A Relic In Spe: Theodoret’s Depiction of a Philosopher Saint

Summary, in English

The following article is an interpretation of a narrative in Theodoret of Cyrrhus’ collective biography about the history of the monks of Syria, the Philotheos historia. The most well-known saint of Theodoret’s own diocese was James of Cyrrhestica. His biography has a central place in the PH, but has not received as much attention as that of his name- sake James of Nisibis, or Symeon the Stylite. It is my intention to analyse this vita, and address specifically how the dual images of the ascetic as both a philosopher and a martyr are combined. Moreover, I hope to display how focus is shifted from the living saint to the dead saint. As the text was written, the saint was (supposedly) still very much alive, and deeply involved in the matters of the church. Still, I suggest that he is made a relic in spe, and thereby brought close to the cultic practices of the church in the city.

• Author: Andreas Westergren
• Editor: Markus Vinzent
• Department/s: Church and Mission Studies
• Publishing year: 2013
• Language: English
• Pages: 25-29
• Publication/Series: Studia Patristica LXVIII: Papers presented at the Sixteenth International Conference on Patristic Studies held in Oxford 2011
• Volume: Vol. 16: From the Fifth Century Onwards (Greek Writers)
• Document type: Book chapter
• Publisher: Peeters Publishers
• Topic: Religious Studies
• Status: Published