The aim of this selection of excerpts translated from Syriac writers, mainly on the topic of prayer, is to introduce this little known tradition of Eastern Christian spirituality to a wider audience. For the reader who is unfamiliar with this tradition the General Introduction is intended to provide a brief orientation. Some supplementary information on the individual authors will be found in the introductions to each chapter.

Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts was first published in 1908. It contains a selection of prayers, arranged chronologically, and collected from many old books of prayers and devotional materials. Chapters include; New Testament Prayers (Simeon, Mary, Jesus, Stephen, Paul, Peter); Other First Century Prayers (Clement of Rome, Clementine Liturgy, Syrian Clementine Liturgy); Second Century Prayers (Polycarp, Ignatius, Liturgy of St. James, Barnabas, Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus); Third Century Prayers (Old Gallican Sacramentary, Liturgy of St. Mark, Eastern Church Liturgy, Eastern Church Vespers); Fourth Century Prayers (Coptic Liturgy of St. Cyril, Ambrose, Nerses of Clajes, Gallican Sacramentary, Armenian Liturgy, Basil, Chrysostom, Augustine, Apostolic Constitutions); and, Fifth Century Prayers (Liturgy of the Nestorians, Ancient Collect, Leonine Sacramentary, Gelasian Sacramentary, Liturgy of the Blessed Apostles).

The Syriac translation of Sebastian Brock's The Teaching of the Syrian Fathers on Prayer, an anthology of writings from the Syriac tradition that focus on prayer and the spiritual life.

This work, a doctoral thesis accepted by the University of Marburg, Germany, offers an authoritative analysis of the prayers and fasts of the oriental orthodox churches. Fr. Biji, who is the vicar of the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church in Vienna, Austria and a visiting faculty member at the Syrian Orthodox Seminary at Vettickal, India, goes beyond the age-old spiritual practises of his church based on the teachings of its canon giver Bar Ebroyo and delineates the formative influences as well as the present day significance of those teachings. The book is a pioneering attempt to develop a theology of prayers and fasts from the oriental perspective.

Fairacres Publications 128 In recent decades there has been a notable renewal of interest in St Isaac the Syrian, a seventh-century master of the ascetic life. This selection of short sayings is part of Dr Brock’s work on a fuller, long-neglected manuscript which he is making available to English readers. Each sentence holds the mind steadily in the light of a truth about the spiritual life. St Isaac’s vivid images drawn directly from nature, husbandry and general human experience speak for themselves and draw us to penitence and prayer.

A personal and spiritual growth journal that walks you through a welcoming process of slowing down and reflecting on how to live a more Christ-centered, balanced life that values relationships and community.