This Liturgical Study is dedicated to the memory of Michael Vasey, liturgy tutor at St John's College, Durham (1975-1998), and a member of the Church of England's Liturgical Commission (1985-1998), who died in June 1998. It reproduces the text which he originally drafted for the Commission in the early 1990s, as amended both by the Commission and by the House of Bishops, on which discussion was effectively suspended in 1995. At that stage the Commission propsed to further the discussion on penitence and reconciliation in the church by publishing its proposed text together with some background essays, but the project, which Michael was to have edited, was halted by his untimely death.

The letter comes from the fourth century and is therefore very significant for studies of early Roman liturgical history - and is frequently quoted. Here the series provides the full text with translation and notes.

This booklet considers the implications of cremation, both theological and pastoral aspects. Clerical and lay points of view are presented.

Published for the first time by Paul de Lagarde in the extant Syriac, this volume reproduces the initial edition of the Didascalia Apostolorum. This important document, which purports to have been written by the apostles is a third-century pseudepigraphon. Presenting a view of the Catholic doctrine as it was believed to have been held by the original apostles, the topics addressed include worship, doctrine, and Christian discipline. For the Syriac scholar wishing to engage a foundational document in the early history of the church, this publication represents an excellent starting point.

In this continuously cited article on the Babylonian legends of Etana, Zu, Adapa and the South Wind, and Dibbarra, Harper provides a substantial wealth of detail. Each of these myths is treated with an introduction, transliteration, and translation. Philological notes are given along with a summary of the contents. Comparison is also made with other ancient tales that bear resemblance to those contained in this volume. Further remarks by H. Zimmern on the Adapa legend are also included. This study is accompanied by hand-drawn copies of the cuneiform tablets and a photographic archive of the various fragments of the texts.

Whereas many studies suggest or presuppose some link between Christian liturgical origins and the practices of Judaism the Jewish sources are hard to find and understand for Christian students without any background in early Judaism and its literature. This book presents some of the relevant sources in clear English, with accompanying material which sets the sources in their context and introduces the student to the debate about the relationship between Jewish and early Christian liturgy.

Paul Bradshaw, Maxwell Johnson, and Ruth Meyers write on baptismal practice in the Alexandrian tradition, reconciling Cyril and Egeria on the catechetical process, and the structure of the Syrian baptismal rite.

Lagarde’s edition of the British Museum manuscript of an abridged version of the Geoponica is here made available again for the use of scholars and interested historians. Originally composed by Vindonius Anatolius of Beirut, a fourth-century Greek author, the Geoponica is an example of early natural science, a collection of agricultural tracts. Published here with Lagarde’s Latin commentary on the material from his Gesammelte Abhandlungen, this obscure and difficult text is now available for the first time with the insightful comments of the linguist who edited the Syriac text.

In this set of articles originally published together in his booklet Orientalia, Lagarde addresses several issues concerning Hebrew studies. The first article, Explanation of Hebrew Words, addresses the use of twelve significant lexemes. Added to this essay is a contribution of Lagarde to the Hebrew reflected in Ephraim the Syrian’s work on Genesis, extant in Armenian. Select passages from Genesis 2 through 38 are given consideration in the light of philological investigation. Together these pieces represent a useful collection of insights into the Hebrew language both through classic philology and through the ecclesiastical interpretation of a scholar in the tradition of Syriac Christianity.

This book is a classic in the history of the Oriental Churches, which are sometimes portrayed as heretical in general church history books, if mentioned at all. Written by a Copt, it portrays the history of the faith of these non-Chalcedonian Churches with first-hand knowledge of their traditions. The author covers Alexandrine Christianity (the Copts and the Ethiopians), the Church of Antioch (Syriac Orthodox), the “Nestorian” Church of the East, the Armenian Church, the St. Thomas Christians of South India, the Maronite Church, as well as the Vanished Churches of Carthage, Pentapolis, and Nubia.

An introduction to the issues surrounding inculturation, with particular reference to the Eucharist in the African context. Discussion is held of a variety of denominations and the text of the Eucharistic prayer for the new Kenyan service is included.

The Lamp of the Sanctuary is the most important theological encyclopedia in the Syriac language and its author Gregory Bar Hebraeus was perhaps the greatest polymath ever to write in Syriac. The book is divided into twelve different sections which span the breadth of medieval theology.

The background, beginnings, and controversies of the Eucharistic developments in New Zealand are presented. The twenieth century is divded into four periods to facilitate the exploration.

A series of essays exploring the sacerdotal role of the bishop in the Anglican church. Both historical and contemporary perspectives on the bishop's liturgical role are presented.

The fifth or sixth century document known as the 'Canons of Hippolytus' is a set of thirty-eight canons with a concluding sermon. They are presented here translated into English with an introduction.

A text for students, with translation, introduction and annotations.