This volume deals with the episcopate of Cyril of Jerusalem (350 to 387). Its overall theme is the relationship between the city and its bishop and, in particular, Cyril's efforts to promote Jerusalem as the Christian city "par excellence," by employing Jerusalem's religious symbols - the holy sites and the Cross. Apart from chapters on Jerusalem in the fourth century C.E. and on the life and works of Cyril, this study discusses important aspects and events of Cyril's episcopacy, such as his pastoral work as an urban bishop of the Jerusalem Christian community, Jerusalem's liturgy, the rebuilding of the Temple, giving a re-interpretation of the Syriac letter ascribed to Cyril about this event, and Jerusalem's and Palestine's religious landscape.

This study of the life and works of Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, assesses Cyril's thought in the context of fourth-century theological developments and includes up-to-date translations of a selection of his writings.

After centuries of unresolved dispute over the question of whether the Mystagogic Catecheses belongs among the works of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, this book finally settles the controversy. These post-baptismal Easter sermons are a prized witness to the way the rites of initiation (baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist) were celebrated in fourth-century Jerusalem and for the rich sacramental theology they contain. Uncertain authorship has prevented the text from being fully appreciated as an integral part of Cyril's works. Cyril's reputation as a catechist is time-honored, and his Baptismal Catecheses has served as an invaluable source of early Church doctrine and practice. Scholars can now confidently include the mystagogic sermons in their study of Cyril's doctrinal and sacramental theology and practice. This study addresses much more than the question of authorship. A thorough examination of the Mystagogic Catecheses in conjunction with Cyril's Baptismal Catecheses provides a new view into his life and thought as both catechist and mystagogue. It begins with a survey of those aspects of Cyril's life and his Jerusalem church that are relevant to reassessing the authorship of the Mystagogic Catecheses. It then examines the text's manuscript tradition, literary tradition, and date. There follows the most extensive section, a comparative analysis of the disputed sermons and Cyril's Baptismal Catecheses in the areas of liturgical rites, theology, spirituality, and literary style. The text is then compared to the known works of the contending author, John II of Jerusalem. Finally, the sermons are subjected to a stylometric analysis, that is, a computer-based statistical analysis of literary style. This book will be welcomed by scholars of early Christianity, especially those interested in the life and works of Cyril of Jerusalem. Of special interest is its treatment of the history and development of liturgy in the Christian East through the fourth century. This is the first volume in the Patristic Monograph Series of the North American Patristic Society to be published by the Catholic University of America Press. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Alexis James Doval is associate professor of religious studies at Saint Mary's College of California. PRAISE FOR THE BOOK: "[A] considerable contribution to a vexed but vital question about Cyril and the mystagogical catacheses. . . . Doval's study is a must for any patrologist interested in liturgical history and theology, concerned about the resurgence of the Jerusalem church, studying the development of catachesis and catechumenate, or exploring questions related to the controversies of the fourth century."--Prof. Thomas Finn, College of William and Mary "The persistent question of authorship receives a comprehensive treatment in this work. . . . The door on John's authorship of the mystagogical catechesis is not completely closed, but for Doval it remains an improbability at best. Barring new evidence, it will probably never be opened wide again in the wake of this study."--William P. McDonald, Journal of Early Christian Studies "[A]n important purchase for libraries which have patristics collections or collections in the history of doctrine and liturgy." Cecil R. White, Catholic Library World "Doval's cumulative case is compelling, and the onus must now be on those who dispute Cyril's authorship to justify continued dissent. . . . [A]n important contribution to studies of Cyril of Jerusalem and the fourth-century liturgy of the Holy City."--Bryan D. Spinks, Journal of Ecclesiastical History "[This] book offers a very carefully defined structure and method for dealing with a highly complicated question." -- Pablo F. Argarate, Toronto Journal of Theology

Cyril was bishop in Jerusalem from c350-351 AD until 386 AD. His writings are an important source for the history of early Christian doctrine. This book provides full English translations, with explanatory commentary, of his most important works. The introduction covers Cyril's life; his historical and archaeological context; his theology; and contemporary doctrine and practice. This will be essential reading for students and scholars of patristics, and those studying the history of the early Church and late antiquity.

Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem's Coptic homily On the Life and the Passion of Christ is in fact a collection of apocryphal stories. Roelof van den Broek offers a critical edition of this text, with introduction, translation and notes. The text provides information about the worldly crafts of the apostles and Jesus' external appearance; it also contains a peculiar chronology of Holy Week (implying that Jesus was arrested on Tuesday evening) and a long story about Pilate’s role in the trial of Jesus. The latter contains, int. al., letters by Pilate and Herod, discussions between Pilate and Jesus during a dinner they had together, and a description of the dreams of Pilate and his wife Procla and their explanation by Jesus.

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This is the first text edition of the catechism of Cyril of Jerusalem in the Christian Palestinian Aramaic version (ca 5th-7th centuries AD). About a third of the volume comprises previously unpublished text material. The real importance of this Aramaic version is that it is based on a translation from an earlier Greek version now lost. For comparison, the Aramaic part has been juxtaposed with the Greek text of the critical edition of 1848. A glossary of the Aramaic words has been included.

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