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In parts 1 and 2, Gerasimos discusses the nature of the true religion. Its purpose, he says, is to draw humans to God through commands and prohibitions and through the promise of reward or punishment in the afterlife. Further, it must be universal, not tribal, and communicable in language the people
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In part 5, Gerasimos deals with six objections. The first objection states that
Christianity cannot be the true religion because it is not the largest, has not always existed and is sometimes held in contempt. The next three objections are philosophical and allege the incompatibility of Christian
66:. It was never restored. The earliest surviving manuscript of his work dates to the 13th century. Most authorities place his writing in the 12th or 13th century, not long before the desctruction of the monastery, as there are no earlier references to his work.
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and Nikon was a monk at Saint Symeon from about 1060 until 1084. Abgar Bahkou and John
Lamoreaux suggest that the apologist may be the scribe Gerasimos who lived in the monastery in the 13th century and worked on a manuscript containing the biographies of
147:
can understand. It must also be confirmed by miracles. He argues that all religions save
Christianity draw humanity to earthly glory and serve its base desires. Of all the religions he knows, only Christianity is truly universal and accessible.
73:
between the 9th and 13th centuries, several identifications with other known figures have been suggested for the author and apologist. Samuel Noble and
Alexander Treiger suggest that the author may be Gerasimos, the "spiritual son" to whom
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and divided into five parts, the last being far longer than the rest. It is detailed, learned, gracious and bereft of the rancor that came to characterize
Christian apologia under Islam in the later Middle Ages.
480:, p. 668, divide it into six parts, but they describe the "last part" as "a series of detailed responses to possible objections" and "Part 5" as treating "six clusters of possible objections".
43:
Virtually nothing is known of
Gerasimos' biography. His only surviving work provides no information beyond what is indicated by the long title: that he was the abbot of the
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54:. He may have been a native of Antioch. Even his dates are unknown. He cannot have been writing earlier than the 9th century, since he cites the work of
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rather than salvation by fiat; and that God reveals his law progressively as humanity passes through different stages of maturity. Thus the
47:
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Although his work provides no biographical details, it does show that
Gerasimos received a good and broad education. He was familiar with
564:
Bahkou, Abjar (2009). "Kitāb al-Kāfī fī al-maʻnā al-šāfī (The
Complete Book of the Proper Meaning): The Christian Apology of Gerasimus".
691:
620:
Histoire du movement littéraire dans l'église melchite du V au XX siècle: Contribution à l'étude de la littérature arabe chrétienne
58:, who died around 820. Nor can he have been writing later than 1268, when the monastery of Saint Symeon was destroyed by Sultan
268:
681:
285:, MS 548, pages 243–271, from the 16th century, contains only the "testimonies" of the ancient Greeks and the Qurʾān
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In parts 3 and 4, Gerasimos marshals "testimonies" in support of his views. He cites first
Christian sources (
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639:"Preserving the Past and Enlightening the Present: Macarius b. al-Zaʿīm and Medieval Melkite Literature"
271:, MS Ar. 258, folios 73–78, from the 15th century, contains only the "testimonies" of the ancient Greeks
227:" and "the sword of Islam" are meant to discipline God's true children; that God's true nature demanded
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Noble, Samuel; Treiger, Alexander (2014). "Introduction". In Samuel Noble; Alexander
Treiger (eds.).
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Bahkou, Abjar; Lamoreaux, John C. (2012). "Gerasimos". In David Thomas; Alex Mallett (eds.).
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508:
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Sinai, Monastery of Saint Catherine, MS Ar. 451 (Kamil 497), from 1323, contains only part 3
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8:
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253:, not all of them traceable today. Only four of them are earlier than the 17th century:
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261:, MS Ar. 448 (Kamil 495), folios 100–127, from the 13th century, contains only part 1
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Gerasimos has answers to all the objections. He argues that "the ascendancy of the
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Gérassime: Dialogues œcuméniques de guérison suivi de Traité sur la Sainte Trinité
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Defending Christian Faith: The Fifth Part of the Christian Apology of Gerasimus
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as well as with pagan and Muslim authors. He is included as a saint in the
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According to the synaxarion of Makarios III, Gerasimos wrote works called
424:, p. 668, gloss the title as 'the sufficient, on the clear meaning'.
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The Orthodox Church in the Arab World, 700–1700: An Anthology of Sources
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134:(The Healer). Only the last work survives. Its full title is
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668:(2008). Translated by Samuel Noble. Extracts from part 4.
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162:); then contemporary pagan, that is, the writings of the
602:"Couvents de la Syrie du Nord portant le nom de Siméon"
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Exhaustive Compilation on the Doctrine that Brings Cure
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monastery of the Blessed Saint Symeon the Wonderworker
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Christian–Muslim Relations: A Bibliographical History
558:. Vol. 4 (1200–1350). Brill. pp. 666–671.
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The Book of Healing Concerning the Adequate Meaning
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623:. Vol. III, Tome 2: 1250–1516. Peeters.
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84:Christianization of Georgia
76:Nikon of the Black Mountain
10:
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617:Nasrallah, Joseph (1979).
600:Nasrallah, Joseph (1972).
595:. L'Esprit des péninsules.
247:Al-Kāfī fī l-maʿnā l-shāfī
172:ancient Greek philosophers
136:al-Kāfī fī l-maʿnā l-shāfī
682:People of medieval Syria
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158:); then Jewish (such as
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64:campaign against Antioch
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198:doctrines (such as the
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539:Fully digitized online
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509:Fully digitized online
276:Bibliothèque orientale
27:and monk who wrote in
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707:Christian apologists
208:divine foreknowledge
126:(The Disputations),
91:and his mother, the
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389:, pp. 146–147.
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188:Hermes Trismegistos
138:. It is written in
114:(Book of the Bee).
25:Christian apologist
643:Parole de l'Orient
566:Parole de l'Orient
130:(The Sermons) and
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241:natural law
204:Incarnation
62:during his
50:outside of
33:Middle Ages
676:Categories
649:: 433–441.
572:: 309–343.
128:al-Mawaʿīẓ
104:synaxarion
229:atonement
184:Aristotle
174:(such as
21:Gerasimus
17:Gerasimos
274:Beirut,
225:Muḥammad
176:Socrates
160:Josephus
132:al-Shāfī
80:Taktikon
23:) was a
664:Apology
267:Paris,
257:Sinai,
200:Trinity
170:; then
164:Sabians
60:Baybars
52:Antioch
192:Qurʾān
168:Ḥarrān
140:Arabic
29:Arabic
606:Syria
290:Notes
283:]
180:Plato
118:Works
71:Syria
220:umma
210:and
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154:and
39:Life
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