The Syriac World: Routledge Worlds

Introduction  Part I: Backgrounds  1. The eastern provinces of the Roman Empire in Late Antiquity  2. The Sasanian Empire  Part II: The Syriac world in Late Antiquity  3. The pre-Christian religions of the Syriac-speaking regions  4. The coming of Christianity to Mesopotamia  5. Forms of the religious life and Syriac monasticism  6. The establisment of the Syriac Churches  7. The Syriac Church denominations: an overview  8. The Syriac world in the Persian Empire  9. Judaism and Syriac Christianity  10. Syriac and Syrians in the later Roman Empire: questions of identity  11. Early Syriac reactions to the rise of Islam  12. The Church of the East in the 'Abbasid Era  Part III: The Syriac langage  13. The Syriac language in the context of the Semitic languages  14. The Classical Syriac language  15. Writing Syriac: manuscripts and inscriptions  16. The Neo-Aramaic dialects and their historical background  Part IV: Syriac literary, artistic, and material culture in Late Antiquity  17. The Syriac Bible and its interpretation  18. The emergence of Syriac literature to AD 400  19. Later Syriac poetry  20. Syriac hagiographic literature  21. The mysticism of the Church of the East  22. Theological doctrines and debates within Syriac Christianity  23. The liturgies of the Syriac Churches  24. Historiography in the Syriac-speaking world, 300-1000  25. Syriac philosophy  26. Syriac medicine  27. The material culture of the Syrian peoples in Late Antiquity and the evidence for Syrian wall paintings  28. Churches in Syriac space: architectural and liturgical context and development  29. Women and children in Syriac Christianity: sounding voices  30. Syriac agriculture 350-1250  Part V: Syriac Christianity beyond the ancient world  31. Syriac Christianity in Central Asia  32. Syriac Christianity in China  33. Syriac Christianity in India  34. The renaissance of Syriac literature in the twelfth-thirteenth centuries  35. Syriac in a diverse Middle East: from the Mongol Ilkhanate to Ottoman dominance, 1286-1517  36. The Maronite Church  37. The early study of Syriac in Europe  38. Syriac identity in the modern era  39. Changing demography: Christians in Iraq since 1991  Appendices I: The patriarchs of the Church of the East  II: West Syrian patriarchs and maphrians  III Online resources for the study of the Syriac world  Maps Index  Subject Index

Daniel King (Research Fellow, Cardiff University, UK) is a scholar of Syriac who specialises in the history of Syriac philosophy and its contribution to the progress of knowledge. His research is principally concerned with examining how the Syriac tradition adopted and adapted to its own environment the heritage of Greek Christian thought and ideas, and how it was able to translate large numbers of Greek texts into a new and distinctive idiom. He has a special interest in all aspects of the history of translation and currently works in East Africa advising and consulting on the translation of the Bible into the vernacular languages of the region.

"The Syriac World represents the most marvellous resource, not just for specialists in Syriac studies but also for scholars and students of global history and religion. Covering the broadest possible range of relevant topics, it brings together cutting-edge research by acknowledged experts, and succeeds in being both immensely learned and accessible. There is generous provision of maps, illustrations, and appendices, and the detailed bibliographies allow readers to pursue topics still further. A considerable achievement on the part of the editor, this volume will be an invaluable addition to private libraries as well as a must for institutions."
– Alison G. Salvesen, University of Oxford, UK
"‘The Syriac World’ is a very significant and valuable work, which is certainly recommended to students of Syriac studies, to specialists in related fields, and to all who have genuine interest in this fascinating subject."
– Bryn Mawr Classical Review
"This  volume  presenting  contributions  by  leading scholars and experts from across the world is a testimony to this vibrant and fruitful field.
In conclusion, this volume edited by Daniel King is a rich, fascinating, and very useful tool for Syriacists. Most important, perhaps, it offers fresh perspectives on the other regions and communities with which members of ‘the Syriac World’ came into contact."
– Anna Hager, Vienna,  Journal of Eastern Christian Studies