Prof. Sebastian Brock’s book, The World of the Syriac Fathers, provides the Romanian reader with the most important up-to-date landmarks for his orientation in Syriac theology. Throughout the book, the author treats deeply, clearly and meticulously the most important and most representative themes of the thought of the Syriac Fathers. Even the titles of some of the chapters in the contents are striking: “Introduction to Syriac Studies”, “Introduction to Syriac Spirituality”, “Christology of the Eastern Church”, “The Prayer of Jesus in the Syriac Tradition” and others. Going through the book will give the reader the joy of encountering an integrating and unifying vision of a wondrous but still little known world, such as that of Syriac-speaking Christianity, a vision that is the fruit and synthesis of Professor Sebastian Brock’s life-long research.

Sebastian Brock (b. 1938), considered the world’s dean of Syriac studies, is Professor Emeritus at the Oriental Institute in Oxford, where he taught from 1974-2003. He is the author of over 30 books and 400 published articles, including text editions and translations. The cornerstone of his work has been the providential discovery of Part II of the writings of St. Isaac the Syrian in the Bodleian Library in Oxford, a manuscript which he translated and published in a critical edition.

In countless ways, the Syriac authors reveal the complementarity between the roles of Mary and the Eucharist in the course of salvation history. Mary is the essential point of encounter between God and man in the process of the Incarnation, the descent of God into man, just as the Eucharist is the point of encounter between man and God in the process of sanctification or (as we find it expressed in the Eastern and Greek traditions alike) of the dehumanization of man, of the elevation of man to God. At the same time, the Holy Sacraments (Baptism in particular) continually “give birth” to Christians, just as Mary gives birth to Christ. In the Holy Sacraments, the work of the Holy Spirit is certain; what remains as a necessity is the consent, the cooperation of each human person individually, corresponding to Mary’s consent at the Annunciation. If this cooperation is offered, then the Christian will also “give birth” and Christ will shine forth from his heart, just as Mary gave birth and Christ shone forth.