Womb of the Spirit : the liturgical implications of the doctrine of the Spirit for the Syrian baptismal tradition
This thesis investigates the role of the Holy Spirit within the Syrian baptismal tradition and, in particular, assesses its effect upon the liturgical and theological development of initiation in East and West Syria. Primary material includes the Odes of Solomon, Didascalia Apostolorum and Acts of Judas Thomas; the writings of Aphrahat, Ephrem, Narsai, Jacob of Serugh, Philoxenus and Severus of Antioch; as well as the East Syrian and two West Syrian baptismal ordines. This study provides evidence against any notion of an original Syrian baptismal pattern in which a single anointing precedes immersion, and demonstrates that the tradition witnesses to the existence of a variety of practices at an early stage. At the same time, it argues that the Syrian rite was not originally modelled upon the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, nor did its theology undergo an identifiable shift from Johannine to Pauline imagery. Against this background, the incarnational image of the font as womb is identified as the principal characteristic which runs througout the development of the tradition, functioning as the primary symbolic focus for the activity of the Holy Spirit and thereby interpreting the pre-immersion anointing(s)
Jones, Simon Matthew
Holy Spirit
Womb of the Spirit : the liturgical implications of the doctrine of the Spirit for the Syrian baptismal tradition. This thesis investigates the role of the Holy Spirit within the Syrian baptismal tradition and, in particular, assesses its effect upon the liturgical and theological development of initiation in East and West Syria. Primary material includes the Odes of Solomon, Didascalia Apostolorum and Acts of Judas Thomas; the writings of Aphrahat, Ephrem, Narsai, Jacob of Serugh, Philoxenus and Severus of Antioch; as well as the East Syrian and two West Syrian baptismal ordines. This study provides evidence against any notion of an original Syrian baptismal pattern in which a single anointing precedes immersion, and demonstrates that the tradition witnesses to the existence of a variety of practices at an early stage. At the same time, it argues that the Syrian rite was not originally modelled upon the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, nor did its theology undergo an identifiable shift from Johannine to Pauline imagery. Against this background, the incarnational image of the font as womb is identified as the principal characteristic which runs througout the development of the tradition, functioning as the primary symbolic focus for the activity of the Holy Spirit and thereby interpreting the pre-immersion anointing(s)
womb spirit liturgical implication doctrine spirit syrian baptismal tradition investigates_role holy_spirit within syrian baptismal tradition particular ass effect_upon liturgical theological development initiation east west syria primary_material include acts thomas writing antioch well east syrian west syrian baptismal study provide_evidence notion original syrian baptismal pattern single anoint precedes immersion demonstrate tradition witness existence variety practice early_stage time argue syrian rite originally model upon baptism jesus jordan theology undergo identifiable shift johannine pauline imagery background incarnational image womb identify principal characteristic run development tradition function primary symbolic focus activity holy_spirit thereby interpret pre immersion