Missionary Stories and the Formation of the Syriac Churches: Volume 55 Hardcover - 2015

From the rear cover

"This important study of late antique hagiography offers an exciting new way to read these fascinating texts. By explaining the symbols and shared motifs that make Syriac missionary texts such vibrant documents, Saint-Laurent offers a sophisticated reading of the lives of some of Syriac Christianity's most important figures. She also reveals the process through which Syriac Christian communities used their historical legacy to understand contemporary realities. This book is essential reading for all scholars concerned with the formation of Christian communities in late antiquity."--Edward Watts, Alkiviadis Vassiliadis Endowed Chair and Professor of History at the University of California, San Diego

"Saint-Laurent establishes the vital link between the literary construction of missionary lives and their use in galvanizing communities, negotiating conflicts with contemporary power structures, and establishing orthodoxies infused with apostolic prerogative. In this study, then, we see not only the birth of Syriac missionary literature but also the invention of the Christian Syrian orient and its early struggle for survival and legitimacy."--Kristian S. Heal, Director of the Center for the Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts at Brigham Young University