John Rufus: The Lives of Peter the Iberian, Theodosius of Jerusalem, and the Monk Romanus (Writings from the Greco-Roman World) - Softcover

Horn, Cornelia B.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1589832000 ISBN 13: 9781589832008

Publisher: Sanderson Books Limited, 2008

Synopsis

This book makes available for the first time in English important works by the anti-Chalcedonian historian and biographer John Rufus on Peter the Iberian, Theodosius of Jerusalem, and Abba Romanus, three key figures of the Christian history of Palestine in the fifth and early sixth centuries C.E. The work offers a new critical edition of the Syriac text; the first-ever published English translation; a substantial introduction to Palestinian monasticism, the christological controversies of the time, and the life and writings of John Rufus; and ample annotations to a Syriac text whose Greek original is no longer available. By providing access to the Christian landscape (literally and metaphorically) in late antique and early Byzantine times, this volume offers a valuable counterbalance from a minority perspective to the biographical and historical writings of the Chalcedonian apologist Cyril of Scythopolis.

About this title

About the Author

Cornelia B. Horn, Ph.D. (2001) in Early Christian Studies, The Catholic University of America, is Assistant Professor of Theological Studies, Early Christian Literature, and Greek and Oriental Patristics at Saint Louis University in Saint Louis, Missouri. Robert R. Phenix, Jr., Ph.D. (2005) in Languages and Cultures of the Christian Orient, Eberhard-Karls Universitat Tubingen, is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Theological Studies at Saint Louis University in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Review

"[A] major contribution to studies of Christian asceticism in fifth-century Gaza." Making "first-hand knowledge of Peter the Iberian, Theodosius, and their connections to the Egyptian monastic world . . . readily accessible to those with an interest in late antique social history."--Kathleen Gibbons Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"Scholars working on the fifth-century Christological disputes, and their relation to the development of monastic communities, should . . . especially welcome this volume."--Kathleen Gibbons Bryn Mawr Classical Review

The book "offers material that engages several current studies on early monastic spirituality and psychology." The "treatments of demonology in Rufus's writings suggest the social dimension of this monastic trope."--Kathleen Gibbons Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Provides "an occasion to consider how the preoccupation with the demonic powers evident in so many ascetic writings from this period reflects not only a concern with personal moral progress, but with the relationship between doctrinal and moral purity among the larger religious community." --K. Gibbons Bryn Mawr Classical Review

 The book is "a valuable learning tool for those . . . developing a foundation in the Syriac language." --Kathleen Gibbons Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Edition details

• Publisher: Sanderson Books Limited
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1589832000
• ISBN 13: 9781589832008
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 464