Spirit Epicleses in the Acts of Thomas (Wissenschaftliche by Susan E. Myers

By Susan E. Myers

the main whole instance of an early Christian novel approximately an ancient determine, the third-century Acts of Thomas includes inside of it prayers which are strikingly comparable well-liked and content material. each one is located within the context of Christian initiation and every is addressed to a female deity who's requested to 'come' to be found in the ritual. The prayers handle the female Spirit, who's referred to as 'Mother,' 'fellowship of the male,' and 'dove,' between different titles. Susan E. Myers examines those prayers of their historic, literary, and liturgical contexts, and demanding situations the various winning assumptions approximately Syriac-speaking Christianity as a rule, and the Acts of Thomas in particular.
She largely analyzes the Acts of Thomas , starting with questions of authorship, provenance, and courting of the paintings. on the center of the learn is an in depth research of the redactional personality of the Acts of Thomas , particularly the prayer language inside of it. the writer argues that the liturgical scenes demonstrate a sort of Christian initiation that it seems that incorporated an anointing with not obligatory water baptism, and a Eucharist of bread and water only.
Susan E. Myers keeps by way of studying different prayers to deities within the old international, and concludes with an research of the theological content material of the prayers themselves. they're addressed to the Spirit, who appears to be like as a female revealer determine who could be invoked to be found in ritual motion along with her devotees.

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