Isaac
the Syrian: Prophet of Unity
by Fr. Dale A. Johnson
Isaac the Syrian is a model for orthodox Christians in regard to ecumenical and inter-religious relations. For Isaac teaches us that Christianity is a way of life because it is the way of love for all God’s creatures.
Sometimes called Isaac of Ninevah (not to be confused with Isaac of Antioch) he was born in the seventh century in present-day Qatar, on the Persian Gulf. In 660 or thereabout he was appointed bishop of Ninevah in northern Iraq, not far from Mosul. But after less than six months as bishop, he asked to be allowed to retire so that he could return to his monastery and devote himself to monastic life. It is from this period that his mystic treatises and homilies were written. Isaac helped to shape Syriac Christianity into a faith
characterized by its ascetic spirit, openness, and mysticism.
Isaac is above all concerned with prayer, spirituality and the practice of religious life. It is this core feature of his life and writings that make him especially suited to those who think and work for ecumenical relations. He did not see himself as suited to be bishop, where he would be required to defend a particular denominational position. He was first and foremost a monk, who wrote for other monks. Much of his writing contains detailed instructions and observations about the monastic life, but other sections, including those quoted below, are of more general and contemporary interest. Isaac is not always an easy writer to understand as his thoughts are deep and subtle.
Pragmatic and Adaptable
Isaac is in no way dogmatic in his views, and his ideas lend themselves to adaptation in a variety of cultural and spiritual milieus. Like the Syriac missionaries all over Asia, Isaac’s ideas crossed cultural, linguistic and religious boundaries. Isaac and the Syriac speaking Christians were concerned with God’s love for all humankind, and not just those in the church who chose to become Christians. It is this feature that offers a basis for real interaction and service to others.
Isaac was not Tribal in his Religious Views
In his writings, Isaac never speaks about the theological controversies over the person and nature of Christ, the issues which led to divisions between Chalcedonians, Monophysites, and Nestorians. He had no use for theological sword-play. Like all other Syriac Christian mystics, he has an aversion to confessional differences, for his interest is in the ascent of the soul “unto the One and All.” In fact, he cautions against passionate arguments over theology and doctrine. Religious zeal can only lead to contentiousness and away from the peace of mind which passes all understanding and the experience of God’s mercy and grace. He writes,
Zealousness
“A zealous person never achieves peace of mind, and he who is deprived of peace is deprived of joy…”
“While you presume to stir up zeal against the sickness of others, you will have banished health from your own soul. You should rather concern yourself with your own healing. But if you wish to heal those that are sick, know that the sick have greater need of loving care.”
“Zeal is not reckoned among mankind as a form of wisdom; rather, it is one of the sicknesses of the soul, arising from narrow-mindedness and deep ignorance…”
Truth
“Someone who has actually tasted the truth is not contentious for truth.”
“Someone who is considered among men (sic) to be zealous for truth has not yet learned what truth is really like: once s/he has truly learnt it, s/he will cease from zealousness on its behalf…”
Serenity
“God is reality. The person whose mind has become aware of God does not even possess a tongue with which to speak, but God resides in his/her heart in great serenity. He experiences no stirrings of zeal or argumentativeness, nor is he stirred by anger. He cannot even be aroused concerning the faith.”
Optimism of Grace
God’s love is more important even than truth, according to Isaac. The Christian must have compassion and “a heart on fire with love for all creation.” This is the fire that motivated the Syriac Church to engage in the work of mission all over Asia, not a desire to divide people into those who were “saved” and those who were “damned”. We cannot interpret these early missionaries to China and other parts of Asia in light of the Protestant and Catholic missionaries who came much later or the ones in our day. Isaac had no interest in the eternal hell of a vengeful God, theological ideas which were of Western origin and which were only then being developed in West. The Syriac speaking Church was different from the Roman Catholic Church in this respect. Isaac believed that the optimism of grace overshadows the pessimism of judgment, for in Christ, the whole of creation is restored. Isaac believed with St. Paul that all things hold together in Christ, and the Christian message for the world centers on God’s love in all and for all. This kind of inclusive theology should be a guide for the continual renewal of the church today.
Sin, therefore, is not a prominent theme in Isaac’s writings. It is certainly not a prominent aspect of the Christian message for the world. Isaac often refers to the many temptations in monastic life, but he is not over-burdened by human sinfulness. Isaac had no doctrine of original sin. He cannot be read in light of Augustine, medieval Catholicism or the Protestant reformers. Many of their ideas would be foreign to him.
Sin
“As a handful of sand thrown into the ocean, so are the sins of all flesh compared with the mind of God.”
Compassion
“Just as a strongly flowing fountain is not blocked up by a handful of earth, so the compassion of the Creator is not overcome by the wickedness of his creatures…”
Sin, Hell, & Death
“Sin, Gehenna (i.e. hell) and death do not exist at all with God, since they are effects and not substances.”
“Sin is the fruit of self-will. There was a time when it did not exist, and there will be a time when it will not exist.”
“Gehenna is the fruit of sin. At some point in time it had a beginning, but its end is not known…”
The writings of Isaac the Syrian are a fruitful area for further study, not only study of an historical nature, but for theological construction and ecumenical dialogue we need today.
