Is monastic profession in the West-Syriac tradition a “second baptism”? A relationship clearly exists between the two rites of initiation in the West-Syriac tradition: the monastic profession and baptism. Aydin examines these two rites of initiation, comparing their external structures, common imagery and theological themes, and reveals that the monastic rite closely parallels, or even is modeled upon, that of baptism. Mor Polycarpus Edip Aydin explores the idea of monastic profession as a “second baptism,” or rather, the realization of what the gift of the Spirit at baptism really implies. An extensive Appendix contains Syriac texts with English translations pertaining to the Syriac rite of monastic profession, with relevant commentaries by Syriac Fathers from the 6th to the 10th centuries.
Abbreviations (xi)
Acknowledgements (xvii)
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Syriac "Proto-Monastic" Tradition and the Way it Fits into the Development of Monasticism in the Fourth Century (23)
Chapter Three: The Structure of the Monastic Profession in the West-Syriac Tradition (43)
Chapter Four: Comparison with the West-Syriac Baptismal Rite (103)
Conclusion (139)
Appendix (141)
Bibliography (285)
Index (295)
