A Theology of Wonder: An Introduction to the Poetry of Ephrem the Syrian @LumenChristiInt
A Theology of Wonder: An Introduction to the Poetry of Ephrem the Syrian  @LumenChristiInt
Uploaded September 2020 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
A lecture by Andrew Hayes (University of St. Thomas, Houston), part of a webinar series on "Eastern Catholic Theology in Action" presented by the Lumen Christi Institute and the Godbearer Institute.

St. Ephrem is the common teacher of the Syriac theological tradition whose preferred medium is poetry. Named a doctor of the Church by Benedict XV, Ephrem emphasizes that the ascetical and mystical experience of wonder is the criterion for authentic theologizing. Dr. Hayes will discuss how Ephrem’s notion of wonder purifies our freedom, rendering the whole person a clear and luminous receptacle for the experience of God.

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This series is co-sponsored by the Beatrice Institute, the Calvert House Catholic Center, the Catholic Theological Union, the Institute for Faith and Culture, God With Us Online, the Harvard Catholic Forum, the Nova Forum, the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University, the Saint Benedict Institute, the St. Paul University Catholic Center, St. Stephen Byzantine Catholic Church, and the Tabor Life Institute.

More info here: lumenchristi.org/eastern-catholic

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Join us next week, September 17th, for "Christ the Lover of Mankind: Philanthropia, Mystery, and Martyria in Eastern Christianity", with Robin Darling Young (Catholic University of America). For more info and to register: lumenchristi.org/event/2020/9/Christ-Lover-of-Mankind

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If you enjoy our programming, you can support our work by liking and sharing this video, as well as through donating to the Lumen Christi Institute at lumenchristi.org/donate
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A Theology of Wonder: An Introduction to the Poetry of Ephrem the Syrian

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