Cyriacus of Tagrit was patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch between 793 and 817 under the Abbasid Caliphate, a turbulent and divided period in the history of his church in the Middle East. This work, for the first time, collects together and provides a critical edition and annotated English translation of all of his extant and accessible writings. On the basis of this editorial work, and making use of all other available historical sources, Cyriacus’ concerns and priorities, both theological and ecclesio-political, are contextualised and analysed. The book pays particular attention to his major composition, The Book on Divine Providence, which explores such issues as the consequences of human free will and divine omniscience and omnipotence; the causes of evil; the influence, or otherwise, of fates, fortune, and astrology; whether the time of an individual’s death is predetermined; the fate of the soul after death; and the evidence of the working of divine providence throughout history.

The books are divided into six parts in two volumes. Part I, Introductory Considerations, surveys the extant texts and sources by, or relating to, Cyriacus. Part II, Historical Impact, considers the events and consequences of his patriarchal reign. Part III, Cyriacus’ BDP within the Syriac Tradition, compares and contrasts his central ideas with other contemporary Syriac writers. Part IV, Named Theological Sources in Cyriacus’ BDP, examines his patristic citations. Part V contains some Concluding Reflections. Part VI, Texts and Translations, contains the text and translation of all surviving works by Cyriacus.