Channels of Imperishable Fire
The Beginnings of Christian Mystical Poetry and Dioscorus of Aphrodito
Will be published approx. on 1. February 1996
Book
Hardback
XXIV, 302 pages
978-0-8204-2673-0 (ISBN)
Description
Ever since the poems of Dioscorus of Aphrodito (ca. 520-ca. 585 C.E.) were discovered on papyri in Upper Egypt, they have perplexed and disturbed scholars. Written largely in an Homeric vocabulary, many appear to be praising dukes and other government officials according to encomiastic conventions. Yet the poems do not adhere closely to these conventions and contain many verses and passages which are nearly incomprehensible. This book demonstrates that many of these problematic passages have mystical significance and that the encomia possibly have an allegorical level of meaning. The study also reveals the valuable contribution these poems make to our understanding of early Christian mysticism and Late Antique culture.
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Person
The Author: Clement A. Kuehn received his B.A. degree in English literature from the University of Illinois, Chicago; he received his Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Classical Studies at Loyola University, Chicago. At Loyola, he studied under the guidance of Professor James G. Keenan, noted papyrologist and historian of Late Antiquity, and Leo Sweeney, S.J., author of numerous books on Christian philosophy and metaphysics. Dr. Kuehn's articles and papers have focused on Late Antique literature. He is currently editing the sixth century Greek papyri recently discovered at Petra (Jordan). At present, he is Lecturer of Classical Studies at Loyola University, Chicago.