Scholarly Reading
8/4/26
Bouyer, Louis. (1968). "Ch. 9: The Classical Form of the Byzantine Eucharist: The East Syrian Survivals of Intermediary Types." (pp. 281-314). In Eucharist: Theology and Spirituality of the Eucharistic Prayer. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame. (Personal Library)
In the East Syrian region, Bouyer notes the rise of "liturgies attributed respectively to St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil" (Bouyer 1968, p. 281). These were adopted by the church in Constantinople. In Antioch, apparently from before Chrysostom's time, there was a so-called liturgy of the twelve apostles. Chrysostom's liturgy follows this in general, but with additions and omissions (Bouyer 1968, p. 282).
Bouyer moves into an analysis of this liturgy of the twelve apostles, which may have connections both to a short Antiochian liturgy and to Apostolic Constitutions (Bouyer 1968, p. 282). The text is similar to that of St. James. Notably, in the second portion, while the focus is on Jesus' merciful love, it is presented primarily as a quotation.
Next is a comparison of the liturgy of the twelve apostles with the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (Bouyer 1968, p. 286). Here bouyer observes the dialogue consists largely of direct quotes from St. Paul. There is also significant material that parallels the liturgy of the twelve apostles, though this text is Syriac and that one Greek (Bouyer 1968, p. 287).
The liturgy of St. Basil may be of an earlier date than that of St. Chrysostom, but later than the liturgy of the twelve apostles (Bouyer 1968, p. 290). It was brought into use in Egypt, then in a longer form into Cappadocia (Bouyer 1968, p. 291). Much of this liturgy is created from biblical sentences arranged into a selective narrative about God's person and work. In contrast to the liturgy of St. James, that of St. Basil draws a complex picture of the interactions of the persons of the Trinity (Bouyer 1968, p. 297). Further, Bouyer observes that "[t]he unfolding of the prayer itself assembles the whole content of the Eighteen Blessings more precisely than any other previously cited Christian formulary" (Bouyer 1968, p. 303). Even the progression of ideas is mostly intact.
Bouyer brings us back to the liturgical traditions of East Syria, where some groups use an expanded form of the liturgy of Addai and Mari, under the identity of Nestorius or of Theodore of Mopsuestia (Bouyer 1968, p. 304). Here, the epiclesis is after the intercessions, rather than being before them. All in all, Bouyer concludes that the liturgies reviewed in this chapter are all related to the prayers of the Palestinian synagogues, and that especially the Roman and Alexandrian liturgies developed naturally from these roots (Bouyer 1968, p. 310).
8/4/26
Bouyer, Louis. (1968). "Ch. 9: The Classical Form of the Byzantine Eucharist: The East Syrian Survivals of Intermediary Types." (pp. 281-314). In Eucharist: Theology and Spirituality of the Eucharistic Prayer. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame. (Personal Library)
In the East Syrian region, Bouyer notes the rise of "liturgies attributed respectively to St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil" (Bouyer 1968, p. 281). These were adopted by the church in Constantinople. In Antioch, apparently from before Chrysostom's time, there was a so-called liturgy of the twelve apostles. Chrysostom's liturgy follows this in general, but with additions and omissions (Bouyer 1968, p. 282).
Bouyer moves into an analysis of this liturgy of the twelve apostles, which may have connections both to a short Antiochian liturgy and to Apostolic Constitutions (Bouyer 1968, p. 282). The text is similar to that of St. James. Notably, in the second portion, while the focus is on Jesus' merciful love, it is presented primarily as a quotation.
Next is a comparison of the liturgy of the twelve apostles with the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (Bouyer 1968, p. 286). Here bouyer observes the dialogue consists largely of direct quotes from St. Paul. There is also significant material that parallels the liturgy of the twelve apostles, though this text is Syriac and that one Greek (Bouyer 1968, p. 287).
The liturgy of St. Basil may be of an earlier date than that of St. Chrysostom, but later than the liturgy of the twelve apostles (Bouyer 1968, p. 290). It was brought into use in Egypt, then in a longer form into Cappadocia (Bouyer 1968, p. 291). Much of this liturgy is created from biblical sentences arranged into a selective narrative about God's person and work. In contrast to the liturgy of St. James, that of St. Basil draws a complex picture of the interactions of the persons of the Trinity (Bouyer 1968, p. 297). Further, Bouyer observes that "[t]he unfolding of the prayer itself assembles the whole content of the Eighteen Blessings more precisely than any other previously cited Christian formulary" (Bouyer 1968, p. 303). Even the progression of ideas is mostly intact.
Bouyer brings us back to the liturgical traditions of East Syria, where some groups use an expanded form of the liturgy of Addai and Mari, under the identity of Nestorius or of Theodore of Mopsuestia (Bouyer 1968, p. 304). Here, the epiclesis is after the intercessions, rather than being before them. All in all, Bouyer concludes that the liturgies reviewed in this chapter are all related to the prayers of the Palestinian synagogues, and that especially the Roman and Alexandrian liturgies developed naturally from these roots (Bouyer 1968, p. 310).
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