Simple and Bold: Ephrem's Art of Symbolic Thought (Gorgias Dissertations, 26) [Hardcover]

Kees den Biesen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 28, 2006 | ISBN-10: 1593333978 | ISBN-13: 978-1593333973 | Edition: 1st Gorgias Press Ed

This study explores the literary, intellectual, and theological mechanisms at work in the writings of Ephrem the Syrian, with the specific aim of identifying the exact nature of Ephrem's "symbolic thought" and evaluating its overall contemporary relevance.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Gorgias Press LLC; 1st Gorgias Press Ed edition (December 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593333978
• ISBN-13: 978-1593333973
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,915,152 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A most interesting study, November 18, 2007

By 

Paul Stevenson "Linguist" (Duhok, Iraq) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Simple and Bold: Ephrem's Art of Symbolic Thought (Gorgias Dissertations, 26) (Hardcover)

I have just read this book as part of a graduate course on St. Ephrem's poetry (in Syriac). Den Biesen offers a very insightful study of Ephrem's symbolism, particularly the extensive use he makes of polarity and paradox. The polarity between "word" and "silence" comes in for particularly rigorous, and to my mind, satisfying analysis.

If you are a student of Ephrem's poetry, this book offers penetrating and thought-provoking discussion of some of the vast, multifaceted talent Ephrem used in the course of producing his extensive corpus of poetry. However, if you are very new to the field, I recommend starting out with a more easily digestable work such as Sebastian Brock's The Luminous Eye: The Spiritual World Vision of Saint Ephrem. Den Biesen's work is not aimed at beginners.

I should note that, unfortunately, the publisher did not edit this book well, and consequently there are a number of grammatical errors and stylistic rough spots. However, the content is still readable.