referred to SHEM, the eldest
son of NOAH (cf. Gen 9:18-19; 10:1,21 etc.).
Sons of NOAH
SHEM = dusky (inhabited in West Asian area)
HAM = black (inhabited in African area)
JAPHETH = fair (inhabited in European area)
The generations from Shem are called Semitic people.
They settled in West Asian area, east of the
Mediterranean sea.
Some Features of the Semitic People
and Their Cultures
(1) Consciousness of a Covenantal People:

(2) The Sense of Corporate Personality:
(3) Experiential Dimension in Human Life and
Progress:
(4) Faith in Divine promises and fulfilment:
(source of hope)
(5) Baptismal commitment and Faithfulness:
GOSPEL MESSAGE AND WORLD CULTURES
Gospel Message is engaging with many world
cultures one after another in different parts
of the world.
This process of engagement is still going on,
and it will ever go on till the end of times.
Only through such engagements with the
human cultures, incarnation of the Word will
take place in every culture and in every
generation, into every strata of the different
societies of humanity.
Ecclesia in Asia
Pope, St. John Paul II, on 6 November , 1999
“It was in fact in Asia that God revealed and fulfilled
his saving purpose from the beginning. He guided
his patriarchs (Gen 12) and called Moses to lead his
people to freedom (Ex 3:10). He spoke to his chosen
people through many prophets, judges, kings and
valiant women of faith. In ‘the fullness of time’ (Gal
4:4), he sent his only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ the
Saviour, who took flesh as an Asian!” (Ecclesia in
Asia, no. 1).
Asia is the birth place of Jesus and of the Church
(Ecclesia in Asia, no. 5), regain the Asian realities of
Christianity.
II VATICAN COUNCIL
REDISCOVERY OF THE NATURE OF THE CHURCH
Inauguration of the Church on the day of Pentecost
(Acts 2:1-4)
Coming of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit Charisms of the Holy Spirit
Divine Heavenly Invisible Not of this world
Church
Human Earthly Visible Of this world
• Church and the Charisms of the Holy Spirit
• There are different gifts but there is only one Spirit
who governs all of them (1Cor 12:1-11).
• Church as MYSTERY and SACRAMENT (LG 1-8).
Church, the Body of Christ
Church is Christ’s Body
(1Cor 12:12-31)
Chcurch CH
CHURCH
Charismatic Wing Hierarchical Wing
of the Church of the Church
Imbalances and Distortions in the Perception of the
Nature of the Church
Montanism (extreme charismatic tendency)
Donatism (validity and fruitfulness of sacraments)
Emergence of the hierarchical Church
Imperial Church and the Roman administrative system
Diocletian (245-313; Emp. 284-305) effect
Medieval Church and adoption of feudal systems
Holy Spirit Faithful in the Church
Church Hierarchy
THE REDISCOVERY OF
THE NATURE AND MISSION OF THE CHURCH
The Church as Sacrament and Mystery (LG 1-8,
chp. 1)
Christ is the Sacrament of God > Church is the
Sacrament of Christ > Sacraments of the
Church
Church is on a pilgrim journey, on the road of
perfection to the Kingdom
The ‘Kingdom of God’ subsists in the Catholic
Church (LG 8)
Ecumenical openness of the Church
EASTERN/SYRIAC CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY:
ORIENTATIONS
Centripetal
Globalized Humanity
Centrifugal
Unity in Diversity based on collaboration
Corporate personality and communal
behaviour
Need of social and religious collaboration
Pauline Semitic Judeo-Christian vision of the
‘mystical body’ (1Cor. 12:12-31)
SYRIAC/EASTERN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY
Semitic Judeo-Christian legacies are basic to all
main line Christian traditions:
Syriac Orient (Hebraic)
Christianity Greek East (Hellenistic)
Latin West (Latin)
JERUSALEM CHRISTIANITY
Semitic Culture > Semitic Judeo-Christianity
Jean Danielou > Jewish-Semitic Theology
A theology between incarnation and Hellenistic
theological developments.
Significance of Syriac theological, spiritual,
mystical legacies.
VI. SYRIAC CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY: ORIENTATIONS
SYRIAC THEOLOGY: Complementary Link in Christian
Theology.
In the world of Christian religious developments there
are prominent strands and normative foundations,
evolved from the Greek East and Latin West of
Christendom.
Even the Greek East and Latin West of Christianity have
their indebtedness to a far prior set of Christian
foundations based on the Semitic Judeo-Christian
legacies very well evolved through the Old and New
Testament world-views.
The prior set of Christian foundations based on
the Semitic Judeo-Christian legacies, were
preserved by the Syriac Orient tradition.
Jean Daniélou describes that in the works of
the Apostolic Fathers and Apologists there is
a phase of Christian thought which is
described as “a first form of Christian
theology expressed in Jewish-Semitic terms.”
Syriac Christianity stands as a link that connects
that Semitic Judeo-Christian legacies to the
later developments in the universal Church.
SYRIAC ORIENT
Syriac Orient tradition stands apart from the
Greco-Roman mode of Christianity and
preserved and made flourish such Semitic
Judeo-Christian heritages very prominently in
the history of Christian vision of salvation.
Jean Daniélou, a prominent patristic scholar,
calls such a Christian heritage as the very
foundation of Christian theology “in between
the Incarnation and the emergence of
Hellenistic theology.”
SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL AND THE BIBLICAL AND
SALVATION HISTORICAL APPROACH IN THEOLOGY
Lumen Gentium reflects a reorientation to the biblical
and salvation historical perspectives with more
pastoral and catechetical thrust. This vision is
clearly indicated by reaffirming Church as the
mystery, sacrament, sign and instrument of the
unity of humankind with God (LG 1). The accent is
on the working of the Spirit (LG 4) and by
describing the nature of the Church with the
biblical imageries of ‘sheepfold’, ‘field of God’,
‘vineyard’, ‘temple of the Holy Spirit’, ‘spouse of
the Immaculate Lamb’ and so on (LG 6)
THE GLOBAL BIBLICAL VISION
Universality of the Biblical Semitic Judeo-Christian
Vision
(a) Humanity Created in the ‘Image and
Likeness of God’
(b) Universal Semitic Judeo-Christian Biblical
World Vision
Abraham > Gen 12:3
Jacob > Gen 28:14
Deutro Isaiah > Is 54:2
St. Paul > Eph 1:9-10
St. Paul > Rom 12:1-4
Need of a theology of human relationality
2. SYRIAC CHRISTIAN LEGACY AND
CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY
Syriac Christianity and Judeo-Christian Theology
1. Syriac Christianity > Major faithful carrier of Semitic
Jewish Legacies of Christianity through history.
2. Syriac Christianity > stands in the Semitic cultural
categories and traditions having some foundational
bearing on all forms of Christianities in the world .
3. Syriac Christianity > inherited Semitic and Hebraic
constants and developed as paradigms for
Christianity elsewhere.
Sense of mystery
Christian Life Contemplative approach
Participative realization of salvation
SPECIFIC ORIENTATIONS
OF SYRIAC THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS
Gospel message spreading from Jerusalem (Acts 1:8).
Jesus was born of the Semitic Jewish stock, his
message too became incarnate in the Semitic
Jewish cultural milieu.
Geographically, the message of Christian salvation
spread from Jerusalem (Lk 24:47).
Culturally, Christian message spreads from Semitic,
Judeo-culture.
Social and cultural incarnation of the ‘Word and
Wisdom of Yahweh’ through Semitic culture as a
paradigm.
SYRIAC CHRISTIAN THEOLOGICAL
ORIENTATIONS
1. Sacramental Understanding and Awareness
Regarding Creation and History
2. Covenantal Perception and Consciousness in
Human Social and Religious Life
3. Salvific Divine Pedagogy and the Christian
Paideia for Salvific Modes of Life
4. Salvific Synchronic Vision for the Social,
Religious and Spiritual Realization
1. Sacramental Understanding and Awareness
Regarding Creation and History
Biblical understanding of God is based on the
experiential knowledge of creation,
redemption and salvation.
The author of creation, redemption and
resurrection (salvation) are the same.
In the created world and in history we find
signs, symbols and designs of divine support
and providence that are to be perceived by
human beings.
Sacramental Understanding …
Ephrem (306-373) writes so convincingly:

In every place, if you look, His symbol is there,
and when you read, you will find His types.
For by Him were created all creatures,
and he engraved His symbols upon His possessions.
When he created the world,
He gazed at it an adorned it with His images.
Streams of His symbols opened, flowed and poured
forth
His symbols on His members (Virginity 20:12).
Jacob of Serugh (451-521) finds the fashioning
out of nothing, sustenance and bringing up to
perfection by the divine mercy. He finds
‘creation from nothing’ and ‘the continued
creation’ as two phases of the act of divine
mercy (HS III 52,6,7; V 368 16-17).
The Father made the sign, and the Son created

and the Spirit perfected,
and the world came up in a Trinitarian way
from nothing (HS III 13,15-16).
Divinity is immanent and transcendent
with regard to the world (HS II 210,3).
On account of this mutual relationship
all created realities assume a symbolic
power that signifies and proclaims the
creative, sustaining and perfecting force
of the divine Word. This function and
truth regarding the creative power
renders everything in the world as
having a sacramental role and power.
This created world with its sacramental
power can never be seen as evil in any
way. It is the mode of the use of this
world by human beings that generates
good or evil.
The sacramental role of created beings
becomes all the more explicit and
fundamental regarding humanity with
its ‘image and likeness of God’.
Developing from the ‘image and likeness
of God’ in humanity, Ephrem speaks
about the deeper engagement between
Christ the redeemer and each Christian.
The roles of prophet, priest and king in Adam
were promises to be rendered perfect
through Christ the Word, the source of
prophecy, Christ the High priest, the crown of
Priesthood, and Christ the King of kings who
shepherds and governs all.
Adam who was bound to exercise all his roles,
functions and faculties in a sacramental way,
had in fact exercised them in a secularist way
and failed to attain the goals.
Modern Day Contextual Challenges and
Practical Fields of Applications
• Our body, environment, created world and
ecological factors, are to be sacramentaly
handled.
• natural, scientific, commercial and
developmental use and management of the
material world and resources should be
guided by the sacramental vision.
• In all areas of human behaviour the
sacramental vision should be a guide for all.
Human dignity as prophet, priest and
shepherd are to be upheld.
2. Covenantal Perception and Consciousness
in Human Social and Religious Life
Creation is divine mercy’s engagement

with the created world, inclusive of
humanity. This engagement should grow
to its fulfillment in participation.
Inward function
Image and Likeness of God
Outward function
Covenantal Perception …
(a) History of Salvation as a History of
Covenantal Relationships
In the Syriac Christian understanding creation,
incarnation and redemption are various
steps of a covenantal relationship. It is
through these activities divine engagement
and participation assumes fulfillment.
Syriac authors find various covenants in the
history of salvation.
Syriac Christian reflection proposes five
covenants in the history of salvation:
1. Adam (Gen 2:16-17), You may freely eat of every
tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day
that you eat of it you shall die.
2. Noah (Gen 9:3), not to eat flesh with blood.
3. Abraham (Gen 17:10), the command to
practise circumcision.
4. Moses (Ex 19ff), the whole of Sinai Covenant
5. Christ (New Covenant), who fulfills all other
covenants.
(b) Covenantal Relationship in the Christian life
The excellent dynamism of Semitic, Hebrew
factor of covenant is all the more enriched by
another Semitic factor of corporate
personality in the aspects of covenantal
relationship.
Syriac theological reflection sets through the
covenantal idea a very subjective and
personal relationship that goes beyond all
modes of objective, rational (Hellenistic),
juridical and legalistic (Latin) relationships.
For an individual Christian, the sacraments are
channels of covenantal engagements through
the Church to Christ and to the Father.
Personal fidelity and steadfastness are the
strongholds of this relationship.
Covenantal perception and ‘nuptial imagery’ of
‘bridal chamber’ with ‘entry into the briddal
chamber’.
Ascetico-monastic group of ‘Sons of the
Covenant’ (Aphrahat, Demonstrations VI).
Practical Fields of Applications
• All human relations and engagements at the
levels of human existence such as social,
religious, communitarian, national,
international and others as well as contracts
and agreements and their maintenance for
justice, peace and development in the world
are present day covenants for salvation.
• Plight of the marginalized, the poor, the
women, and vulnerable groups.
3. Salvific Divine Pedagogy and the Christian Paideia for
Salvific Modes of Life
The basic theological question is the mode of
reconciliation between the functioning of
human free will as a God-given gift in the
divine plan and the divine economy that is
eternal and immutable.
Divine Plan
Divine Economy Human Free will
Salvific divine pedagogy
Salvific Divine Pedagogy …
The crucial question of how divine designs for
Adam and Adam’s free will function towards
the salvation of Adam/humanity? The only
solution and mode of action is the divine
pedagogy.
While the divine mercy with its loving kindness
supports, the divine justice chastises all. This
is the mode of divine economy that renders
its pedagogy providing its teachings to win
all.
Divine wisdom does a very crucial balancing act by
which neither human free will is constrained nor
that free will is let so free as to lose the divine
promise of life through the second tree of Paradise,
the ‘Tree of Life’ (Gen 2:9).
Adam’s expulsion was a pedagogical step. Adam was
given a teaching by being sent outside Paradise for
his toil. He has to return to Paradise with
repentance after having reconciled himself to the
divine plan and instructions.
Adam’s repentant home-coming in the Bible
Modern Day Contextual Challenges and Practical Fields of
Applications
• Instruction and guidance for the free will of humans.
• Right use of free will in diaspora experiences on account of
active migration as well as the diaspora experience due to
the passive migration into the changed socio-cultural and
other existential situations as the changing backgrounds.
Here we may mention the age old saying of Heraclitus,
“nobody can step into the same river twice”. Even if the
person does not change, the background changes every now
and then. Hence, actively or passively all are in diaspora and
that demands right exercise of free will.
• A society built on Justice and love (OT + NT);
• Learning from the history and world developments:
Climate change and ecological disasters; racial
hatred and social tensions;
• Public behaviour endangering human dignity, social
security, social and cultural and religious value
systems.
• Western Christian paideia based on Hellenistic
dualism was not fully successful in striking a salvific
balance between matter and spirit; body and soul;
humanity and divinity, etc. (the question of
opposites).
• What is happening in history has to be taken as the
base, row material, on which the Kingdom of God
has to be built.
4. Salvific Synchronic Vision for the Social, Religious and
Spiritual Realization
Salvific Synchronic Vision is a specific mode of

looking at and understanding the events and
personalities of salvation history.
Such a vision synchronises all times and its
horizon transcends the boundaries of time
and history. This might be called entering into
the divine milieu or to the eschatological
realm by a faith vision.
Salvific Synchronic Vision …
(a) Historical Outlook and the Synchronic

Vision on the Economy of Salvation
The Syriac theological vision is so discerning as
to set every event in the history of salvation
within a coherent framework.
This discerning vision understands the
progressive realization of the divine plan of
salvation and it enables one to find a single
teaching running through OT and NT. Eg. John
3:14, Moses lifted up the bronze serpent -
Son of Man has to be lifted up.
This vision is attained through the sacramental
world-vision, typological exegesis and
symbolic theological reflection. Through a
sort of symbolic abstraction from the
diachronic levels of history, one can arrive at
a synchronic vision of the realization of
immutable divine plan of salvation through
the divine pedagogy.
Some examples of synchronic vision:
Eve and Mary
Mount Sinai and the Mount of Transfiguration
(b) Divine Teaching and Human Salvation

The events and realities of the history of
salvation are not haphazard factors. They are
interrelated realities with definite purposes
behind them.
The divine providence, rich in discernment is
the guiding factor behind the ‘divine
economy’ (m-dabbranuta), and it provides
the ‘teaching of salvation’ (yulpana d-hayye).
Since Scriptures are the story of the descending
love of God (SMS 794,12-15/FH III 85-88), it
can be approached and fruitfully read only
through a corresponding love towards them
(HS IV 282,9-18)
Love is the key to the understanding of the
mysteries of creation, incarnation and
redemption.
The divine mercy instructs humanity according
to humanity's capacity to understand. The
homily of Jacob of Serugh “On the Veil on
Moses' Face” searches the reason for the veil
Moses had to place over his face after the
theophany on Mount Sinai (Ex 34:34), Ex 4:10
stammering Moses.
It is the same Spirit that enlightened the
righteous of the OT and the prophets by
enabling them to see the mystery of Christ
and to bear witness to him in their own ways.
Those who can attain spiritual understanding
can find great treasures of the divine
‘teaching of salvation’ (yulpana d-hayye)
shining out from the Scriptures.
Christ is the mediator and the head of the two
orders of teachings which shone out in the
Old and the New Testaments, in the prophets
and the apostles. Thus through all of them a
single body of teaching filled with truth
shines out for the salvation of humanity.

Practical Fields of Applications:
• Lack of holistic vision and instructions due to
selfish narrow outlooks and sectarianism.
• Needed effective socialization and religious
education in a society that changes from day
to day.
• Catechesis with right theological and spiritual
education for healthy praxis in life.
Ecumenical and wider ecumenical visions.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
SOME CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF SYRIAC
CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY
The deeds of human beings are the point of
departure. What a human being does with
free-will decides the history. In the
Semitic/Syriac vision all deeds evolving from
the human heart are either enhancing the
divine-human relation or reducing the same.
1. History-bound Theological Vision and
Contextual Theological Reflections
History is formed out of what happens and
what is being done. Rather than systems,
structures, theories and principles of
theology what a believing Christian does is
the foundation of theological reflection.
History-bound Theological Vision...
History-bound theological vision penetrates
deep into the deeds of personal realm. It
touches upon one’s own alignment with the
deeper orientations of the history of salvation
and the timely exercise of free-will.
The human free-will is a pivotal element upon
which either the realization or the neglect of
salvation history takes place. Human free-will,
in its individual and communitarian levels,
plays a supreme role.
What happens out of free-will is the important
factor, that is, an open ended reflection and
progress in life based on what happens
historically. Hence, history-bound theological
vision is not at all a closed systematic
structure. It is basically contextual theology.
In a history based situation, guided by the free-
will, individuals have to find out and shape
their mode of life in a heuristic (eureka)
manner based on their faith alignment in life.
It would be a sort of personal experiential
knowledge and realization rather than a
theory-bound and doctrinally closed system
and discovery.
Any systematization sidelines the Adamic
ambivalence in free-will. It is the exercise of
the gift of free will that sets the stage either
for the responsible and meritorious gaining
(realization) of the promises or for the
irresponsible and culpable losing of the
promises.
Theological vision based on the free-will and

the faith horizon demands one’s own
creativity and realization with utmost
individuality and identity.
The whole OT historical development is based
on the type of open ended divine-human
engagements resulted in Israel’s experience
of salvation or punishment.
• Typologies are developed from the analogical
elements seen in the OT and NT patterns and
images from human behaviour.
• Eg: Free-will is given equally to all the
following:
• - Abel & Cain
• - All people during the time of Noah
• - Two sons in the parable of the prodigal son
• - Samson (in the OT; Judg 14-16)
2. A Theology of Divine-human Engagement
Culminating in Incarnation
The basis of divine-human engagement is on
the biblical foundation of the creation of
humanity in the “Image and likeness of God”
(Gen 1:26).
‘image and likeness’ deposited in humanity as a
potential for growth and realization. This
deposit was the first covenant of God with
humanity through Adam.
Divine-human Engagement Culminating in Incarnation..
Adam/humanity was given the promises that
were to be realized in humanity through
human responses. The whole of salvation
history is the history of such divine promises,
calls and responses.
The divine calls are made known to humanity
through the progressive divine self-revelation
in history.
According to Ephrem God made himself

incarnate in three steps:
(1) Through the types and symbols of salvation
history,
(2) Through the various names assumed by God
in the history of salvation,
(3) Finally in the assumed humanity in Jesus
Christ, the historical incarnation.
Christ who assumed human body stayed in all

the stages of human life. Thus Christ stayed
in all the staging posts of humanity. At all
staging posts he brought justification,
sanctification and perfection.
He stayed in the womb of Mary, in the womb of
Jordan waters (his baptism) and in the womb
of Sheol (death). Finally he came out of Sheol
victorious tracing the way for the whole of
humanity.
This mystery of incarnation should be seen in a
wider horizon. The indwelling of the Word is
ongoing in the Christian and in the Church.
This ongoing indwelling is effected through
the sacraments, sacramentals, prayers and all
spiritual and personal exercises.
The indwelling of the Word of God becomes
fully incarnate thorough the Christian
ministry in the world by each Christian.
The theology of actualization and realization

has to be explicitly seen. In Christ is the full
actualization of all aspects of salvation.
In the Christian as well as in the Church the
realization has to take place as fulfilment or
realization of the promise.
3. A Theology Pointing to the Heart and Conscience
Everyone has an ‘interior heart’, a co-ordinating

‘interior centre’ that guides and steers all the
dynamic process of the personality.
It is through that centre that the exchanges
between the sacred space and time with the
ordinary space and time take place. This
centre may or may not be inspired by the
Holy Spirit, or even variantly inspired.
This ‘interior centre’ is the ‘inner heart’.
Theology Pointing to the Heart and Conscience...
Human beings are travelling through the worlds
of ‘sacred time and space’ and that of the
‘ordinary time and space’.
The ‘inner heart’, when travelling through the
ordinary space and time, takes different
material incarnations. But when it travels
through ‘sacred space and time’, it keeps up
the same expression and form. Eg. The faith
of Abraham and our faith. Faith is same, but
acts of faith are diverse in Abraham and in us.
This ‘image and likeness’ in humanity is the
divinizing element. This process is ongoing
through the inner heart.
The ‘inner heart is’ the deciding and driving

power in all human actions. In the Christian,
biblical, especially Syriac understanding, our
‘inner heart’ has two parameters to be taken
into account.
They are the inner deposit of the divine image
as the ideal of the divine likeness that has to
be achieved and the actual mode of
behavioural attainment in the day-to-day life.
The parity and disparity between this ideal
deposit of ‘image’ and the actual mode of
behavioural attainment of the ‘likeness of
God’ depict the state of one’s conscience and
the stage of one’s sanctification and
deification.
Thus our ‘inner heart’ is the decisive centre. Eg.
The Pauline testimony serves as a concrete
depiction of the matter. Letter to Romans
7:14-25 speaks about two laws functioning in
a human being.
4. A Theological Vision for Mystical Ascent
In the oriental vision ‘knowledge’ and
‘understanding’ have to be essentially geared
to theoria, a sort of insight into the divine
mysteries, divine plans and divine
providence. This theoria or insight, works in a
supra-rational manner, in the community and
in the individual levels.
- Centrifugal and centripetal forces in society
when the communitarian vision integrates
centripetally, charismatic individuals with
their own charismatic gifts of the Spirit make
the salvation history progress centrifugally in
an organic manner as members of the
community.
Theological Vision for Mystical Ascent ...
In such a dynamics there is a healthy
collaboration between the community, as the
foundation (tradition), and the individual as
the flowering and crown of the edifice.
Each member should find out his own pattern
of mystical ascent.
The discerning vision will initiate mystical
ascent. Such a mode of life-vision is aimed
not at merely making intellectual discoveries
(Greek) or ordering of the discovered
patterns of divine realities (Latin), but really
get into contact with divinity indeed and
experience the divine realities (Syriac).
This theological reflection for mystical ascent is

a process of subjective participation than
objective analysis for intellectual domination
and rational capture of the matter under
consideration. Here the steps of progression
are not merely rational and logical thinking
but the ardent desire to participate in the
mystery which any disciple lovingly accepts
and believes in.
It is within such a horizon of faith various types,
symbols and mysteries of the history of
salvation of OT and NT are functioning and
standing as divine invitations to humanity for
a corresponding response
All forms of ‘prying into’ for intellectual
domination and capturing of the mystery,
would be doomed to failure. Avoid it.
What is needed is ascent and participation in
the mystery by loving contemplation; that
would be mystical ascent by the believer.
The needed mode is that of faith and love with
submission to the mystery in order to enter
into a relationship and participation in the
divine. This mode of mind-set is the mode of
setting one’s horizon of faith and life pattern.
With such a mind-set what happens is not any
objectification of the mystery, but a
participative sharing and understanding of
the mystery, which is always personally
transformative. This transformation is
actually a purification of the heart that
engenders more purity, limpidity,
transparency and luminosity of the heart.
See with the ‘eye of faith’, the ‘inner eye’ in a

human being.
This process of ascent is the way of sanctity and
holiness of life that conforms to the scriptural
truth, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God” (Mt 5:8).
Models are: Samson (Judg 14-16); Samaritan
woman (Jn 4:7-42); Zacchaeus (Lk 19:2-10);
St. Peter (Mt 16:13; Mk 8:27; Jn 6:66-69); the
disciples travelling to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-32).
VI. SYRIAC LITURGY AND
THE ECONOMY OF SALVATION
Liturgical life, for a Christian, is the God-given
sacramental time and space for consciously
relating oneself to the ongoing slavific
economy of God, sacramental transformation
Thus one has to believe, understand and
commit oneself consciously to the ongoing
divine economy of salvation in the world.
LITURGY: Conscious participation by a Christian
in the salvific pilgrimage of the people of
God.
LITURGY AND THE ECONOMY OF SALVATION …
(1) Biblical and Salvation Historical

Approaches in Liturgy
Christian Life is basically an activity, a
doing (a life of action) that goes beyond
and deeper than thinking.
Christian life, in its full stature, is a
manifest action than mere thinking and
hence a witnessing life.
Christian life is an external manifestation (a
denha) of what is believed internally; it is an
incarnation of what is believed.
In concrete terms one’s Christian faith has to be
incarnated in the external forum of life. Then
only it becomes a true Christian life bearing
witness to one’s faith.
In the Liturgy, the two aspects, Biblical vision (=
the ideal level of life) and the Salvation
Historical Vision (= the actual level of life) are
put in a dialogical frame work for conversion
and reform of life.
The basis and purpose of Christian life is the

attainment of salvation, the everlasting life,
as promised by God. It is basically God’s plan,
divine will, and divine economy as envisaged
by God. As it is divine plan it has a unity,
organic totality and the divinely set patterns
of development.
All salvific acts of the past and present are
organically related and are bound to generate
fruits in the future.
Such salvific organic relationships and

interconnectedness are due to the divine
economy that is always active at all times of
the past, present and future.
On the basis of the organic relationship and
development of the slavific history, all past
events, initiated according to the plan of God
and the economy of God, are still functioning
and active with full potentials.
Biblical vision introduces you to salvation

historical vision and vice versa through the
events and persons of the biblical history.
While the biblical approach builds up internally,
the salvation historical approach enables a
Christian to lead a successful witnessing life
in the world externally.
Christ has commanded all his followers ‘to be
his witnesses from Jerusalem to the ends of
the earth’ (cf. Acts 1:7-8).
(2) Christian Traditions (Churches) and the Life

of Observance for Salvation
The great command of Christ (Mt 28: 18-20)
insists on observance and witnessing. In Mt
28:20 Jesus insists on “teaching them to
observe all that I have commanded you; and
lo, I am with you always, to the close of the
age”. Here the teaching has to reach its goal
of observing all that are commanded.
In Acts 1: 7-8 “… But you shall receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and
you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and
in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of
the earth”.
The insistence is on being witnesses to Christ
from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.
Wherever witnessing life of Christians are
powerful there Christianity also would be
powerful. Christian power is witnessing
power.
Christian project:
• -Discipleship
• -Baptism and baptismal life, baptismal waters
• -Teaching aimed at the observation of all
commandments
• -Presence of the risen Lord till the end of
times
• -Bearing witness to Christ all over the world
• Bearing witness is not mere concept or
philosophy alone, but an action, a state of
being present to the world, christian
presence.
• Witnessing activity is not any conquest but in
biblical terms a mode being “salt of the earth
and light of the world (Mt 5:13,14).
Being Remnant in the world (Rom 9:27)
Being a Little Flock in the world (Lk 12:32)
(3) Father’s Will and Plan and the Kingdom of

God
It is the Father’s will and plan that are being
executed by all in the salvific plan.
Jesus was doing the will of the Father and the
same pattern was handed over to all his
disciples all over the world in the NT through
the Church.
Adam became a ‘living being’ by the infusion of
the ‘breath of life’ (Gen 2:7).
But that breath has been much diminished due
to the disregard for the plan of God by Adam.
So the ‘Second Adam, the Celestial Adam,
Christ came and recapitulated all into himself
(Eph 1:10) and provided salvation.
-Breath of life on Adam (Gen 2:7) >< Jesus
breathing on the Apostles (Jn 20:22).
-coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of
Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Every Liturgical time is
a time of Pentecost. The overshadowing of
the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 1:35) is taking place in
every liturgical time; epiclesis for the coming
of the Holy Spirit is a part of every liturgy.
(4) Liturgical Space-Time and the Meeting of
the Heavenly and the Earthly
Sacred time Liturgical time

The two
times
Historical time Chronological time
What is needed is conversion and

transformation of all human, physical,
historical and chronological factors into
divine, spiritual, sacred and liturgical.
(5) Liturgical Life and Sacramental World-vision
• Sacramental world-vision: Sacramental world-vision
makes one to be always aware of the divine power
that creates, sustains and governs the world of
realities. Divinity is acknowledged and adored.
• Secularist world-vision: In the secular world-vision
whatever is seen by the human senses in this world of
time and space is seen as the ultimate reality. In such
a vision God who created and sustains and provides
salvation is not recognized at all. God is not in the
awareness of one’s life.
In another sense humans have to redeem
the temporal realities and historical
time to attain the power of eternity.
This is possible through a conscious
living of faith by a life of observance
composed of the acts of faith.
In such a life the whole time is sanctified
so as to attain the nature of eternity.
This is made possible through the
liturgical life of the faithful.
(6) Liturgical Life and Participation in the
Eternal Divine Plan
Liturgical life is the actual expression of the life
of the Church in its divine-human aspects.
Liturgy and pastoral life (ministry) respectively
form the divine and human dynamic aspects
of the tradition of any Church. They both give
shape to the personality (individuality) or the
living tradition of the Church.
Lex orandi, Lex credendi, Lex vivendi (Law of
prayer is the law of faith and of the life).
The events of the history of salvation function
as a paradigm for all generations through
their successes and failures. Memorials of
those events in celebrations are for the
guidance, catechesis, of each period to attain
the goals of the salvific plan of God.
Only by one’s faith-vision one can initiate
himself and participate in that organic
progression of the plan of salvation seen in
the OT and NT as well as that in the period of
the Church.
Liturgy is an evocative activity that is necessary
to awaken/enlighten/empower the faithful
to live according to the faith. Liturgy awakens
all for participation, as in the case of the 10
virgins, of which five were diligent and the
other five were foolish ones (cf. Mt 25:1-13).
All divine actions of the past are really present
still in our present day, and are ever powerful
by the divine power behind. This factor is
perceivable only to an ‘eye of faith’.
All signs and promises of the salvation history
are passing out from the past and are active
in the present period of the “liturgical now”.
God’s time has no past, present or future, but
has an ‘eternal now’ always. All divine
actions are still present and active.
With Christ-event a new quality of time
emerged. It is the time of fulfilment and
perfection. It is the time of fruitfulness of all
promises. All signifying elements of old times
have reached the stage of the signified reality
in Christ as the fulfilment. In other words the
eschatological reality has arrived in Christ.
With Christ, in the New Testament period and in
the Church, we really enter into salvation and
not merely waiting for it. By the participation in
the mystery of Christ everything is made new
and recapitulated in Christ (Eph 1:10).
(7) Liturgy and Recapitulation of all in Christ
Participation in the mystery of Christ in concrete is
a dying to self and rising to the new life in Christ
(2Cor 4:10ff; 13:4; Rom 6:3ff; Col 2:12-13; 3:1-3;
Gal 2:20; Eph 2:1ff; Phil 2:5ff; 3:10-11, 18-21). It
is by such a participation that the human nature
is redeemed, and made to attain the
resurrection life.
The post resurrection appearance of Christ is a
typical paradigm of the power and function of
liturgy. In many cases the disciples were not able
to recognize the Risen Lord at first. They needed
some signs, words, teachings and an
experiential context for recognizing the presence
and power of the risen Lord.
The disciples travelling to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-33) is
a paradigm. Only through the words, gestures
and breaking of the bread they came to realize
and attain the power of the risen Lord.
Jesus Christ who was present in the apostolic
Church was not the historical Jesus of Palestine.
So also the Lord who is present in the liturgical
assembly is not the historical Jesus, but the risen
Lord, the heavenly High Priest (Rom 8:34; Heb
9:11-28) who intercedes for all and is guiding the
Church (Rev 1:17-3:22).
Thus eschton is a process through Christ by way of
becoming a ‘new creation’ and a life in the ‘new
world’ through the new Adam, the risen Lord
(1Cor 5:20ff, 42ff).
The living faith in the risen Lord brings with it
‘the acceptable time’, the day of salvation
(2Cor 6:2). Liturgical celebrations make us
live in anamnesis, an acted out sign and
symbol of salvific power active in the world.
(8) Liturgical Celebration and Salvific
Transformation
Liturgy is enabling all to relive the saving
activities of Christ and his life pattern in their
own life time and age. This reliving of the
salvific activities of Christ is the means to
participate in the power of the risen Lord.
Sacred history is reflected upon in liturgy so as
to attain enlightenment for the day to day life
so that each day’s life conforms to the total
economy and the history of salvation.
All post-resurrection appearances of Jesus
Christ to the apostles are typical of how a
disciple of Christ attains power from the risen
Lord. All such engagements of Christ were
composed of words and deeds that are
mutually explanatory and complementary.
The risen Lord who is active in the Church by
his Spirit is active in the liturgy. The same
risen Lord is the Lord of history as well. The
anamnesis (remembrance by re-enactment)
of the events of salvation history in liturgy
connects the history of our times to that of
the sacred history.
The liturgical periods and seasons are providing
an arousal of our consciousness of being
related to the total history of salvation.
Liturgy is a celebration of what we are, one’s
own Christian existence. It functions as a
‘reminder’ to all regarding the divine life
beyond and within the historical time in the
particular context.
All liturgical celebrations are different steps
forward for the acts of faith that sanctifies all
in time and space. By acts of faith one relates
himself on the one hand with the whole
biblical history of salvation and on the other
with the world of today.
Every sacrament, or in fact, every liturgical
activity has two effects; the adherence to the
biblical history of salvation and the
relationship with the world order of today for
the building up of the body of Christ. Such
acts are acts of the building up of the Body of
Christ here and now in accordance with the
Spirit and power of the whole history of
salvation.
Power of the Spirit is received through Liturgy.
Building up of the body of Christ is by ministry.
The Spiritual World-vision of St. Ephrem, the Syrian
GOD
Divine self-revelation
OT NT
Initial Paradise Christ Eschatological
Israel Church Paradise
Faith
Human Reason, Philosophies
Social Sciences
Natural Sciences and Discoveries
Created World
ST. EPHREM’S SYRIAC THEOLOGICAL
ANTHROPOLOGY
The Mystery of the Created World and Humanity
A. THE NATURE AND GOAL OF TERRESTRIAL

ADAM/CREATED HUMANITY
The creation of Adam/humanity in the ‘image
and likeness of God’ is very concretely
explained by Ephrem with biblical categories
as ‘elevation of dust to become the image of
the Creator’ (SdF 4,15ff).
God set humans, by grace, far above the
animals up to the point of sharing divine
authority over the universe (CNis 27:17-19).
SYRIAC THEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(a) Human Person as a Trinitarian Reflection for
Perfection in Resurrection
Ephrem’s vision of the constitution of human
person is based on the Trinitarian reality of
the unity extended to human body, soul and
spirit.
St. Paul advises in 1Thessalonians 5:23, “may
your spirit and soul and body be kept sound
and blameless at the coming of our lord Jesus
Christ.” Ephrem’s insightfulness finds human
life as a continuation of the Trinitarian act in
creation, ‘let us create humans in our image
and likeness.’
So the unity of body, soul and spirit in humans
are symbolized in fire (flame+light+warmth,
HFid 52:1), a grain of wheat
(leaves+ears+fruit, HFid 42:9), etc.
The three names of the Trinity are sown in
human persons so that perfection would
evolve in a Trinitarian way. As a result when
the spirit undergoes agony, it is a way of
engravement by the Father, when the soul
undergoes pain, it is getting mingled with the
Son and when the body is burnt with
witnessing it takes communion with the Holy
Spirit (HFid 18:4-5; cf. HFid 13:2-3).
The victory over the three temptations of Christ
as three crowns offered to humans for their
body, soul and spirit (cf. Lk 4:1-13; Virg 32:6).
There are nourishments and healings to body,
soul and spirit offered through wheat
(bread), grapes (wine) and Olive (oil of
anointings) to the body, soul and the spirit
respectively (Virg 37:3).
The soul and the spirit will be resurrected
together with the body which is the harp of
the other two (CH 52:13; HPar 8:7-11).
Dignity of the human body is confirmed by its
creation by God, the reception of that body
by the Son in incarnation (CNis 43:20-21), the
mystery of the Eucharistic body of the Son
(HNat 3:15; 16: 4-7; HFid 19:2-3), and the
final crowning of the body in the resurrection
(HPar 8:7-11).
Human person/soul gathers life from both
ends, through faith from the divine realm and
from the other side through the body by way
of physical nourishments (HFid 80:9).
Humans created in the image and likeness of
DIVINE TRINITY
HUMAN PERSON (HUMAN TRINITY)
Father spirit Agony Olive
Son soul Pain Grapes
Spirit body A Brunt Wheat

Body
Human body depends on the soul and the soul
depends on faith and faith depends on the
divinity (HFid 80:2,3).
A well unified and balanced anthropology with true
positive values of the body are taught by Ephrem
(CNis 47:5; 49:9; 50:7; 69:8,12; 73:5).
In baptism the body is made a temple by the
‘Carpenter of Life’ (Virg 1:2). Body and soul need
each other (HPar 8:4) because body is the
instrument for the soul to realize itself (CNis
51:17) and it is through the body the soul acts out.
(b) Role of Faith and Human Life
Christian faith is an added divine gift received
within a human response that builds upon
the deposit of divine gift, the ‘image and
likeness of God’.
Faith as a relational reality.
Through faith, in a believer, the paternity of the
Father is imprinted, the essence of the Son is
mingled and the sanctification of the Spirit is
assured (HFid 13:2).
Regarding works of faith, Ephrem finds human
person as a boatman (mariner) who travels
and collects merchandise of bodily senses
and faculties as treasures of faith (HFid 80:8).
Doing the acts of faith is a mercantile activity.
As the ark saved Noah, faith is the ark for
human salvation.
Faith has to be silent and eloquent in a
discerning manner. As faith matures, it
becomes active and productive in
proclamation and in the acts of faith. It is the
coming out of one’s faith in words and action.
Words and action are clothes for the faith to
come out in perfection.
If faith is denied of its eloquent expression in
words and action, it is like a mother who
retains her child in her womb.
like a tree that keeps back its buds and thus
perishes.
a bird held back in the egg shell and fails to fly
out.
Eloquent, expressive, active and fruitful faith
flies out like a bird and marches forward like
a sailing ship.
Bird in the air and the Cross
Sailing ship and the Cross
In fact faith is like a deposit of talent (Lk 19:13-
25, HEcc 42:7) to be multiplied by human
action, a grain sown (HFid 20:4) to yield fruit.
(c) Faith, the Soul of Human Soul (Second Soul)
Body needs soul, soul needs faith and faith
lives by God (HFid 80:2-3,9). Without faith
soul will be like a ‘dead body’ and that would
be the invisible death.
Faith is a ‘soul’ to the human soul, a ‘second
soul’ (HFid 80:1-5).
Faith is the light to see the hidden/mysterious
matters (kasyata) by the power of the ‘eye of
faith’ (HEcc 24:3).
Many, in the biblical history, have seen with the
‘eye of faith’, like Abraham and the prophets
(Eccl 24:3), the Magi (HFid 7:6),
the Samaritan woman (Virg 23:2-5),
the Cannanite woman (Virg 26:9),
the widow of Naim (Virg 26:10),
the centurion (HFid 7:10,11).
With respect to seeing with the ‘eye of faith’,
Eve and Mary are the ‘two eyes of the world’.
Eve is called the ‘darkened eye of the world’.
Mary, on the other hand, by believing the
message of the angel, became the source of
life and ‘Light’, Christ, in the world. Hence
Mary is the ‘Illumined eye of the world’ (HEcc
37:3-5; 35:1).
B. HUMAN FREE WILL AND
THE PROGRESS OF SALVATION
Life and death are hanging in between the fiat
of Mary and the seduction of Eve (HEcc 49:7).
Mary and Eve are correspondingly sources of
life and death (HEcc 35:1).
(a) Humanity set for Combat and Crown
Adam and Eve were created and settled in
Paradise in an intermediary state in the
context of their free will.
For when God created Adam, he did not make
him mortal, nor did he fashion him as
immortal.
God had set up two crowns, two trees, the Tree
of the Knowledge of good and evil and the
Tree of Life (HPar 12:17).
If Adam and Eve had exercised the free will
properly they would have secured infallible
knowledge form ‘the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil’ and life from the other tree,
‘the tree of life’ (Com. on Genesis, Section II,
23).
The Just One did not wish to give Adam the
crown for nothing,
even though He had allowed him to enjoy
Paradise without toil;
God knew that if Adam wanted he could win
the prize.
It was because the Just One wished to enhance
him:
for although the rank of supernal beings is
great through grace,
the crown for the proper use of human free will
is no small thing either (HPar 12:18)
The image of God in man is something in the
process of realization. It is the human freedom
that sets the human counterpart facing the
divine will in the aspect of progress in salvation
history.
The wrong exercise of this freedom caused the
expulsion of Adam/humanity from the
primordial Paradise. In fact it was a merciful
punishment in the form of a pedagogy.
By expulsion Adam fell down to the chronological
time and space where the divine pedagogy
provides the teaching and conversion.
- Sacramental presence of the Risen Lord in the
world.
-The need of a philosophy, faith and action that
would transcend humans to a sort of celestial
vision that makes one travel from the secular
world to the sacramental world of
sanctification and glorification.
Christ’s death and his journey to Sheol is a
meta-historical phenomena. It describes the
efficacy of salvation in Christ to all the past,
present and future generations of
humankind.
Through divine-human engagement divinity
gives out from his treasures in proportion to
the receptivity extended to the divinity in
every human being.
Through self purification one has to open up
the eyes, ears and heart. At that level the
divinity adapts to the human eyes, ears and
hearts (HPar 9:25-27). Human attitude and
mode of the use of the created world are of
great importance.
The right attitude is of wonder, love, praise,
gratitude with discernment (HFid 20:12; 32:2-
3; 69:11-13; CNis 50:1), avoiding greed (HEcc
11:5-7), pride (HPar 3:10; HEcc 1:1) and
arrogance (HEcc 1:6; CH 51:2) which are the
causes of much wrong doing in the world.
The initial human disobedience and the
resulted expulsion from Paradise practically
effected a wound in the body, a grave ulcer
(suhna rabba) in the soul and a stain in the
spirit (HFid 5:19).
Natural and moral order becomes disturbed.
Social and ecological harmony began to be
lost in anarchy and humanity stands loosing
peace, hope and bliss.
The sprouting of the thorns
testified to the novel sprouting of wrong
actions,
for thorns did not sprout
as long as wrong-doing had not yet burst forth;
but once there had peered out
hidden wrong choices made by free will,
then the visible thorns began to peer out from
the earth (Heresies, 28:9)
Rectification of all human deformities for
reentry into Paradise is the story of salvation.
Body has to put on the beauty of the soul and
the soul has to put on the beauty of the spirit
and the spirit will then put on the likeness of
God’s majesty (cf. HPara 9:19-20).
(b) The Eternal Mercy of God and the Divine Pedagogy
The divine pedagogy towards the attainment of
salvation is the outcome of the divine economy. It is
constituted of three factors, i.e., the goodness of
God, the divine justice, and the free will of
humanity.
Humanity stands as on a weighing-balance, where the
free will of man tilts with ups and downs in
confrontation with the divine will. God’s mercy and
justice rectify humanity that is on a balance with his
loving kindness and chastising justice (HFid 12:3–5;
HEcc 5:8). Upon this tripartite functioning the divine
economy renders its pedagogy and provides its
teachings to win all.
Human free will is given the faculty to select
the proper colours to perfect the drawing of
the divine image within humanity.
See his kindness! Though he could have made us fair
by force, without toil, he has toiled in every way
that we might become fair by our own choice,
ourselves the artists of our own fairness:
using the colours our own freedom had gathered.
If he himself had beautified us we had been but an
image
painted and beautified with the colours of another
artist (HFid 31:5)
Ephrem gives an insightful exegetical
exposition of the merciful and benevolent
handling of the disobedient first human
beings (Com. on Genesis, section II, 23-31).
The merciful Lord delayed his coming to
question Adam and Eve, “Where are you?” so
as to give them time and chance for
repentance over their wrong-doing.
Adam/Humanity was expelled from Paradise to
the cursed land so that Adam might
understand his shameful state and thus
repent.
“Blessed is He who has taught us to repent
So that we too may return to Paradise” (HPar 13:6).
Ephrem explains the expulsion of Adam from Paradise
as a gracious act of chastisement so that he might
not perchance approach the Tree of Life in
rebellion, as he did in the case of the Tree of
Knowledge, and live forever in misery.
Ephrem finds an intimate divine-human engagement
in the divinization of Adam:
“He gave us divinity,
we gave Him humanity” (HFid 5:17).
The re-entry of Adam into Paradise is the story
of salvation or life in Christ. So great was the
mercy of God that he not only made Adam
reenter Paradise but actually made him a god
as Adam had desired.
“The Most High knew that Adam had wanted
to become a god,
so He sent His Son who put him on in order to
grant him his desire” (CNis 69:12).
“Divinity flew down to rescue and lift up humanity.
Behold the Son had made beautiful the deformities of
the servant
and so he has become a god, just as he desired” (Virg
48:17,18).
Conclusion
Ephrem’s powerful, polyvalent and polysemic
symbolic theological perceptions brought out
through symbolic structures and abstractions
travel beyond conceptual perceptions in
order to evoke emotions and feelings in the
whole personality. These evocations have
more influence on human heart rather than
on intellect.
Conclusion
Ephrem on the one hand corrects certain
deviant influences and on the other proposes
quite reliable views based on biblical
episodes and patterns of biblical vision of
salvation.
Ephrem refuted the wrong anthropological
teachings of Mani, Marcion, Gnostics and
Bardaisan. Avoiding all sorts of antagonism
between body and soul, Ephrem stress a sort
of reciprocal equality and complementary
dynamics between body and soul.
Conclusion
Moreover Ephrem firmly establishes the
continuity of the Trinitarian beginning and
progression of the body, soul and spirit in
humans as a trichotomy.
Ephrem explains the underlying Trinitarian
engagement with human trichotomy in the
biblical history as well, eg. three temptations
of Jesus (Virg 32:6) and the sacramental
nourishments to all three parts by wheat,
olive and grapes (Virg 37:3).
Conclusion
In his anthropology Ephrem brings out the
pedagogical colours of the divine-human
engagement all through the biblical history.
According to Ephrem’s anthropology, divine
mercy and justice set up the arena for the
world and humanity through a merciful
pedagogy for the salvation Adam/humanity.
The incarnate Son is the source, model and life-
giver for all healing, teaching, learning and
participation.
MYSTERY OF ADAM-CHRIST COMPLEMENTALITY
CHRISTOLOGY/CHRISTAGOGY
The First-Adam and the Second-Adam
complementality in the history of salvation
Legal Imagery
Captivity/Slavery Imagery
Combat Imagery
Medical Imagery
Dough/Baking Imagery
‘Light and Darkness’ Imagery
Clothing Imagery
Nuptial Imagery
ADAM-CHRIST COMPLEMENTARITY
• The first-Adam and Second-Adam
complementarity in the history of salvation:
• Adam was given shape in the likeness of the
Son’s incarnate person.
• Transgression of the commandment by Adam
and the lost faculties → Law given to Moses
→ Justification → Grace & Truth in Christ (Jn
1:17)
• Incarnation → Artisan of Creation →
recreation/renewal and restoration in Christ
1. Legal Imagery
• The road of Law began in Paradise → the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:16-17).
• God wrote down the first set of Laws on the
living tablets of Adam and Eve.
• The two destroyed tablets from the hands of
Moses (Ex 32:15-19) are the types of the
fallen Adam and Eve.
• Legal Justice → Debt of Virgin Eve
→ Second Virgin Mary → Gave the treasure
(Christ) to the world.
- Christ enters through the door of Law →
Christ is the HEIR of Adam → Fulfils all legal
requirements:
- Received Circumcision
- 40 days purificatory time and offering in the
temple
-30 years life (Num 4:3-49) and our Lord’s 30
years hidden life (for maturity)
- In baptism he fulfilled the baptisms (washings)
of the Law and that of John the Baptist.
- Debt of Adam and the death of Christ
- Paul was given one less than 40 lashes as
punishment (2Cor 11:24)
According to the Law (Num 4:15) anyone who
touches holy objects deserve death.
Adam violated the Law and tried to grab (touch
and steal) divinity and thus deserved death
(Gen 2:16-17).
Christ, the heir of Adam, was forcefully decked
in the veil of sanctuary (Mt 27:28) to make
him deserve death according to the Law
(Num 4:15).
Adam/humanity grabbed divinity and so death,
hence, Christ was decked in the veil of
sanctuary; Adam’s debt was repaid by death.
Christ accepted the death of Adam; legal justice
was done and Adam became liberated.
2. Captivity/Slavery Imagery
Adam's alienation from God → the captivity of
the people of OT due to idols and idolatry →
exile in Egypt and Assyria → prodigal son's
going away from the house of his father.
The imprisoned Barabba = Adam → Sheol →
Christ's entry into Sheol to shatter it, which
was foreshadowed in Samson (Judg 14-16).
The Merciful One sends his own Son to snatch
away the prey from the captor (Satan).
Jacob of Serugh finds Adam/humanity as the
pearl stolen away by the captor, the evil one.
Stolen coin is restored and the name engraved
again.
3. Combat Imagery
Creation of Adam/humanity set for a combat:
Free Observance Glorification
Combat of Law
Will Non-observance Condemnation
Mercy intermediary immortality (righteousness)
Justice state of Adam mortality (iniquity)
Even the fallen Adam was offered the opening
of the door of grace by the question, `Where
are you ?' (Gen 3:9).
-The Son assumed the combat of Adam →
temptation → the forty days' fasting →
suffering and death at Golgotha → entry into
Sheol → destruction of Satan and Sheol →
Resurrection.
-What Adam failed to do and preserve, Christ,
the Heir of Adam and the smitten Redeemer,
did by his mighty deeds and rendered
redemption to the fallen Adam by
justification.
-The combat of Christ seen in → fight of
Samson → sufferings of Ezekiel → the
episode of Jonah.
4. Medical Imagery
Adam’s inordinate attempt to capture divinity
ended up in a sort of leprosy like that of king
Uzziah (2 Chron 26:6; HPara 3:14; 12:4;
15;9,10).
-Adam’s false nourishment → grave ulcer
developed → in Adam, the head of the race,
and in the whole of humanity.
-To the wounded and poisoned humanity the
Son brought ‘the Medicine of Life’.
Son is the Physician and he gave the human
race the wise `medicinal herb' of forty days'
fasting as a cure to the first grave ulcer.
-The reference to Adam's eating without
discernment as the `false nourishment'
alludes in a symbolic manner to all forms of
false nourishments in human existence,
covering the physical, sensorial, mental and
spiritual, social, political realms of human
life.
Review all forms of nourishments, intellectual,
personal (media of communications), bodily
nourishments (glutenous life, adictions, etc.).
5. Dough/Baking Imagery
With regard to the redemptive incarnation, life,
suffering, death and resurrection of Christ,
the imagery of leaven takes a primary
position.
-The hidden but transforming power of leaven
→ Creation → Incarnation → Resurrection
-Leaven of death in creation > < Leaven of life in
salvation history.
-Unleavened humanity before Incarnation > <
Leavened humanity with the incarnate Son
Kingdom of Heaven as leaven in the world (Mt
13:33; Lk 13:20-21).
The leaven is our Lord → The wise woman who
took it and mingled is Godhead (Mt 13:33).
The three measures of the flour is the three
branches of humanity proceeded from the
Ark of Noah (Gen 9:18-19).
The Son of God was hidden in the three nations
from the Ark.
Kneading of the Son depicts symbolically the
divine self-emptying (as the kneading of
leaven into the dough), the unification of the
peoples from various errors of the idols,
leading to total liberation and salvation.
The transforming power of Christ is presented
by the imagery of leaven in the modes of his
teachings, the healing and taste-giving role of
the Son who elevates all to the status of the
sons of his Father, as well as the giving of
good hope to the living and the dead (HS III
416,21-420,14).
6. `Light and Darkness' Imagery
Darkness = wrong discernment, lack of
understanding of the divine purpose, idols
and idolatry.
The wrong discernment of Adam = humanity’s
entry into the path of darkness.
Birth of Christ → a ‘Great Light’ shone forth
Christ, `the Sun of Righteousness' who sheds
his light backward and forward without any
shadow around him.
Christ, the Light, shining out from Mary’s
womb, Jordan’s womb = fountainhead of
Christian baptism, in the tomb with the dead,
in Sheol to destroy it (its darkness).
Christ was the Bright One, who illumined all.
Through his birth through ascension, Christ
was illumining all from his light for salvation
(HEcc 36:3-6).
At the Ascension, Christ, the Globe of Light,
sent out his rays, the apostles, to the whole
creation.
7. Clothing Imagery
The interpretation of Gen 3:21 in terms of `the
Robe of Glory' with which Adam was clothed.
This is a common heritage of Jewish and
Christian interpretations, and an inspiration
to the early Syriac Christian tradition.
The four stages of the history of salvation form
the theology of the ‘garment of Glory’
→ Adam before the fall
→ Adam after the fall
→ Christ who puts on Adam in the Incarnation
→ Christians who put on Christ in the Baptism
(the white garment given to all in baptism).
Now this garment of glory is the witnessing life
of Christians (Rev. 19:7-8).
This white garment is an armour of glory to
fight against the evil one and his
temptations.
The onward journey of Christ through his
sufferings and death is a model for
Adam/humanity in the fight against the evil
one and death.
Finally at the Resurrection Christ assumes the
‘garment of glory’ and leaves the garment of
the dead in the tomb.
8. Nuptial Imagery
The restoration of the disrupted `marriage
feast' in Eden has been made possible
through Christ, the heavenly Bridegroom.
All divine-human encounters in the OT, starting
with Paradise, are betrothals and covenants
which were looking forward to their
actualization in Christ and the realization in
the `marriage feast' in the eschatological
Kingdom.
-In the Nativity the divine Bridegroom made
himself small within the dimensions of
humanity so as to enter into the bridal
chamber of the cave in Bethlehem
-At Jordan the Bridegroom brings in
sanctification and the `garment of the Spirit',
both as an armoury and as an enlightenment.
-At Golgotha the betrothal becomes
consummated with the Bridegroom's total
self-giving to the bride as dowry (Eucharist).
-The Son passes through various bridal
chambers such as: Cave of Bethlehem → the
river Jordan → at Golgotha → at the cave-
tomb → in Sheol → eschatological marriage.
EUCHARIST: Betrothal and Covenant
-Commencement of the marriage feast takes
place in the bride's partaking of the body and
blood of the Bridegroom in the Eucharistic
Table; the already and not-yet of the
Kingdom of God is sacramentaly present .
-Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian
life (LG 11; CCC 1324).
-The body of the Bridegroom is placed as food
for the guests. This feast finds its fuller
realization in the eschatological kingdom.
“The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the
Christian life”(LG 11). “The other sacraments,
and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and
works of the apostolate, are bound up with
the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For
in the blessed Eucharist is contained the
whole spiritual good of the Church, namely
Christ himself, our Pasch” (PO 5) > CCC1324).
Eucharist is a Christian’s daily betrothal leading
to the eschatological marriage feast.
Nuptial imagery depicts the whole history of
salvation.
This nuptial imagery is getting its NT expansion
and climax in reference to the book of
Revelation:
“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and
his Bride has made herself ready; it was
granted her to be clothed with fine linen,
bright and pure" -- for the fine linen is the
righteous deeds of the saints” (Rev 19:7-8).
Summary Insight and Conclusion
In all these imageries different aspects of
human life and experiences are depicted
symbolically and sacramentally.
In all these instances Christ is the
omplementary source and energy for each
believer and the community and the
historical period of the time. In other words
all these imageries are pointing towards the
needed configuration with Christ that should
take place in every age.
By the attainment of such a configuration one
could say with St. Paul, “It is no longer I who
life, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20).
EPHREM’S VISION OF
‘CHURCH FROM THE PEOPLE
AND THE PEOPLES’
The foundational Christian biblical vision on
humanity is a much more comprehensive and
holistic than that of the ancient Semitic
religions.
The universal call to divine blessings and perfection
promised to Abraham stands as the foundational
vision of the Bible and that of Christian vision (cf.
Gen 12:2-3; 17:1-8; 18:17-19).
Abraham was called to be a blessing for all the
families/ nations of the earth (Gen 12:3).
Ephrem finds the Church of Christ emerging
both from the People (Israel) and the Peoples
(Gentiles).
People (Israel)
Church of Christ
Peoples (Gentiles)
Theological views of St. Ephrem can bring out

some insights for a theology of world
religions and cultures for our present world
situations. Ephrem and the Indian view:
udāra charithānām tu vasudaiva kudumbakam
A. HUMAN DESTINY IN CHRIST THROUGH THE
CHURCH
Ephrem finds a single divine plan running through all
the stages of the history of salvation (Azym 5:23).
The whole world order and history are from the
same God.
Like a grain of wheat that falls on the ground and dies
to produce fruits (Jn 12:24), times are perfected
one after the other in the history of salvation.
The Way is a symbol (CH 26:3-6). There is an order of
the Church in Types journeying to the Historical
Church (Church of the truth) that leads to the
Eschatological Kingdom (HPar 6:7-10).
(a) Christ, the Source, Meaning and Efficacy
Progressive divine revelations reach their
culmination in the Incarnate Son.
The apostles and disciples of Jesus stand
between two lambs, the Egyptian paschal
lamb and the true paschal lamb, Christ.
The whole of the Old Testament with its
symbols of the kings, priests and prophets,
was pouring into Christ, the sea of symbols.
Ephrem writes:
Therefore, the sea is Christ who is able to receive
the sources and springs and rivers and streams
that flow forth from within scripture (Virg 9:12).
For it is Christ who perfects its symbols by his Cross,

its types by his body, its adornments by his beauty,
and all of it by all of him! (Virg 9:15).
Behind the depiction of Christ as Sea stands the firm
conviction that Christ is the source, meaning,
efficacy and the final goal of all salvific symbols of
both Nature and the Scriptures. Hence, Christ is
called ‘the Lord of the Symbols’.
(b) The Renewal of All in Christ
The Son holds up all things (Azym 13:5) and he is the
bearer, supporter and holder of all (Azym 15:4,5,14;
16:33; 4:24,28). As all are thus suspended on the
Son the renewal also takes place through him (SdF
1,69; 2,709; HEcc 20:1).
This bond with the Son is due to his special
relationship with the Father.
Christ stands as the fulfiller and the hope of all
creation (Virg 31:78). Thus creation and incarnation
are different phases of the same organic
development.
The incarnation of Christ is seen in its totality
as composed of all his human deeds
culminating in his suffering, death and burial
leading to the resurrection (CH 35:7; 36:11).
The Hellenistic dualistic perspective (a type of
‘poison of the Greeks’ (cf. CH 1:11-13; CJul
1:5; HNat 28:8) that got into Christianity in
the course of history, remains basically
against the biblical holistic vision of
integration and divinization in a sacramental
way.
The biblical vision is a balanced understanding
of the cooperation between matter and
Spirit, body and soul, humanity and divinity,
as found depicted in the biblical episodes and
as explained by St. Ephrem.
Ephrem firmly establishes the continuity of the
Trinitarian beginning and progress of the
body, soul and spirit in humans as a
trichotomy.
Ephrem finds the traces of the underlying
Trinitarian engagement with human
trichotomy in the biblical history as well.
Three temptations of Christ, to the three parts of the
body. Sacramental nourishments to all three parts
by wheat (for body), olive (for soul) and grapes (for
spirit, cf. Virg 37:3).
The incarnate Son is the source, sacrament and life-
giver for all forms of healing, teaching, learning and
participation.
(c) Unity of the History of Salvation and the Synchronic
Vision
The inclusive and holistic vision of Ephrem regarding
the salvific economy of God for all creatures and
societies on the globe has been well depicted by the
imagery of the Ark of Noah. Church is typified in the
Ark of Noah; effective unity, peace and joy of
coexistence and progress of life (HdF 49; Nat 1:45)
Like the Ark, the Church is travelling through the
world and its history for the life of all. As the Ark
the Church serves for peace in the world (HdF 66:8;
HEcc 51:2-3).
There is a progression from the Ark to the Temple and
then to the Church in the religious history of Israel
(CH 24:23).
Totality of Humanity and the Human Corporateness
Christians Church Spirit
Jews Temple Soul/person
Gentiles Ark Body
B. DIVINE PEDAGOGY AND HUMANITY
The important question and the challenge before the
whole humanity, for Christians, is how to
transform the history of the present world into a
‘history of salvation’ by the life of faith, i.e. in and
through the life of Christian witnessing ?
Firstly, by the ‘road of the economy of salvation’, a
journey from the initial Paradise to the
eschatological Paradise, as sacramentally enabled
and enhanced by the Church, the sacrament of
Christ, in the world;
By the ‘divine pedagogy’, making humanity learn to
live meritoriously’;
By ‘a history that saves all who have faith’, in the
mode of a healing’;
Secondly, a ‘mystical vision of the history of
salvation’ that enlightens and empowers all
in the mode of a Christocentric synchronic
vision of the whole history which is well-
integrated with all aspects of divine-human
engagements.
Thirdly by the corporate progression by which
the whole humanity is guided, even in ups
and downs, to the final destiny in a divine
and mysterious way through all stages of
religious, cultural and social changes.
One finds a sort of corporate progression taking
place in Israel by the divine pedagogy in
selecting gentiles into the history of Israel so
as to transform Israel’s mentalities and
destiny.
(a) Divine Selective, Collective and Corporate
Progression and Human Destiny
In the vision of Ephrem, which is thoroughly
biblical, one can find three levels of
progression: Selective, Collective and
Corporate Progressions of humanity.
Selective Progression: God selects persons and
situations to engage either to reveal himself
or to take the history of salvation forward.
Collective Progression: It is concerned with the
coming together of the selected/called out
people and putting together their individual,
social and religious modes of life.
Corporate Pedagogical Progression: For the
authentic salvific progress, divine pedagogy
would take up the necessary balancing path
with divine justice and divine mercy
The basic foundation of the history is laid in the calling
of Abraham and his branches (Crucif 5:9). Eternal
and ephemeral factors are there (cf. HdF 49:2).
Ephemeral serves only for a small period. Types serve
till the coming of the reality (truth). Uprooting is
out of justice and grafting is out of love and thus
building up of the people (humanity) takes place.
Even before the calling of Israel through Jacob, the
whole humanity (gentiles) was called through the
calling of Abraham, as the father of all the faithful.
But the choice of Israel is only the beginning of a new
phase of God’s plan for the entire humanity,
including our present human society.
Abraham was called to become a great and mighty
nation so as to be ‘a blessing to all nations in the
world’ (Gen 12:2-3; 18:18).
The Church is the stage of fulfillment of that promise
given to Abraham which was again repeated to
Isaac (Gen 26:2-4) as well as to Jacob (Gen 28:14).
Ephrem explains the birth of ‘nations’ and the
extension of the blessings to ‘nations’ through
types:
-Nineveh heard Jonas (ECsyr 52,2-6)
-Blessing of Ephraim instead of Manasse (Gen
48:13-14) indicates selection and the divine
blessings to the Nations.
-Melchizedek is a figure of Nations (Virg
8:20). -Arrival of the brothers of Joseph to
Egypt indicates the co-habitation of the
circumcised and the uncircumcised in the
Church (Virg 18:6).
-Schechem is the symbol of the Church of
nations (Virg 17:2-5, 10). It was at Schechem
the Samaritan women met Jesus and asked
for the living water. The new sheep of Jesus,
starting with the Samaritan woman also
drank from Schechem (Virg 18:1).
-Lia is the figure of Synagogue and Rachel is the
figure of the Church (EC 38,10-12).
-Rebecca and Zipporah are types of the Church (EC
III, 17).
-In Egypt patriarch Joseph took a wife, Asenath,
daughter of an Egyptian priest, is a daughter of the
Church from the nations (Virg 21:9; Gen 41:45, 51-52).
-Queen from the East who met Solomon (EC XX,20),
-the wife of Pilate who argued for the innocence of
Jesus are all Church from the nations (EC XX,20).
-Simon of Cyrene, who was called to carry the cross
of Christ, represents the Church of the Nations (EC
XX,20).
-The good thief on the side of Christ who
repented and begged Jesus is an admission of
the Church of the Nations (EC XX,22).
All these biblical incidents serve as analogies to
understand the role of world religions and
cultures in the total plan of God.
(b) The Church Travelling through the History
The mystery of the Church, in her journey, for
the service of the whole humanity, falls
within the creative tension in time and space
between the earthly Eden and the
eschatological Kingdom.
Church has her own path and that has to be
made the way by actual travel on it.
Ephrem usually finds a progression (journey)
from the ‘mysteries and types’ to the ‘time of
the Church’ and the fulfillment of all those in
truth (srara) or the actual reality which
would be consummated only in the
eschatological Kingdom. Ephrem writes:
The Type was in Egypt, the reality in the Church;
the sealing of the reward (will be) in the Kingdom
(Azym 5:23).
In Paradise and in the Church the Tree of
Knowledge and the Tree of Life are erected to
guide and to realize the goals of salvation
(HPar 6:7).
The Word of God and the Eucharist are the two
trees in the Church for instruction and
eternal life respectively (HPar 6:7-8; HEcc 44:19-26).
Uprooting and grafting are taking place in the
history of salvation (CH 39:10).
The uprooting is out of justice/righteousness or
as chastisement and the grafting is out of
love (mercy), as growth.
When accomplishment (perfection) comes types will
become silent (Azym 5:19) and that is a
discontinuity. There is clear continuity and
discontinuity between the Nation (Jews) and
Nations (gentiles) in the economy of salvation.
The Church is built on the Rock, Christ, typified in
Daniel 2:35 (Resur 3:17), the rock on which Jacob
poured oil (Gen 28:10,18,19).
The Nation (Jews) fell down from the spirit of the faith
of Abraham and the Nations began to imbibe the
spirit of the faith of Abraham. Thus the fact of
continuity and discontinuity becomes explicit.
Those who believed in Jesus were made children of
God (Jn 1:12).
Adam should have learned well and acted
accordingly. It is both a pedagogical and a
combative situation. Adam/humanity ought
to learn or humanity would be reduced to
the level of animals who have no learning
power (HPar 12:20).
The Lord uses teaching and repentance to make
Adam return to Paradise (HPar 13:6,7,8,10; 14:1).
The Old Testament is filled with examples of
failures and repentant returns, such as,
Samson, Jonah, and others as pedagogical
models (HPar 13:13,14).
(c) Dynamics of Divine Pedagogy
Free will is the greatest gift by which God
honoured humanity (CH 11:1).
The free will for the healthy people is sweet
and for the sick it is bitter. It is through it the
healthy become upright and the sick turn to
be sinners (HEcc 2:19-22).
By free will one can fight with the evil one and
can become either victorious or failed (CNis
55:27, 29; 56:1).
The divine pedagogy towards the attainment of
salvation is a provision of the divine economy. It is
constituted of three factors, i.e., the goodness
(mercy) of God, the divine justice, and the free will
of humanity.
Ephrem explains the interplay of these three factors
with a common example. According to him
humanity stands as if on a weighing-balance, where
the free will of humans tilts with ups and downs in
confrontation with the divine will.
But God's mercy and justice rectify humanity that is
on the balance with the divine loving kindness and
chastising justice as two scales (HFid 12:3-5; HEcc
5:8).
While keeping the free will of humanity unhindered,
divinity renders the teaching in diverse ways to
humans for traveling forward according to the
divine plan. Human free will is given the faculty to
select the proper ‘colours’ (HFid 31:5) to perfect the
drawing of the divine image.
Ephrem writes:
He knows that if he constrains he deprives us.
He knows that if he slackens he destroys us.
He knows that if he teaches us he gains us.
He neither constrained nor slackened as the evil one.
He taught and instructed (us) as the Good One (Epiph
10:15).
Ephrem interprets the whole Paradise episode
with a pedagogical key.
Adam should learn with discernment the
infallible knowledge from the first tree and
attain immortal life from the second one, the
Tree of Life.
Ephrem states that the deeds of Christ, such as
the rebuking of the demons (Mk 1:25), `woe'
to the scribes (Mk 1:43; Mat 23:13; Lk 6:24ff),
the drying of the fig tree (Mt 21:19), the herd
of swine cast into the sea (Lk 8:32-33; Mt
8:32), are all teachings to humanity.
Ephrem sings praise to the divine pedagogy,
"Blessed is he who has thus taught us to
repent so that we too may return to
Paradise" (HPar 13:6).
III. FAITH AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
In all religions, rituals, signs, symbols and sacramental
activities are leading the people from the signifying
realities to the signified realities. In other words
there is the passage from the ephemeral and
historically constructive realities to the essential
and eternal realities.
(a) Biblical Vision of Fall and Disgrace and the Call to
Conversion
The spiritual poverty and the moral ugliness
precipitated by Adam’s disobedience, in fact,
rendered him even qualitatively deficient in
responding to the divine call.
Ephrem writes:
What they once possessed they have lost, and found
what they never had;
they desired happiness, but it flew away, and the woe
they had dreaded has arrived;
what they had hoped on has proved an illusion,
and what they never sought for they have now found.
They groan because they are brought low and have
been ‘robbed’,
for their way of life deceived them, while their
torment is very real;
their luxurious living has vanished, and their
punishment does not come to an end (HPar 2:4).
Adam lost his crown, status, name, ‘robe of
glory’ and the ‘bridal chamber of light’ (HPar
7:24).
He began to feel the fear of divine justice, yet
the breath of grace in Paradise, whenever he
turned and believed, extended to him
comfort (HPar 7:27).
The contest and combat began on earth and its
crown is in Paradise (HPar 6:24).
God placed two crowns (two trees) for Adam to
strive and gain.
Ephrem compares human life to a mariner’s
journey with hope.
In the biblical vision the best example for the
life in the Church is Noah’s journey. Noah
believed in the revelation given to him and
acted accordingly. His faith became mature
and fruitful in his life and actions, and that
made him saved and glorified.
Noah believed and his faith became incarnated
in the ship he built and that saved him. It is
concretely seen in the ship he travelled as a
mariner (HdF 49:6).
In a communitarian way the Church provides
the road between incarnation and the
There are two poles. They are the Church that
is travelling (pilgrim) and the realized
Effective preparations have to be done through
the Church for entry into the Kingdom.
Ephrem calls this as ‘forging the key to
Paradise’ here on earth by faith and practice
in conformity with the divine plan of
salvation (HPar 2:2; 3:5; 6:1; 7:1; 8:2; 14:4,6).
History of salvation has a single way (Azym 5:23). It is
from Eden to the Synagogue and then to the Church
and further to the Kingdom (HEcc 44:22).
The Bread of the Church is a fulfillment of the OT
types (CH 26:5). From the OT incarnate pole of the
Church the travelling is progressing to the
eschatological pole, the eschatological Kingdom.
The carrying of the bones of Joseph in the desert
(Num 19:16) is a type of the death of Christ and the
Eucharistic body of Christ that is carried in the
Church serves as the empowerment of Christians
(CNis 48:6).
Ephrem explains that Adam in his foolishness did not
understand his honourable state and preferred to
become like an animal (HPar 12:20).
God sent Adam out of Paradise to chastise him and
make him realize his miserable situation in
repentance and make him supplicate for his return
to his inheritance.
There are many Old Testament examples of such
repentant returnings to proper inheritances, such as
Samson, Jonah, Joseph and others (HPar 13:11-16).
Moreover, there are many discerning people, such as
Jeremiah, Daniel, Noah, Patriarch Jacob and Moses
(HPar 14: 3-7), who serve as models of discerning
home-coming to the Father's house.
(b) Story of Salvation as a History of Healing
Ephrem finds the human quest for salvation
getting incarnated into human historical
experiences of the biblical history from which
a theological vision could be and should be
evoked.
(i) Healing as Second Creation
The imagery of healing in St. Ephrem had its
insight from the biblical episode of Adam’s
wrong eating and the false nourishment (Gen
3:6). The wrong eating generated sickness for
the body.
The undue claims of King Uzziah and his
usurping of the priesthood that was unlawful
to him has been a type of Adam’s usurping of
divinity.
As king Uzziah became leprous (2Chron 26:16).
Adam became poisoned and sick. The
polyvalence of this imagery can very well
address the false nourishments of all modes,
times and cultures of peoples of any time in
the world.
Consider the evil and immoral ways of the
present day, such as, consumerism;
commercialism; all social, cultural and
spiritual corruptions in the peoples; etc.
Adam’s initial disobedient behaviour affected his
whole person, his body, soul and spirit, or rather
affected him physically, morally and spiritually.
He could obey the divine plan and follow the divine
economy so as to attain the goal. Equally he had the
freedom to disobey and fail to attain the promises
of Paradise and become wounded and stained (CEC
XVI,15) with impurity, poison and leprosy (HPar 4:4;
8:9; HNat 26:9; HFid 5:19). In other words, ‘the robe
of glory’ could be lost (CEC XVI,10; HNat 23:13; Virg
16:9).
Thus Adam was set in a contest and combat situation,
where he could win or lose basing on the choice of
his free-will (HPar 3:9-13; GEC 2.17).
The fallen state of Adam, he became expelled
from Paradise. Thus Adam became ‘lost’ or
‘perished’; his spirit had fallen into error, soul
became perishing, and the body fell into sin
(Virg 30:12; 32:6; HPar 9:20; HFid 5:19).
Every healing is a second creation (CH 43:9)
because healing is a second divine act on the
primary divine act of creation.
What was fashioned travelled in a deficient
manner in Adam and Christ made all
sufficient by his healing power (CEC
XVI,28.31; CH 20:4).
Jesus was giving healing to the body, soul and the
spirit in humans. All these levels were healed by
Jesus with the medicine from wheat (bread for the
body), olive (oil for the soul/person as oil, mesha,
representing the person of Christ) and grapes
(Eucharistic body for the spirit) respectively (Virg 37:3):
Wheat, the olive and grapes, created for our use
the three of them serve You symbolically in three
ways.
With three medicines You healed our disease.
Humankind had become weak and sorrowful and was
failing.
You strengthened her with Your blessed bread,
and You consoled her with Your sober wine,
and You made her joyful with Your holy chrism (Virg 37:3).
Curing, Sanctification and Glorification of Human Person
BODY SOUL SPIRIT
Water of Baptism Oil of Anointing Eucharist
Fasting Prayer Faith
The Indian vision of panchakosas or five layers

(annamaya (body), pranamaya (soul), manomaya
(mind), vignanamaya (wisdom) and anandamaya
(bliss) kosas (layers) as explained in Taittiriya
Upanishad 2,1-7) have to be taken into
consideration for an Indian vision of anthropology
and the detailed synthesis and integration of the
human person in the vision of salvation.
The ‘bronze serpent’ was a sign of the healing and life
in Christ through faith (CEC XVI,15).
Son of God as the ‘Medicine of Life’ (HFid 36:1; CH
33:2-7).
In all those healings the presence of the hidden
Physician, Christ, is to be seen (CH 51:1-4). The
healing of Christ is extended for all through the
apostles and the Church with her sacraments. In all
the healings Ephrem finds the dynamic role of faith.
Healing of the woman with a haemorrhage (Lk 8:43-
48; CEC VII,2), the sinful woman at the house of
Simon the Pharisee (Lk 7:36-50; CEC VII,18; X,8-10),
the man born blind (Jn 9:1-41; CEC XVI,28)
(ii) Healing through Prayer, Fasting and Repentance
In humans, body depends on the soul, soul depends
on faith and faith depends on the divinity. As for
humans, faith stands as a ‘second soul’.
Faith functions as a mediator between God and
humanity (HFid 80:1-2). Faith is the eye that can see
hidden things (HEcc 24:2) and functions as a
‘balance’ between the mind and the thought (HFid
5:20).
All who received healing from Christ invariably had
faith in the healing power of the Son of God. The
sinful woman (Lk 7:30ff), the blind man at
Bethsaida (Mk 8:25), the woman with a
haemorrhage (Mk 5:25-34),
Prayer has the power to reconcile all who are
alienated from God and thus the spiritually sick to
get reconciled and get the health restored (HEcc
13:21-25; Ieiun 1:7; CNis 3:5). Prayer has the power to
bind and loose for the travel on the road of
salvation (CH 4:13).
Fasting strengthens the spirit and eating gives power
to the body (SdDN 15). Fasting cleanses the soul
and serves as wings with which the faithful can fly
to meet God in heaven (Ieiun 1:2). Fasting
illuminates the truth and rejects the error that has
grown strong in the world (Ieiun 1:12). Thus fasting
serves as a teacher to fight with the evil one, as
‘oars’ to pull humans from this destructive world
(Virg 47:1), as medicine for healing to those
wounded by the ‘golden calf’ (Ieiun 10:4).
Diligence and Repentance are needed for the
life in this world and as well as to gain assets
for the other world respectively (Virg 7:1). It
is repentance that brings divine mercy to
humans.
“Tears of repentance’ are to be shed in the
‘land of repentance’ for fruitful life in this
world as the Ninevites did (Virg 47:1-11). In
fact, it was the tears of repentance of the
sinful woman at the house of Simon that
healed and saved her (SdDN 14,15).
CONCLUSION
The mysteries sown in the Scriptures, Nature
and history, are called ‘sources’, ‘springs’ and
‘streams’ by Ephrem.
In the history of salvation one symbol carries
the Christ-mystery to another and all are
becoming perfect in Christ (Virg 9:12-15;
21:4). Christ is named as ‘the Source of Life’
and ‘Fountain’. Ephrem calls the incarnate
Son ‘the Fountain of Life’
In the global community is emerging in many patterns
for corporate living and communitarian tasks.
Such coming together into single bodies and
integration are signs of a single plan of God in
progress and fulfillment. Such plans have to be
discerned by all religions and believers in God and
their faith has to come out in action for the
salvation of all.
Ephrem’s biblical vision and interpretation of the
biblical narratives of the call and promise to
Abraham (cf. Gen 12:2-3; 17:1-8; 18:17-19) which
was repeated to Isaac (Gen 26:2-4), to Jacob Gen
28:14) and the episode of Noah (Gen 6:9-22; 9:8-17)
are the basis for a universal, holistic and polyvalent
interpretation of the plan of salvation for the whole
humankind in different ages.
Israel was asked to function as the leaven in
the mass (Crucif 5:9; Nat 8:8), so the Church
also was established from the People and the
Peoples to function as ‘the light of the world
and the salt of the earth’ for the right
transformation in the world.
From another angle, by the faith in Christ the
true and living humanity is under ‘building
up’ in the world, by a plan known to God
alone (GS 22), from all world cultures and
religions with their historical progress.
CONCLUDED
BAPTISM IN THE SYRIAC VISION
For the renewal and revitalization of Christian
life one needs to reread and reflect over the
scriptural passages on the types of baptism.
One has to reflect over the salvation
historical events in the Bible with their
contemporary implications in life.
The task is to reread the biblical Types of
baptism and heuristically find out the
implications and meanings of the words and
deeds in the Scriptures that are explicitly and
implicitly explaining the baptismal
spirituality.
Baptism of Jesus in Jordan can be set as a
fulcrum on which the past and future events
of salvation revolve.
Old Testament types of baptism attain
fulfillment in Jordan and the future course of
salvation through baptismal connotations
began to reveal itself in Jordan.
Three Baptisms: OT washings > Baptism of John
(Mt 3:7-12, Mk 1:2-8) > Christian Baptism.
OLD TESTAMENT TYPES OF BAPTISM
• The Flood in Genesis 7-8 (Flood cleansed the
sinful world and made a new covenant with
Noah, Gen 9:8-17);
• Jacob removing the stone and watering
(baptism) the sheep of Laban in the presence
of Rachel (Gen 29:10-11);
• Crossing of the Red-Sea (Ex 14:21-31);
• Crossing of Jordan (Joshua 3);
• Circumcission (true circumcision circumcises
the foreskin of the heart (Ex 12:44 > < Col 2:11).
NEW TESTAMENT FOUNDATIONS OF BAPTISM
• Lords Baptism in Jordan (Mt 3:13-17 et par);
• Samaritan who poured oil and wine for the
wounded Jew (Lk 10:33-34); Baptism takes
place when the Samaritan poured oil and wine
for the Jew; New Creation and New Life
emerge. The divine economy is fulfilled;
• The Lord washing the feet of the disciples (Jn
13:1-20);
• Death on the Cross and the pierced side of
Christ (Jn 19:34);
BAPTISM AS DIVINE-HUMAN ENGAGEMENT
The divine-human engagement in baptism is
explained in concrete terms through two
views.
(1) Baptism as a rebirth (new birth) following
the Johannine view in Jn 3:3 ["Jesus
answered him (Nicodemus): ‘Very truly, I tell
you, no one can see the kingdom of God
without being born from above.'"].
(2) Baptism as ‘death, burial and resurrection'
in line with the Pauline teaching of Rom 6:3
["Do you not know that all of us who have
been baptized into Christ Jesus were
baptized into his death ?"].
Three Baptisms: OT washings ►Baptism of
John (Mt 3:7-12, Mk 1:2-8) ► Christian
Baptism
(a) Baptism as ‘Rebirth’ in the Johannine
Perspective (Jn 3:1-10)
(b) Baptism as ‘Death and Resurrection’ in the
Pauline Perspective (Rom 6:3-5)
In the baptismal rite there are two main
elements: anointing with the oil and
immersion in the font. This anointing was
called ‘a marking’ with reference to Ezek 9:4.
Ezekiel 9:4 speaks about the destruction and
killing at Jerusalem on account of the wrong
doings at Jerusalem. All those of Israel who
groaning and sighing over the faults are
marked for protection when the Lord
punished Jerusalem.
At a later period the post baptismal anointing
became prominent. This ‘marking’ has at
least five important aspects: mark of
ownership, sign of protection, cleansing and
healing, conferring of the priesthood of the
people of God, and conferring of sonship.
Indwelling of the Spirit and the human person
becomes a TEMPLE OF THE SPIRIT. This
temple has to be kept pure, otherwise it
amounts to the ‘grieving of the Spirit’ (Eph
4:30).
Phloxenus of Mabbug explains ‘grieving of the
Spirit’ as failure to allow Holy Spirit to work
in oneself, or failure to cooperate with the
Spirit in one’s own person (soul).
Ephrem says that sins can be washed by the
baptism in the (font of) the tears of
repentance. Two eyes filled with tears is a
font.
Phloxenus of Mabbug holds that baptism is a potential
entry into a new mode of existence by the grace of
the Spirit. This mode of existence becomes a full
reality only if one accepts that mode with a
conscious human will.
Three births according to Philoxenus:
(1) natural birth;
(2) birth of baptism;
(3) third birth `when one is born of his own will out of
the bodily way of life into the spiritual, where self-
emptying of everything is the womb that gives this
birth (Discourse 9).
EUCHARIST IN THE SYRIAC VISION
Adam and Eve were set in Paradise in an
intermediary state where they had to
decide from their own free will to
accept either immortality or mortality.
If they had obeyed the commandment of
God they would have been given the
permission not only to eat of the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil, but
also from the Tree of Life, and thus
entered into the eternal life.
Partaking of the Eucharist is the promised
eating from the Tree of Life.
The commandment was to make
Adam/humanity to toil and earn the crown.
Only if one has toiled he would enjoy the
reward. Imageries of Christ, the Eagle and
Christians who become eagles are powerful.
One biblical image presents Eucharist as ‘Coal
of Fire’ with reference to Isa 6:6, where a coal
of fire simply touched the lips of Isaiah by
which his lips were purified and his sins were
blotted out. But the Eucharist, in our case, is
not only touching our lips, but in fact, we are
consuming it and we become totally purified.
Old Testament Types of Eucharist: Offering of
Melchizedek (Gen 14:18-20); Three angels
visiting Abraham (Gen 18:1-8); The sacrifice
of Isaac (Gen 22); Paschal Lamb of Egypt (Ex
12); Manna in the Desert (Ex 16:4-26); The
Bronze serpent (Num 21:4-9); The flour and
Oil of the widow of Seraptha (I King 17:8-16);
Cluster of grapes from the valley of Eshcol
(Num 13:23); Bread of Elijah (1 King 19:1-9);
Isaiah’s coal of fire (Isa 6:6-7); Sacrifice of the
Leper cured (Lev 14; 49-53); Sacrifice of two
goats (Lev 16:1-34); The bones of Joseph the
Patriarch (Num 19:16); Water from the Rock
(Ex 17:1-7).
New Testament Types of Eucharist: Miracle of
loaves (Jn 6:1-13; Mt 14:13-21; Mk 6:30-44;
Lk 9:10-17); Wedding at Cana (water made
wine Jn 2:1-11); Miraculous catch of Fishes in
two boats (Lk 5:1-11); One Denarius given to
the workers of the Vineyard (Mt 20:1-16);
Parable of the Yeast (Mt 13:33); The fattened
Calf (Lk 15:23-29); Three measures of flour a
woman mixed (Mt 13:33; Lk 13:20-21);
Paschal Sacrifice (Last Supper) at Cenacle and
the death on the cross (Mt 26:17-15 and
parallels); The pierced side of Christ (Jn
19:34).
Eucharist and Christian Life
OT Types > Christ – Eucharist < NT Types
All OT & NT types have their meaning and
subsistence only because of the Eucharistic
sacrifice of Christ. All types became
actualized in Christ. Christians are to realize
what has been actualized in Christ through
the observance of the Paschal event, the
Eucharistic celebration.
Baptism is a potential re-entry into Paradise. Once
one entered into Paradise he/she has the power to
eat of the Tree of Life [Christ, Eucharist]. Baptism
concludes with Eucharistic communion to the
baptized.
Through baptism one enters into the
eschatological Paradise, and not into the
earlier Paradise where Adam and Eve had
fallen.
“Divinity became nutrition in the history of
salvation in various forms and degrees.
All of Him has been mixed into all of us by His
compassion,
and since He loves His Church very much,
He did not give her the manna of her rival.
He had living bread for her to eat” (Virginity
37:2).
Divine-human Reciprocity in Eucharist
Reciprocity involves two worlds, divine and
human, which are incompatible in human
terms, the human terminologies and
categories are inadequate to explain fully the
mysteries involved in the divine realm.
It is the duty of everyone to meditate and
contemplate on the glimpses of light and
truth, gratuitously given to humanity,
through the various types and symbols
spread out in the history of salvation.
We come across various typological and
symbolic depictions of the mystery of
Eucharist in the Old Testament, and symbolic
sacramental actions of Christ in the New
Testament. They are the veils under which
the mystery of the Eucharist is made tangible
to humanity.
In the symbolic, sacramental, contemplative
mode there are two poles.
The poles are the visible and the invisible,
symbol and reality, the signifying and the
signified, the symbol and the mystery. The
passage from the visible to the invisible,
symbol to reality, and so on is possible only
through a meditative-contemplative way, a
heuristic understanding. It is faith-vision that
can see the truth/reality/divine-teaching
through the veils of symbols and types.
One has to travel by meditation and
contemplation from the visible pole to the
invisible pole, from the sign pole to the
signified pole, from the symbolic pole to the
reality, and so on.
Symbolic, Typological Depictions of Eucharist
in the History of Salvation
The progressive manifestation through various
Eucharistic types was a divine pedagogy and
an invitation to a participative understanding
of the divine Eucharistic self-gift.
1. Eden > Cenacle > Church and the Eucharist
Adam’s initial eating in disobedience without
praising God.
In the Cenacle our Lord ate after giving praises.
One nutrition brings death and the other
nutrition, Eucharist, brings life.
2. Eve> Mary> Church and the Eucharist
An antithetical parallelism is seen between the
fruits gained by Eve and Mary.
The tree of Eden symbolized the Cross.
The tree of paradise was for the fall and the
wood of the Cross was for salvation/life.
Eve, Eden, Egypt Mary, Cenacle, Church
The Church gave us the living bread
for that unleavened bread which Egypt gave
Mary gave us the bread of refreshment
for the bread of weariness which Eve gave
(Unleavened Bread 6:6,7).
THE TRUTH AND ACTUALIZATION OF
OLD TESTAMENT TYPES OF EUCHARIST
As all rivers flow to the sea, all symbols, types,
figures and signs flow into the great sea of
the mystery of Christ-event.
To the eye of faith a clear line of symbolic
reality can be seen in the sacrifices of Abel,
Abraham and Isaac as well as in the offering
of Melchizedek. The symbolic power of all
those offerings is from the single self-offering
of Christ.
The truth of manna (Ex 16:4; Jn 6:31,49). If the
bronze serpent raised up by Moses in the
camp (Num 21:9; Jn 3:14) gave life and cure
to the people. Then how much more life and
cure the reality of that symbol, the crucified
body of Christ, would give (Armenian Hymns 51:10,11).
The water from the Rock at Horeb (Ex 17:6).
The bones of Patriarch Joseph carried by
Israelites for forty years on their march to the
Promised Land (Num 19:16).
The Bread that Elijah ate and journeyed forty
days and forty nights to Horeb (1King 19:4-8).
THE RIDDLE OF SAMSON AND THE EUCHARIST
(Judg 14:5-6 >14:14 < 14:18)
Out of the eater came something to eat.
Out of the strong came something sweet.
eater death
Samson Christ Eucharist
strong satan
The sensus plenior of the riddle of Samson is

made clear in the Eucharistic nourishment.
THE INCARNATE BODY OF CHRIST AND THE
EUCHARIST IN THE HISTORY OF SALVATION
The same body of the person of Christ who
healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, cure
to the lame, and so on, is mediated to each
faithful through the Eucharist.
In fact the mystery of the Eucharist is the on-
going presence of the incarnate person of
Christ in the history of salvation, in the
Church, and in the sacramental dispensation
of the Church for the faithful.
The realization of human salvation in relation
to the Eucharist can be summed up in three
stages: they are the healing and redemption
of the body of Adam/humanity, the
incorporation into the body of Christ through
the communion of the Eucharistic body, and
the fulfillment of all the promises given to
Adam/humanity.
These three stages can be symbolically
depicted through the imageries of ‘True
Paschal lamb’, ‘Bread of Life’ and ‘The Tree of
Life’.
The True Paschal Lamb and
the Unleavened Bread (Purification)
The unity and continuity of divine revelation
and the history of salvation enable us to find
the fulfillment of the OT Paschal Lamb in the
true Paschal Lamb, Jesus Christ, and further
in the Living Lamb, the risen Lord. The
Eucharistic Lamb of God took away the sins
of the world and purifies all.
The Last Supper and the Crucifixion are all
intrinsically related. Thus the meal aspect
and the sacrificial aspect of the Eucharistic
offering of Christ are symbolically constituted
in a single mystery.
The Bread of Life (Communion)
Eucharist is called the ‘Bread of Life’ (lahma d-
hayye). It is also ‘Medicine of Life’ (sam
hayye).
The need of healing came up on account of
Adam’s eating in a wrong manner at a wrong
time due to the insinuations of the evil one.
Adam was poisoned and became a leper
together with an ulcer.
Christ is both ‘The Physician’ and ‘The Medicine
of Life’, in the Eucharist. The healing aspect
and the life-giving plan of salvation are the
insights.
The Tree of Life (Fulfillment)
God’s plan in the Garden of Eden was to make Adam
eat of both trees, the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil and the tree of life, in the due course of
time in a mature manner.
Adam in his arrogance and greed set hands on the
fruits of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
in a wrong manner at a wrong time.
The merciful God sent him out of Paradise so that he
may not touch the ‘Tree of Life’ in a wrong manner.
The whole history of salvation is a history of
the return of Adam/humanity to the garden
in Paradise so as to eat from the Tree of Life
and be made perfect.
CONCLUSION
The actuality of the Incarnate Son has been
given to each Christian in a sacramental
clothing in the form of the ‘Bread of Life’ in
the Eucharist. Eucharistic body of Christ is, in
reality, the continuation of the incarnate Son
who healed the sick, gave sight to the blind,
cured the lame, and gave life/salvation to all
by his incarnate mission in the world.
Hence, partaking in the Eucharist is
participation in that very life of Christ who
moved among all kinds of people who
believed in and gathered life in its fullness.
BAPTISM, EUCHARIST AND THE CHURCH
THE BODY OF CHRIST
In the Syriac tradition the bond between
Baptism, Eucharist and the Church is
viewed more on a charismatic level with
much application to the life of the
individual and the community. Primarily
it is because of the efficacy of the gifts
of the person and activities of the
incarnate Son typified in the paschal
lamb.
The typological connections of the expulsion of
Adam from Paradise and the Cherub's sword
with the pierced side of Christ for the re-
entry of Adam/humanity to Paradise play a
significant role in the Syriac understanding of
both Baptism and Eucharist.
The blood and water that flowed from the
opened side of Christ are symbols of Baptism
and Eucharist, through which one enters
Paradise and eats of the Fruit of the Tree of
Life who is Christ himself.
In the background of the history of salvation
Eucharist is viewed as the Fruit of Life
contrasted with that fruit that caused the
death of Adam (HS II 238,11-20).
Our Lord is the Fruit of Life (HS III 653,13-14) in
contrast to the basilisk that killed Adam (HS
III 653,15-16).
In the Incarnation of the Son `the Fruit of the
Tree of Life' has been set in the manger as
nourishment to Adam/humanity (SHF I 14/FH
IV 14).
In the reception of the Eucharist the Holy Spirit

works out the spiritual transformation (HS I
545,16-17; AMS V 623,19-624,1). Hence the
communicants are `terrestrial angels' (HS IV
607,16) and the Church `the heavenly Doctor'
(HS IV 609,8).
Christ made humanity pass from the blood-
sacrifices to the bloodless-sacrifice typified in
Melchizedek.
In the Old Testament itself we find signs of the
development from blood-sacrifices to
bloodless self-offering of the bread of the
presence and the bread and wine offered by
Melchizedek (Gen 14:18). All these find their
fulfilment in the self-offering of Christ,
signified especially in the fraction of the
bread (HS I 536, 12-19; 537,1ff; 538,6ff).
The words of Jesus at the fraction of the bread

begin a new practice by which all older
practices were replaced through his body (HS
II 484,15 -485,9; 486,10-11. 16-22). The old
paschal lamb gave way to the bread and body
of Christ for the fullness of life (HS II 482,13-
14; 483,9-10. 19-20).
MARY IN THE SYRIAC CHRISTIAN TRADITION
Rather than a mere individual in the history,

the role and the life of the Blessed Virgin are
seen as types and symbols of human
cooperation in the broader history of
salvation.
Hence, the mystery of the Blessed Virgin Mary
is described in and through biblical, salvation
historical and pneumatological implications
and realities.
If the conclusion is to be anticipated, in the life
of Mary, one finds a fuller depiction of the
needed human cooperation to the Trinitarian
mysteries of salvation.
She is the faithful daughter of the Father,
perfect vessel of the Son and a fulfilled
human person by the fuller indwelling of the
Holy Spirit.
THREE BROADER ASPECTS OF
MARY’S TRINITARIAN CONFIGURATION
(1) Mary as the Model of fuller life

and perfection promised by the
Father.
(2) Mary’s cooperation with the
economy of the Son.
(3) Mary as the animating and
actualizing model of the
Pneumatological realization
through the Spirit.
I. Blessed Virgin Mary in The Totality of the
History of Salvation
Blessed Virgin Mary is described as a model
and type of human cooperation to the divine
economy at all levels of salvation history.
Mary’s life and actions are seen as types of
ideal human cooperation towards the divine
economy.
In the typological exegesis in proportion to the
types of Christ in the Bible, the types of Mary
are also abundant.
Mary’s life and actions are seen as types of
ideal human cooperation towards the divine
economy. With Mary many others can be
evaluated.
Mary is not only second Eve, but also second
Sarah, Rachel, Anna and others (cf. Nat 8:13-
15; 13:2-5). Mary is compared in certain
aspects to Tamar, Ruth and Rahab (cf. Nat
9:7-16; 15:8; 16:12). Mary has typical
connection with the ‘Tablet of Law’ (explain)
and ‘the Ark of the Covenant’ (explain) (Nat
16:16-17; 4:113; 12:3).
The biblical types of Mary and the Mariological
titles employed by the early Syriac writers
present the specific theological vision of
Syriac Christianity.
This theological vision is guided by a sense of
corporate personality, the process of
salvation as a healing, purification,
rectification for reaching fulfillment and
consummation under the path, truth and
light of the saving economy of the Word
actualized in the incarnate Son.
Our attention here is to the Eve-Mary
(antithetic) parallelism that reminds and
teaches all regarding the pattern of salvation
that attained the actualized consummation
through the right behaviour of Mary against
the deviant (stumbling) behaviour of Eve.
Mary gave us the Bread of Rest,
instead of that bread of toil which Eve gave.
Mary gave us the refreshing bread,
Instead of the fatiguing bread that Eve procured for
us (Unleavened Bread 6:6-7).
The truth and functions of corporate
personality are very much evident in Eve-
Mary antithetical parallelism. While Eve was
the cause of slavery to the corporate body of
humanity, Mary became the channel of
salvation to the corporate body of humanity
through Christ.
Mary, by her obedience, made all her potential
factors into realized factors of salvation. The
realization path is a journey through one’s
own history as Mary faithfully travelled. In
the journey through the history one has to
see with the ‘luminous eye of faith’.
Mary had that ‘eye of faith’ and that served her
for her proper behaviour in agreement with
the divine economy for rectifying and
perfecting the earlier wrong way inaugurated
by Eve in the human history.
The world, you see, has two eyes fixed in it:

Eve was its left eye, blind,
while the right eye, illumined, is Mary.
(On the Church, 37:5)
The serpent gave deceitful advice to Eve in the
garden so as to take away the ‘garment of
glory’ and wove a tunic of iniquity in which
the first parents remained naked and they
felt shameful. The fig leaves came as a
clothing of shame. Ephrem describes with his
usual contrasting imagery:
Eve in her virginity put on leaves of shame,
but Your mother, Lord, in her virginity
has put on a robe of glory
that encompasses all people,
while to Him who covers all
she gave a body as a tiny garment (Nativity 17:4)
MARY AND THE MYSTERIES OF INCARNATION
Mary’s faithful cooperation in the mystery of

incarnation made her the most successful
human being in realizing the divine economy
of salvation in the new dispensation.
As a result she became instrumental in the
fulfillment of the types and symbols of the
Old Testament and a model for all Christians
and the whole Church.
(a) Mary’s Humility and the Mystery of
Incarnation
Aphrahat describes humility as the most
suitable aspect of humans (Dem IX, 6). The
fear of God in humans should make them
humble with all the fruits emerging from
humility (Dem IX,4).
It was this humility in Mary that prepared her
for the perfect obedience to the Word
(instruction) of God (Lk 1:38).
Aphrahat describes elaborately:
The humble are the sons of the Exalted One
and the brothers of Christ, who when he was
announced came to us on account of peace.
Mary received him because of her humility. …
Gabriel carried the peace and brought the
Blessed Fruit; the beloved child was sown in
Mary. She praised and magnified the Lord
who was pleased with the humility of his
maid-servant; however he was not pleased
with proud and the exalted ones. The Exalted
One lifted up all the humble (Lk 1:48, 51-53;
Dem IX,5).
It was such a humble receptivity of Mary that
made the Word assume body and dwell with
all (Jn 1:14).
The body received from Mary is the beginning
of human resurrection.
Moreover, the received body is made exalted in
glory as a gift, pledge (as a hostage) of glory
through the Resurrection. Such an exalted
body is far greater, glorious than the
enfeebled and fallen Adam (Dem XXIII,50,51).
(b) The Virginity of Mary and the Birth of Christ
According to Syriac theological approaches all
divine-human engagements could not be
handled through rational norms and
conceptual terms. There are certain
mysteries that need suprarational
approaches that are made possible through
analogies and symbols of the natural world
and the scriptural types.
Just as from the small womb of Eve’s ear
death entered and was poured out,
so through a new ear, that was Mary’s,
Life entered and was poured out (On the Church, 49:7)
Ephrem also clarifies that like light that falls
into the eye and it sees, the Word came to
the womb of Mary and she conceived (cf. On
Faith, 73:15; 36:2). It was the conception of
Mary that opened the way to Paradise (cf. CH
26:6; Nat 5:20). By incarnation humanity
became sealed with divinity .
Today the Deity imprinted itself on humanity,
so that humanity might also cut into the seal of
Deity (Nativity, 1: 99).
The sealed womb and the sealed tomb were all
working according to the plan unknown to
the human intellect (cf. Nat 10:2-10; 12:2-3).
The birth of the Son from the Father is eternal.
Son has a second birth from Mary, the
‘Daughter of David’. ‘The Fashioner of babes’
became born corporeally as an overflow of
divine mercy on Adam (SMS 759,9/FH I 828; SMS 725,15–
18/FH I 117–120).
The Begetter of Babes became begotten corporeally,
yet the seal of virginity remained in tact. His birth is
a wonder as it is divine and human. He is from the
divine essence and from humanity, Son of the
Majesty and of Mary. The knees of Mary carried the
Valiant One, the Bearer of creation.
(c) Mary’s Free Ascent to the Plan of
Incarnation and Redemption (Nat 5:20).
In the Nativity the Son is seen dwelling in Mary
while not departing from his Father. The Son
remains ‘hidden and revealed’ at the same
time.
God in his mercy performed a great wonder in
the “New Sign” at the nativity of his Son who
came to redeem the world through his
feebleness.
The eternal Son came to a second birth
according to the flesh from the Daughter of
David.
The words of Isaiah became fulfilled. The plant
from the thirsty earth (Is 11:1), Mary, not
sown or planted, has shot up. A young girl
gave birth in her virginity to the Light, the
great Sun of Righteousness that has
overthrown darkness.
The Offspring that has come out openly cannot
be explained clearly. He is a ‘Marvel’ as Isaiah
has called him (Is 9:6) and nothing beyond
that could be said, because everything
regarding him is a marvel (SMS 800,19–
801,15/FH III 215–232). By the fact that the
story of Immanuel is a marvel, it is beyond
human explanation.
In the context of the Nativity of the Son, after
having learned and became convinced of the
truth, Mary gives testimonies regarding the
road of virgin-birth of the Son from the
Nature (SMS 750,10–19/FH I 639–648) and
the Scriptures (SMS 750,20–751,3/FH I 649–654).
She points out how the various wombs of
Nature gave birth without union of bodies so
as to serve as types of the road of the Son.
Hence, Mary speaks to Joseph in a dramatic
dialogue set within the structure of a homily:
Mary said: “If you seek testimony for my words
it is easy for you to hear both from Nature and from the
Scripture.
Who was united [in marriage] to the virgin earth that gave birth
to Adam (Gen 2:7),
and even Adam, with whom was he joined for the birth of Eve
(Gen 2:20–23)?
Who was united [in marriage] with the tree when it gave birth
to the lamb (Gen 22:13),
or who knew the rock when it gave birth to rivers (Ex 17:5–7)
By what spirit did the staff sprout forth in an unusual manner
(Num 17:8; Heb 9:4),
or by what marital union did a lifeless jawbone bring out water
(Judg 15:15–19)?
In these wombs who has generated these offsprings,
for, is this alone, that which happened in me, untrue?”
(SMS 750,10–19/FH I 639–648)
The Light that settled in Mary enlightened and
purified her. The seed that fell into her came
up as the new Bread, the Bread of the Risen
Lord.
All those who partake of the new Bread would
be transformed as Mary herself got
transformed in her relationship with the
Word in the incarnation. Incarnation is an
imprinting of God to the creation like a seal
(On Nativity, 1:97-99; 2:21; 3:5, 17).
III. MARY AND THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT IN HUMANITY AND IN THE WORLD
In the total economy of salvation one finds
several levels of the indwelling of the Spirit
beginning with creation, Incarnation,
Pentecost, in the believers, and so on.
(a) Indwelling of the Spirit in Mary
In the progress of the history of salvation there
were indwelling of the Spirit on the
patriarchs, kings, prophets as well as on the
selected people like Samson, Job and others.
All those indwellings are preparatory stages for
the decisive indwelling of the Spirit in Mary
Narsai writes regarding the divine indwelling in Mary:
The vigilant one (Gabriel) announced a new message
in ‘the ears of flesh’.
In the sign of peace, He sowed His (good) pleasure in a
land of flesh,
in order to uproot error and sow hope for those
without hope.
Mary’s conception (Lk 1:35) and birth giving stand
close to the biblical episodes of overshadowing
(aggen) of the Spirit on Patriarchs, prophets, kings,
other persons of the history of salvation.
Another Syriac term used to denote the working of
the Spirit is shra (take up residence, reside) for
indicating the divine indwelling in human persons
and in the history of salvation (cf. Jn 1:14).
Mary is a model for ideal patterns of divine-
human relationships. Her life was a
realization of all promises envisaged through
her. Such an attainment set her as the model
for all human beings. This sets her in contrast
with Eve who failed to attain the given
promises. Thus Mary became a model and
reality of the realized eschatological state.
By Mary’s human cooperation to the divine
economy what has been willed by God has
been made realized and that inaugurated the
realized eschatology.
(b) Mary and the Christian
In the divine economy of salvation, humanity is
given the choice.
There is the possibility of meritorious gaining of
the promise of eternal life by faith and
obedience.
At the same time there can be foolish
disobedience and losing of the life leading to
mortality.
Proper exercise of free will in obedience is the
life giving path. It was such a path chosen by
Mary that made her a model for all and as a
mother of all redeemed.
As the Word came to Mary through the angel
she overcame her doubts with her wise
questioning to the angle and then accepted
the mission of giving birth to the Word. This
has to be seen in contrast to the foolish
behaviour of Eve before the ‘tempter’ and
the culpable doubting of Zachariah in the
holy of the holies of the temple.
Mary gave birth to the Word and accompanied
the Incarnate Son till the end of his physical
ministry. Even beyond she remained with
that body of the Apostles, the ‘body of the
Church’, on the day of the Pentecost and
further.
Many ‘wombs’ of created Nature and
Scriptures by their symbols gave birth to the
Son as revelation to the world. Ephrem
clarifies:
The creation conceived His symbols; Mary
conceived His limbs.
Therefore many wombs brought forth the
Only-Begotten.
The belly brought Him forth by travail,
and the creation also brought him forth by
symbols (Virginity, 6:7-8)
Jacob of Serugh calls Mary, ‘the Believing
Woman’ (cf. Lk 1:45) who committed herself
to the message of the angel in contrast with
Zachariah who refused to believe the word of
the angel (Lk 1:20) and suffered punishment
(cf. SMS 736,9-10/FH I,345-46).
When a believing Christian does something out
of his faith that would become an incarnation
of the Word as it is believed and that would
become a full fledged Christian witness to the
world.
(c) Mary, Eucharist and the Church
Mary’s obedient life is a model of journeying
with faith and obedience from the promised
(primordial) paradise to the realized
(eschatological) paradise. Through Eve’s
hearing and disobedience death entered into
the world. But Mary’s hearing and obedience
brought out life to the whole humanity.
The fruit of Eden spread disease and death; but
Christ, his body, the Eucharist, spread life.
The tree of Eden symbolized the Cross. The
tree of paradise was for the fall and the wood
(tree) of the Cross was for salvation/life.
The unseen transformation taking place in a
Christian through faith in Christ and the
Eucharistic participation is explained by
Ephrem:
The two things you asked, we have by Your
birth.
You put on our visible body; let us put on Your
hidden power.
Our body became Your garment, Your Spirit
became our robe.
Blessed is He who was adorned and adorned us !
(Nativity, 22:39)
As and when a Christian on account of faith
lives as a member of the Church, the mystical
body of Christ, and partakes in the Eucharist,
there happens the continued incarnation of
the Word and salvation in the world.
It is in this context the final act of Christ on the
Cross, the mutual entrusting of Mary as
mother and John, the beloved disciple, as
son, indicates deeper meanings. Mary is
mother to all faithful and thus all faithful
disciples of Christ are sons of the Virgin Mary.
CONCLUSION
The mystery of Blessed Virgin Mary is described form
a salvation historical background, incorporating
many biblical episodes.
In the Syriac vision Mary’s role is seen as a perfect
functionary in the context of the corporate
relationship between the old Adam and the New
Adam; old Israel and the new Israel, the Church; the
mystical body of Christ, the Church and the
individual Christians; the Eucharistic sacrifice of
Christ and our Eucharistic communion.
Thus Mary is rather seen as a perfect representative
of humanity than a mere individual, who by her
faith and obedience became an animating mystery
to the Church and the Christians of all ages.

Eastern Theology

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Eastern Theology

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EASTERN CHURCHES

EASTERN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

-Church and Churches

The need of regaining the proper balance

Needed balance with unity in diversity in

Knowledge of the truth, analysis and definition

Order, organization & discipline based on regulations

• The Antiochian Liturgical Family

Church of the East :Chaldean Catholic Church

(1) Consciousness of a Covenantal People:

Holy Spirit Faithful in the Church

Ephrem (306-373) writes so convincingly:

The Father made the sign, and the Son created

Creation is divine mercy’s engagement

Salvific Synchronic Vision is a specific mode of

(a) Historical Outlook and the Synchronic

(b) Divine Teaching and Human Salvation

Modern Day Contextual Challenges and

Theological vision based on the free-will and

According to Ephrem God made himself

Christ who assumed human body stayed in all

The theology of actualization and realization

Everyone has an ‘interior heart’, a co-ordinating

The ‘inner heart is’ the deciding and driving

This theological reflection for mystical ascent is

See with the ‘eye of faith’, the ‘inner eye’ in a

(1) Biblical and Salvation Historical

The basis and purpose of Christian life is the

Such salvific organic relationships and

Biblical vision introduces you to salvation

(2) Christian Traditions (Churches) and the Life

(3) Father’s Will and Plan and the Kingdom of

Sacred time Liturgical time

What is needed is conversion and

Human Reason, Philosophies

Natural Sciences and Discoveries

A. THE NATURE AND GOAL OF TERRESTRIAL

Father spirit Agony Olive

Son soul Pain Grapes

Spirit body A Brunt Wheat

Theological views of St. Ephrem can bring out

For it is Christ who perfects its symbols by his Cross,

The Indian vision of panchakosas or five layers

The sensus plenior of the riddle of Samson is

In the reception of the Eucharist the Holy Spirit

The words of Jesus at the fraction of the bread

Rather than a mere individual in the history,

(1) Mary as the Model of fuller life

The world, you see, has two eyes fixed in it:

Mary’s faithful cooperation in the mystery of

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