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While much work has been done on specific forms of prayer by scholars of liturgy (e.g. the prayer over bread and wine in the Eucharist, or the praying of the psalms in the daily office), the concept of praying as emotionally expressed by tears deserves more sustained attention. The theme of this fellows event, organized by ISM fellow, Ephrem Aboud Ishac, includes the concept of praying with tears according to the diverse traditions of the Christian East. The presentations will be live streamed, recorded, and made available online afterwards. The purpose of this symposium is to attain an innovative understanding of what the concept is of “Praying with Tears” in Eastern Christianity.
Speakers:
- Robert A. Kitchen, HMML, St. John’s University (USA) — Tears of Prayer in Syriac Asceticism: The Book of Steps and John of Ephesus
- Roberta Ervine, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary (USA)
- Arsenius Mikhail, St. Athanasius and St. Cyril Coptic Orthodox Theological School (USA) —“I remembered the sins of my ignorance, so I let go of my tears and wept”: Tears of Repentance in the Coptic Late-Medieval Hymnography of the Great Lent
- Basilius J. Bert Groen, University of Graz (Austria) — Contrite Prayer and Penitent Weeping in the Byzantine-Greek Tradition
- Tala Jarjour, King’s College (UK) — Tears, Intimacy and Value: Intersections of Faith and Affect in Musical Emotionality
Conference Schedule
1:00-1:10 - Welcoming Words and Introduction, Ephrem Ishac
1:10-1:50 - Robert Kitchen, Tears of Prayer in Syriac Asceticism: The Book of Steps and John of Ephesus
1:50-2:30 - Roberta Ervine, Some Comments on Tears in 12th Century Armenian Writer
2:30-2:50 Coffee Break
2:50-3:30 - Arsenius Mikhail, “I remembered the sins of my ignorance, so I let go of my tears and wept”: Tears of Repentance in the Coptic Late-Medieval Hymnography of the Great Lent
3:30-4:10 - Basilius Bert Groen, Contrite Prayer and Weeping in the Byzantine-Greek Tradition
4:10-4:20 - Concluding Remarks about the Concept of Praying with Tears in the Patristic and Liturgical Eastern Christian Rites, Ephrem Ishac
4:20-4:55 - Tala Jarjour, Tears, Intimacy and Value: Intersections of Faith and Affect in Musical Emotionality
4:55-5:00 Final Closing Words (Ephrem Ishac)