Nicene Era
Hymns on Faith, Nativity & Paradise
Ephrem the Syrian · c. 350 – 373
Historical Context
Deacon of Nisibis and later Edessa, Ephrem is the towering poet-theologian of the Syriac tradition and one of the few Syriac fathers received throughout the whole Church.
Summary
Ephrem's madrashe (teaching hymns) meditate on the paradoxes of Incarnation, the sacraments as pledges of paradise, and the limits of theological speech. He sang against the Arians and the Marcionites in the same measure that women's choirs learned by heart.
Major Themes
- Poetic theology
- Symbolism and paradox
- Sung orthodoxy
- Syriac Christian tradition
Important Quotations
“Blessed is the Shepherd who became the Lamb for our reconciliation.”— Hymns on the Nativity 3
Primary Sources
Further Reading
- Sebastian Brock, The Luminous Eye: The Spiritual World Vision of Saint Ephrem the Syrian