Hymns, Homilies and Hermeneutics in Byzantium (Byzantina Australiensia, 25)

The homiletic audience as embodied hermeneutic : scripture and its interpretation in the exegetical preaching of John Chrysostom / Wendy Mayer -- John Damascene's homily on the withered fig tree (CPG 8058) : parable in action, or exegetical and panegyrical preaching in interaction / Fr Damaskinos (Olkinuora) of Xenophontos -- John Damascene on the transfiguration of the lord : mystical homiletic performance and eschatological hermeneutics / Vassilis Adrahtas -- Andrew of Crete's Great canon, Byzantine hermeneutics, and Genesis 1-3 / Doru Costache -- Knowledge in song : liturgical formation and transformation in Romanos the Melodist / Sarah Gador-Whyte -- Is there room for doubt in Christian faith? Romanos the Melodist and John the Monk on the Apostle Thomas / Mary B. Cunningham -- The tears of a harlot : Kassia's Hymn on the sinful woman and the biblical mosaic of salvation / Andrew Mellas -- Looking, listening and learning : Justinian's Hagia Sophia / Brian Croke -- "Blessed is he who has come and comes again" : mimesis and eschatology in Palm Sunday hymns and processions of twelfth-century Jerusalem / Daniel Galadza -- Syriac hymnography before Ephrem / Scott Fitzgerald Johnson -- The eye of the soul in Plato and pseudo-Macarius : Alexandrian theology and the roots of Hesychasm / Eva Anagnostou-Laoutides.ISBN : 9789004439566 Contents Foreword Notes on Contributors Introduction Part 1 Hermeneutics of Preaching Chapter 1 The Homiletic Audience as Embodied Hermeneutic: Scripture and Its Interpretation in the Exegetical Preaching of John Chrysostom Chapter 2 John Damascene’s Homily on the Withered Fig Tree (CPG 8058): Parable in Action, or Exegetical and Panegyrical Preaching in Interaction Chapter 3 John Damascene on the Transfiguration of the Lord: Mystical Homiletic Performance and Eschatological Hermeneutics Chapter 4 Andrew of Crete’s Great Canon, Byzantine Hermeneutics, and Genesis 1–3 Part 2 Performing and Experiencing Christianity Chapter 6 Is There Room for Doubt in Christian Faith? Romanos the Melodist and John the Monk on the Apostle Thomas Chapter 7 The Tears of a Harlot: Kassia’s Hymn On the Sinful Woman and the Biblical Mosaic of Salvation Chapter 8 Looking, Listening and Learning: Justinian’s Hagia Sophia Chapter 9 “Blessed Is He Who Has Come and Comes Again”: Mimesis and Eschatology in Palm Sunday Hymns and Processions of Twelfth-Century Jerusalem Part 3 Tradition and Reception Chapter 10 Syriac Hymnography before Ephrem Chapter 11 The Eye of the Soul in Plato and Pseudo-Macarius: Alexandrian Theology and the Roots of Hesychasm Index "The essays in Hymns, Homilies and Hermeneutics explore the literature of Byzantine liturgical communities and provide a window into lived Christianity in this period. The liturgical performance of Christian hymns and sermons creatively engaged the faithful in biblical exegesis, invited them to experience theology in song, and shaped their identity. These sacred stories, affective scripts and salvific songs were the literature of a liturgical community - hymns and sermons were heard, and in some cases sung, by lay and monastic Christians throughout the life of Byzantium. In the field of Byzantine studies there is a growing appreciation of the importance of liturgical texts for understanding the many facets of Byzantine Christianity: we are in the midst of a liturgical turn. This book is a timely contribution to the emerging scholarship, illuminating the intersection between liturgical hymns, homiletics and hermeneutics"-- Provided by publisher In Hymns, Homilies and Hermeneutics the authors explore the sacred stories, affective scripts and salvific songs which were the literature of Byzantine liturgical communities and provide a window into lived Christianity in this period.