The Monastic Homilies of Isaac of Antioch
My paper focuses exclusively on Isaac of Antioch’s monastic homilies, as Bedjan published in “Homiliae S. Isaaci” (Paris, 1903). The only monastic homilies in Bedjan’s collection are numbers 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 13, 25, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, and 45, as these are specifically addressed to monks. The remaining homilies by Isaac in Bedjan’s corpus can be categorized into two distinct groups. One group is directed toward ascetics; however, there is no indication that these were intended for ascetic monks. Instead, they appear to be written for lay Christian ascetics. The other group addresses general Christian themes and seems to have been created for the education of ordinary Christians.
The difficulty of my research lies in the ambiguous identity of the figure known as Isaac of Antioch, who remains an enigmatic personality despite his substantial body of work. Furthermore, the author does not identify himself by name in any of his homilies, which adds to the confusion surrounding his identity. Notably, the name Isaac was attributed to three different Syrian authors during the fifth century (see Bedjan, Homiliae, V-VIII).
Since Isaac does not specify the names of the monks to whom he wrote his homilies, I designated each monk as “Isaac’s monk,” “Isaac’s hermit,” or “Isaac’s disciple” in my references. When he addresses a monastic community, I refer to it as “Isaac’s community” or “the monastic community of the author/Isaac.” It is also worth noting that the terms “hermit” and “monk” are used interchangeably in Isaac’s homilies, as he does not differentiate between them. This usage suggests that Isaac is part of the early Syrian monastic tradition.
What complicates my research is the unclear identity of the so-called Isaac of Antioch, who remains an enigmatic figure despite his extensive output. The author adds to this confusion by not mentioning his own name in any of his homilies. Additionally, the name Isaac was attributed to three different Syrian authors during the fifth century (see Bedjan, Homiliae, V-VIII). Furthermore, my work on Isaac of Antioch is challenging due to the scarcity of literature on him. To date, no one has conducted a study that explores the personality and spirituality of this author as reflected in his works.
However, it is the first complete work on Isaac of Antioch’s monastic homilies, which have been completely translated into English and will be gradually published in the ARAM Periodical.
Date: 25 November 2024, 17:00 (Monday, 7th week, Michaelmas 2024)
Venue: Online
Speakers: Revd Dr Shafiq Abouzayd (Oxford Interfaith Forum), Prof Sebastian Brock (Retired Reader in Syriac Studies at the Oriental Institute and currently a Professorial Fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford)
Organisers: Oxford Interfaith Forum (Oxford), Dr Thea Gomelauri (Oxford Interfaith Forum, AMES), Dr Sebastian Brock (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address: oxfordfaiths@gmail.com
Host: Oxford Interfaith Forum (Oxford)
Part of: Eastern Christianity in Interfaith Contexts
Booking required?: Required
Booking url: https://oxfordinterfaithforum.org/thematic-international-interfaith-reading-groups/eastern-christianity-in-interfaith-contexts/the-monastic-homilies-of-isaac-of-antioch/
Booking email: oxfordfaiths@gmail.com
Cost: 0
Audience: Public
Editor: Thea Gomelauri