Scholarly Reflections
Mazza, Enrico. "Chapter Six: The Anaphora of Serapion." The Origins of the Eucharistic Prayer (tr. Ronald E. Lane). Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1995, 219-239.
The Euchology, attributed to the 4th century Serapion, provides us with a wide variety of the rites used in Christian practice, including that of the Eucharist (Mazza 1995, 219). Mazza briefly discusses the debate over authorship, which hinges on the possible Arian sentiments of the author. Mazza concludes that due to the doctrinal differences, the author was not Serapion, the friend of Athanasius. He therefore refers to him (normally) as Pseudo-Serapion (Mazza 1995, 221). Mazza's study of this anaphora intends to evaluate how its structure may have been influenced by its sources.
"The account of institution presents the peculiar feature of being broken into two parts by the interpolation of Didache 9.4" (Mazza 1995, 221). Mazza observes that Didache 9.4 is present in various Alexandrian texts. The statement pertaining to the unity of the bread is readily associated with a eucharistic text. Mazza notes that in the anaphora of Serapion the passage from Didache 9 about the "vine of David" is absent, while in another work, the Der-Balyzeh Papyrus, both parts are present. It appears, then, that Der-Balyzeh did not derive from Serapion, but both were derived elsewhere (Mazza 1995, 223).
Evaluating the works in light of Apostolic Constitutions 7.25.3, Mazza observes that Didache 9.4 and Apostolic Constitutions 7.25.3 are more similar, but that Serapion 13.13 still fits the same structural pattern (Mazza 1995, 224-225). Mazza reminds us at some length of the early Christian pattern of separate rites for the bread and for the cup. The pattern is evident in Serapion. Mazza understands this to be a conscious historic and theological statement on the part of Serapion, tying the liturgy to the ancient practice known to him (Mazza 1995, 228).
Having tied the structure of Serapion's anaphora to ancient structures, Mazza moves on to consider the second epiclesis and the intercessions in Serapion (Mazza 1995, 231). Of particular interest is the fact that Serapion moves the intercessions to a position before, rather than after, a doxology (Mazza 1995, 232). The doxology would normally be directly after the epiclesis, in which prayer is made for the Holy Spirit to come. Further, Serapion's prayer asks for a coming of the Word (logos) rather than the Spirit. Mazza takes this to be a theological distinctive but not one which departs from the overall historic thought patterns and structure (Mazza 1995, 233).
The thanksgivings in Serapion are closely allied with those in traditional Alexandrian anaphoras (Mazza 1995, 234). Thanks is given for the many gifts of God in Christ, particularly Messianic gifts of redemption, grace, etc.
Mazza concludes that the originality in Serapion's anaphora consists in is doctrinal intent and in his use of traditional source material inserted in such a way as to ground his work in history (Mazza 1995, 239). This grounding also shows what Serapion may have considered to be of traditional historical importance.