Poet of the Word: Re-reading Scripture with Ephraem the Syrian

Download or read book Poet of the Word: Re-reading Scripture with Ephraem the Syrian written by Aelred Partridge and published by SLG Press. This book was released on 2020-11-01 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fairacres Publications 187 Early Christians read the Bible somewhat differently from their modern counterparts. For example, St Ephraem’s layered approach to interpreting Sacred Scripture, especially the Old Testament, led him to delve below the literal words of the texts to uncover the rich vein of symbolic allusions that lay within them. Woven together, they formed a tapestry of spiritual wisdom. Ephraem transformed this tapestry into vibrant poetry in hymns, homilies and biblical commentaries that gesture towards the unfathomable mystery of God revealed in Christ. This brief essay examines the principles that guided Ephraem’s manner of biblical interpretation (his hermeneutics) and reveals why he is a Poet of the Word.