Wider than heaven : eighth-century homilies on the Mother of God

267 Pages·2008·2.844 MB·English

by  Mary B. Cunningham

wider than heaven
Eighth-century Homilies on the Mother of God
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St Vladimir’s Seminary Press
Popular Patristics Series
Number 35
The Popular Patristics Series published by St Vladimir’s Semi-
nary Press provides readable and accurate translations of a wide
range of early Christian literature to a wide audience—students
of Christian history to lay Christians reading for spiritual ben-
efit. Recognized scholars in their fields provide short but compre-
hensive and clear introductions to the material. The texts include
classics of Christian literature, thematic volumes, collections of
homilies, letters on spiritual counsel, and poetical works from a
variety of geographical contexts and historical backgrounds. The
mission of the series is to mine the riches of the early Church and
to make these treasures available to all.
Series Editor
John Behr
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Wider
T han
Heaven
Eighth-Century Homilies
on the Mother of God
Translation and Introduction by
Mary B. Cunningham
St Vladimir’s Seminary Press
Crestwood, New York
2008
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wider than heaven : eighth-century homilies on the Mother of God / translation
and introduction by Mary B. Cunningham.
p. cm. — (Popular patristics series ; no. 35)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978–0–88141–326–7 (alk. paper)
1. Incarnation—Sermons—Early works to 1800. 2. Mary, Blessed Virgin,
Saint—Sermons—Early works to 1800. I. Cunningham, Mary.
BT220.W86 2008
232.91—dc22
2008040089
(cid:20)
copyright © 2008
st vladimir’s seminary press
575 Scarsdale Road, Crestwood, NY 10707
1-800-204-2665
www.svspress.com
ISBN 978–088141–326–7
issn 1555–5755
All Rights Reserved
printed in the united states of america
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To Richard
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Contents
Abbreviations 9
Foreword 11
Introduction 13
John of Damascus
An Oration on the Nativity of
the Holy Theotokos Mary 53
Andrew of Crete
On the Nativity I 71
On the Nativity II 85
On the Nativity III 107
On the Nativity IV 123
Kosmas Vestitor
Sermon on the Holy Joachim and Anna,
Glorious Parents of the Theotokos Mary 139
Germanos of Constantinople
On the Entrance into the Temple I 145
On the Entrance into the Temple II 163
John of Euboea
Homily on the Conception
of the Holy Theotokos 173
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Andrew of Crete
Oration on the Annunciation of the
Supremely Holy Lady, Our Theotokos 197
Germanos of Constantinople
Oration on the Annunciation of
the Supremely Holy Theotokos 221
Oration on the Consecration
of the Venerable Church of Our
Supremely Holy Lady, the Theotokos,
and on the Holy Swaddling
Clothes of our Lord Jesus Christ 247
Glossary of Rhetorical Terms 257
Bibliography 261
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Abbreviations
AASS Acta sanctorum quotquot toto orbe coluntur.
Antwerp, 1643–
AnBoll Analecta Bollandiana
BHG Bibliotheca hagiographica Graece. Edited by F. Halkin,
S.J. 3 vols. 3d ed. Brussels, 1957
Brenton The Septuagint with Apocrypha: Greek and English.
Sir Lancelot C.L. Brenton
ByzZ Byzantinische Zeitschrift
CCSG Corpus Christianorum: Series graeca. Turnhout, 1977–
CCSL Corpus Christianorum: Series latina. Turnhout, 1953–
CPG Clavis patrum graecorum. Edited by M. Geerard. 5
vols. Turnhout, 1974–1987
DOP Dumbarton Oaks Papers
EO Échos d’Orient
KJV King James Version
L&S A Greek-English Lexicon. H.G. Liddell and R. Scott
Lampe A Patristic Greek Lexicon. G.W.H. Lampe, D.D.
LCL Loeb Classical Library
LXX Septuagint
NPNF1 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1
NPNF2 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2
NRSV New Revised Standard Version
OCP Orientalia christiana periodica
ODB The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Edited by
A. Kazhdan. 3 vols. New York, 1991
9
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10 wider than heaven
OSB The Orthodox Study Bible: New Testament and Psalms,
New King James Version. Edited by P.E. Gillquist et al.
Nashville, 2001
PG Patrologia graeca [= Patrologiae cursus completus:
Series graeca]. Edited by J.-P. Migne. 162 vols. Paris,
1857–1886.
PO Patrologia orientalis
Rahlfs Septuaginta. Id est Vetus Testamentum graece iuxta
LXX interpretes. Edited by A. Rahlfs. 2 vols.
REByz Revue des études byzantines
SC Sources chrétiennes. Paris, 1943–
Sophocles A Greek Lexicon of the Roman and Byzantine Periods
(from bc 146 to ad 1100). E.A. Sophocles
SVTQ St Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly
SynCon Synaxarium ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae:
Propylaeum ad Acta sanctorum Novembris. Edited by
H. Delehaye. Brussels, 1902
TLG Thesaurus linguae graecae: Canon of Greek Authors and
Works. Edited by L. Berkowitz and K.A. Squitier. 3d ed.
Oxford, 1990
Trapp Lexikon zur byzantinischen Gräzität: besonders des
9–12. Jahrhunderts. E. Trapp
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