Sebastian P. Brock, The Wisdom of St. Isaac of Nineveh. (Texts From Christian Late Antiquity 1; Gorgias Press: Piscataway, NJ, 2006) Pp. xx + 42. Paperback, $24.00.
Robert A.
Kitchen
Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute
George A. Kiraz
James E. Walters
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Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute
2007
Vol. 10, No. 2
For this publication, a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
license has been granted by the author(s), who retain full
copyright.
https://hugoye.bethmardutho.org/article/hv10n2prkitchen2
Robert A. Kitchen
Sebastian P. Brock, The Wisdom of St. Isaac of Nineveh. (Texts From Christian Late Antiquity 1; Gorgias Press: Piscataway, NJ, 2006) Pp. xx + 42. Paperback, $24.00.
https://hugoye.bethmardutho.org/pdf/vol10/HV10N2PRKitchen2.pdf
Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies
Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute,
vol 10
issue 2
Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies is an electronic journal dedicated to the study
of the Syriac tradition, published semi-annually (in January and July) by Beth
Mardutho: The Syriac Institute. Published since 1998, Hugoye seeks to offer the
best scholarship available in the field of Syriac studies.
Syriac Studies
Isaac of Nineveh
File created by XSLT transformation of original HTML encoded article.
[1] The
third incarnation or edition of a small volume of verses of
Isaac of Nineveh selected by Sebastian Brock is more than a
reprinting, but an innovation in Syriac publishing. The
first life of this selection originated in Kottayam, India, as
a 1995 publication of the St. Ephrem Ecumenical Research
Institute; the second included a longer introduction in an
attractive edition by SLG Press, Fairacres, Oxford (1997,
1999). In this third Gorgias Press edition, the book
continues being fleshed out with the longer introduction, an
updated bibliography, and in particular a facing-page Syriac
text. Another dimension is added with Brock’s
introduction being translated into Syriac by Raban Awgen
Aydin—recently consecrated as Mar Polycarpus Eugene
Aydin, Bishop of the Netherlands, Diocese of the Syrian
Orthodox Church.
[2] It is as
much the concept of this text as its content that is
significant. George Kiraz and Gorgias Press have initiated
a new series of bilingual texts in order to make available
edited texts and excellent English translations at low
cost. Fittingly, Sebastian Brock’s selection of
Isaac of Nineveh is Volume One, a throwback to an older style
of a selected reader for spiritual development and
guidance.
[3] Brock
has chosen 153 sayings or mēllē from the
First and Second Parts of Isaac’s works. The number, of
course, is the count of the post-resurrection catch of fish by
the disciples (John 21), utilized by other early Christian
writers especially for similar collections of pithy sentences
or chapters intended for memorization and meditation.
[4] The
introduction presents a thorough, yet concise, summary of what
is known of Isaac’s life and the longer story of his
writings, emphasizing its wide spiritual influence first in
Syriac, then in Greek and Russian spirituality. The
journey of Isaac’s works into the Philokalia are
detailed, as well as the description of the traditional First
Part, the rediscovery in the Bodleian Library of the Second
Part, and a brief note on the even more recent discovery of the
Third Part.
[5]
Describing the content of this collection of short texts is a
problem since there is no narrative or overarching scheme for
the sentences. Since the sentences are intended for
purposes of meditation, one does not want to give too many
away.
[6] For the
student of Syriac patristics and the seeker of Eastern
Christian spirituality there are further benefits. One is
able to observe how Brock translates with his deep
understanding of how this language functions. The English
translation is always contemporary in tone, occasionally edging
toward the colloquial, so consequently needing little
explanation for one desiring to meditate upon the sentences.
The sentences generally focus upon the attitudes of human
beings towards prayer and its practice, and conversely, upon
God’s compassionate attitude towards us. A few
examples will illustrate.
[7] The
first sentence is of interest to see where Brock begins.
From the second homily of the First Part Isaac speaks
appropriately of a spiritual progression and journey - ladder
and steps, descending and ascending.
[8]
1. “The ladder to the Kingdom is hidden within you,
and within your soul. Dive down into your self, away from
sin, and there you will find the steps by which you can ascend
up.”
ܣܶܒܶܠܬܐ
ܕܗܳܝ
ܡܰܠܟܘܬܐ
ܠܓܰܘ
ܡܶܢܳܟ
ܡܛܰܫܝܐ
ܘܰܒܓܰܘ
ܢܰܦܫܳܟ.
ܥܳܡܶܕ
ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܒܳܟ
ܡܶܢ
ܚܛܝܬܐ܇
ܘܬܰܡܳܢ
ܡܶܫܟܰܚ
ܐܰܢ̱ܬ
ܡܰܣ̈ܩܳܢܐ
ܕܰܒܗܘܢ
ܬܶܣܰܩ܀
[9] Two
sentences underline Isaac’s ascetical commitment and a
firm stance on an old and continuing theological problem.
[10]
11. “Fire will not catch alight with wet wood, and
fervour for God will not be kindled in a heart that loves
ease.”
ܢܘܪܐ
ܒܩܰܝ̈ܣܐ
ܪܱ̈ܛܝܒܐ ܠܐ
ܕܳܠܘܐ܇
ܘܪܶܬܚܐ
ܕܒܰܐܠܳܗܐ
ܒܠܶܒܐ
ܪܳܚܶܡ
ܢܝܳܚ̈ܐ ܠܐ
ܡܶܬܢܰܒܪܰܫ܀
[11]
32. “‘Satan’ is a name denoting the
deviation of the human will from truth; it is not the
designation of a natural being.”
ܣܳܛܳܢܐ܇
ܫܡܐ
ܕܡܰܣܛܝܳܢܘܬܗ
ܕܨܶܒܝܳܢܐ
ܡܶܢ
ܫܪܳܪܐ܇
ܘܠܰܘ
ܕܰܟܝܳܢܐ
ܐܝܬܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܡܰܘܕܥܳܢܐ܀
[12] A
couple of sentences from the Second Part of Isaac’s work
exemplify Isaac’s contemplative orientation in both the
practice of prayer and in his understanding of the Gospel.
[13]
118. “You should not wait until you are cleansed of
wandering thoughts before you desire to pray. If you only
begin on prayer when you see that your mind has become perfect
and raised above all recollection of the world, then you will
never pray.”
ܠܰܘ
ܥܕܰܡܐ
ܕܡܶܢ
ܦܶܗܝܐ
ܬܶܬܕܰܟܶܐ
ܕܚܘܫܳܒ̈ܐ܇
ܗܳܝܕܶܝܢ
ܬܶܬܪܰܓܪܰܓ
ܕܱܬܨܰܠܶܐ.
... ܐܶܢ ܕܶܝܢ
ܥܕܰܡܐ
ܕܪܶܥܝܳܢܐ
ܢܶܗܘܶܐ
ܓܡܝܪ
ܘܰܡܥܰܠܰܝ
ܡܶܢ ܟܽܠ
ܥܘܗܕܳܢ
ܕܥܳܠܡܐ
ܗܳܢܐ
ܬܶܚܙܶܝܘܗ̱ܝ܇
ܗܳܝܕܶܝܢ
ܬܫܰܪܶܐ
ܒܰܨܠܘܬܐ܇
ܠܥܳܠܰܡ ܠܐ
ܡܨܰܠܐ
ܐܰܢ̱ܬ܀
[14]
120. “The entire purpose of our Lord’s death
was not to redeem us from sins, or for any other reason, but
solely in order that the world might become aware of the love
which God has for creation. Had all this astounding affair
taken place solely for the purpose of the forgiveness of sin,
it would have been sufficient to redeem us by some other
means.”
ܠܰܘ
ܟܽܠܗ
ܡܶܛܽܠ
ܕܡܶܢ
ܚܛܳܗ̈ܐ
ܢܶܦܪܩܰܢ܇
ܘܠܰܘ
ܡܶܛܽܠ
ܡܶܕܶܡ
ܐ̱ܚܪܝܢ
ܗ̱ܘܐ ܡܰܘܬܗ
ܕܡܳܪܰܢ܇
ܐܶܠܐ
ܒܰܠܚܘܕ
ܕܥܳܠܡܐ
ܢܰܪܓܶܫ
ܒܚܘܒܐ
ܕܰܩܢܶܐ
ܐܰܠܳܗܐ
ܠܘܳܬ
ܒܪܝܬܐ.
ܐܶܠܘ
ܡܶܛܽܠ
ܫܘܒܩܳܢ
ܚܛܳܗ̈ܐ
ܒܰܠܚܘܕ
ܗܘܐ ܗܳܢܐ
ܟܽܠܗ
ܣܘܥܪܳܢܐ
ܕܬܶܕܡܘܪܬܐ܇
ܣܳܦܶܩ ܗ̱ܘܐ
ܕܰܒܡܶܕܶܡ
ܐ̱ܚܪܝܢ
ܢܶܦܪܘܩ܀
[15]
Sebastian Brock has spoken and written of the need for
“haute vulgarisation” of Syriac literature in order
to promote the field among a wider audience than just
specialists and thus help integrate awareness of the Syriac
tradition as “the third lung” for the Church.
This slim volume certainly fills this imperative, particularly
in its accessibility.