Everything about Syriac Christianity totally explained
Syriac Christianity is a culturally and linguistically distinctive community within
Eastern Christianity. It has its roots in the
Near East, and is represented by a number of Christian denominations today, mainly in the
Middle East and in
Kerala,
India.
History
Syriac Christian heritage is transmitted through the
Syriac language, a dialect of
Aramaic. Unlike the Greek Christian culture, Syriac culture borrowed much from early
Rabbinic Judaism and
Mesopotamian culture. Whereas
Latin and
Greek Christian cultures became protected by the
Roman and
Byzantine empires respectively, Syriac Christianity often found itself marginalised and persecuted.
Antioch was the political capital of this culture, and was the seat of the
patriarchs of the church. However, Antioch was heavily
Hellenized, and the Mesopotamian cities of
Edessa,
Nisibis and
Ctesiphon became Syriac cultural centres.
The early literature of Syriac Christianity include the
Diatessaron of
Tatian (most probably), the
Peshitta Bible, the
Doctrine of Addai and the writings of
Aphrahat and the hymns of
Ephrem the Syrian.
The first division between Syriac Christians occurred in the
5th century, when Christians of the
Sassanid Persian Empire were separated from those in the west over the
Nestorian Schism. This split owed just as much to the politics of the day as it did to theological orthodoxy.
Ctesiphon, which was at the time the Sassanid capital, became the capital of the Church of the East.
After the
Council of Chalcedon in
451, many Syriac Christians within the
Roman Empire rebelled against its decisions. The Patriarchate of Antioch was then divided between a Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian communion. The Chalcedonians were often labelled 'Melkites' (Emperor's Party), while their opponents were labelled as
Monophysites (those who believe in the one rather than two natures of Christ) and
Jacobites (after
Jacob Baradaeus). The
Maronite Church found itself caught between the two, but claims to have always remained faithful to the Catholic Church and in communion with the bishop of Rome, the Pope.
Over time, groups within each of these branches have entered into communion with the
Roman Catholic Church, becoming
Eastern Catholic Churches.
Some Syriac Christian denominations no longer use the Syriac language in their worship. This is particularly true of the Chalcedonian churches.
Churches of the Syriac tradition
East Syrian Rite
Syriac Christians were involved in the mission to India, and many of the ancient churches of India are in communion with their Syriac cousins. These Indian Christians are known as Saint Thomas Christians.
In modern times, various Protestant denominations began to send representatives among the Syriac peoples. As a result, several Protestant groups, including the "Assyrian Pentecostal Church" have been established. However, such groups are not normally classified among those Eastern Churches to which the term "Syriac Christianity" is traditionally applied.
Further Information
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