Coming up at Columbia
Ephrem and the Empire: A Syrian Prophet for Christian Rome
A talk with Robert Najdek
Monday, April 28, 2014, 12:00pm
Columbia University
Marshall D. Shulman Seminar Room (1219 IAB)
This talk seeks to relocate Ephrem the Syrian within his time and place through an exploration of his identity as found in his hymns. Through a close reading of his polemical hymns, Ephrem is revealed to be an ardent supporter of Nicene orthodoxy and intensely loyal to the Roman Empire. After being forced out of his hometown of Nisibis, Ephrem received refuge in the Roman city of Edessa and the personal story of his community became wedded to the history of the Roman Empire. His identity as a Christian is otherwise largely defined by his opposition to numerous different social and religious groups that were present in his time and region.
