Human Weakness in Isaac of Nineveh and the Syriac Macarian Corpus: A First Investigation
This article explores some ideas of the Syriac Macarian corpus which influenced Isaac of Nineveh’s conception of what he calls ‘weakness’, a condition which, for him, indicates an original frailty inscribed in creaturality. Three concepts deriving from different Macarian writings are analysed and pl...
| Published in: | Aramaic studies |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
2016
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| In: |
Aramaic studies
Year: 2016, Volume: 14, Issue: 2, Pages: 134-146 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Isaac Syrus 640-700
/ Syria
/ Spirituality
/ Weakness
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| IxTheo Classification: | KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity KAD Church history 500-900; early Middle Ages KBL Near East and North Africa NBE Anthropology |
| Further subjects: | B
Isaac of Nineveh
Syriac Macarian corpus
Syriac spirituality
human weakness
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| Online Access: |
Presumably Free Access Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This article explores some ideas of the Syriac Macarian corpus which influenced Isaac of Nineveh’s conception of what he calls ‘weakness’, a condition which, for him, indicates an original frailty inscribed in creaturality. Three concepts deriving from different Macarian writings are analysed and placed side-by-side with some reflections of Isaac: the idea of ‘weakness’ as something proper to the human condition; the relationship to negative experiences and to God in order to discover its reality; and the link between acknowledging it and humility. Through this comparison, Isaac’s debt to the ‘Syriac Macarius’ emerges. The fact that Isaac read texts coming from different authors and proper to the Syriac version—which is different from the Greek Pseudo-Macarian corpus—attributing them to the Egyptian ascetic ‘Macarius’, is underlined. This highlights Isaac’s distinctive approach to the texts and points to the necessity of studying the Syriac versions independently from their Greek originals. |
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| ISSN: | 1745-5227 |
| Contains: | In: Aramaic studies
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/17455227-01402001 |