How Syriac Christianity Saved the Protestant Reformationby Fr. Dale A. Johnson
In 17th century Europe the protestant reformation began to lose it's fervor. It was weighed down by the intellectual weight of scholasticism, science, and the new socialism created by the wealth and power of nation/states who were discovering new lands and resources. Galileo and Newton were pioneering modern science. Descartes was forging modern philosophy. Hugo Grotius was promoting the idea of international law. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were forming modern political theory. In the same century strong centralized nation/states entered into worldwide competition for wealth and power by colonizing America and Asia.
Syrian Christian Spirituality
by Bar 'Eato Briro Dr. D. Babu Paul
Syrian Christian Spirituality has to my knowledge not been defined so far. In fact the expression Syrian Christian itself seems to be a term differently understood by different people. I consider the term as signifying all native Christians who left the Portuguese in 1653. Of course there is a problem there also. Mar Aprem was, and is, known as Aprem the Syrian. And we have our church designated Syrian (though Patriarch Zakka has now changed it as Syriac). For the limited purpose of this paper I consider the expression to mean all native Christians who existed here before the arrival of the Christian foreigners of different persuasions after say 1500 CE.
Mor Yakoub Burdhono, the sculptor of the Syrian Orthodox Church
by
Ypdkno Dr.Paul Samuel
Syrian Orthodox Christians are really very proud to bear the nickname 'Jacobites' as the name lends to the most powerful and magnanimous figure in the history of the Syrian Orthodox Church. Each of its members is delighted to hear this name being called. The name Jacobites were given to us as a nickname because we were the followers of Mar Yakoub Burdhono.
The SaReGaMa of Life
by
Lija Renjit
As I was reminiscing, a parade of thoughts arrayed in my mind but I couldn’t cling onto one. But then I stumbled over a thought. We add years to our life, but do we add life to our years? For instance do we add music to our ears, tune to our thoughts or rhythm to our hearts’ desires.To begin with, let’s familiarize ourselves with these 3 phrases that might help us to be more bold and high-spirited…
FROM PREVIOUS EDITION
Jesus
Christ as Medicine of Life. A St. Ephrem Christological Perspectiveby Rev. Fr. Jomy Joseph
In the ancient civilized societies, health and diseases were allied with deities and hence, often magic and medicine went together. The Indian Vedic Text ‘Atharva Veda’ contains prayers against diseases. In China, health and disease are integrated into the philosophy of the Tao and the two polar principles, the yin and the yang. In ancient Egypt, people believed that pain and sickness are caused by the gods and goddesses.
Hidden
Genius in an Arab Christian Text
by Father Dale A. Johnson
Syriac speaking Christians of Lebanon like many Christians in the Middle East struggled for a thousand years to resist the use of the Arabic language. At first they wrote their prayers with Syriac letters to represent the sounds and meanings of Arabic. This was called Kharshuni. Then Syriac speaking Christians began to use dual language books written in Arabic and Syriac. Bishops and Patriarches forbid Syriac Christians to use Arabic in worship. Finally, Christians of the Levant submitted to writing their prayers and their liturgy in Arabic. The influence of Arabic brought few positive contributions to Christian culture of the Middle East.
The
Nature and Mission of the Church: An Indian Perspective
by
HE Geevarghese Mor Coorilos
Let me, at the very outset, greet you in the most precious name of the Holy Trinity. I also greet you on behalf of the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) and I should like to express my deep sense of gratitude to the Moderator of Faith and Order Commission, His Eminence Metropolitan Dr. Vasilios and to the Rev. Cannon John Gibaut, its Director for their kind invitation to be part of this meeting of the Plenary Commission. It is matter of immense satisfaction that the CWME and the Faith and Order, two of the foundational pillars of the World Council of Churches, have now entered into a period of collaborative work, which I hope will continue in the coming years.
Malankara
Syriac Church Celebrates the 324 th dukrono of Maphryono St. Basalious
Yeldho & 245 th Dukrono of Maphryono St. Baselios Shakrallahe
by
Shroro Editorial Board
Kothamangalam, INDIA - 05 Oct 2009: The ten day annual church festival marking the 324th dukrono of St. Baselios Yeldho came to a close on Sunday afternoon with special prayers and Raza held at the Mar Thoma church (Cheriapally), Kothamangalam. Scores of believers are still thronging the church premises to pray at the sacred tomb of the holy father.
