ANTIOCH

A Centre for Antiochian Orthodox Christian Studies and Research

“The Disciples of Christ were called Christians first in Antioch.”

— Acts of Apostles 11:26

“The reason for this is that our city [Antioch] has loved Christ from the beginning. You have received as your patrimony the desire never to allow the teachings of our Faith to degenerate into heresy. What makes this clear? In the time of your ancestors, men came here from Palestine who were muddying the clear waters of the doctrine taught by the Apostles. They were exhorting your ancestors to practice circumcision and to observe the Mosaic Law. Those who then lived in your city did not remain silent nor did they put up with this innovation. They were like courageous hounds who saw wolves attacking and destroying the entire flock. They sprang after the wolves and did not let up chasing them and driving them away. They saw to it that the Apostles from every corner of the world sent them their decision in the form of a letter which would protect them from any attack launched against the faithful by those innovators and all such as might come thereafter.”

— St. John Chrysostom

[On the Incomprehensible Nature of God. Paul Harkins (Transl.). Fathers of the Church 72 (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America, 1984) Homily II, 72-73]

This same Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East exists today upholding the same Faith it received from the Apostles. Through centuries of struggle and invasion by armies from both the East and West, much of its heritage and patrimony has been obscured or lost.

“Antioch Centre is a project that sets out to highlight many important aspects of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch which has a wonderful rich multi-cultural heritage and patrimony, both literary and artistic.”

— Dr. Sebastian P. Brock, FBA, Professor of Syriac Studies, Oxford University

Antioch Centre is based in Oxford, UK, because of its unparalleled collection of Antiochian manuscripts, both in original and microfilm form. We have, so far, catalogued thousands of manuscripts that we have located. These are already revealing forgotten saints lives, aspects of early iconography, and the development of Christian worship and liturgy which impact upon our own understanding and practice of the Faith. They also affect our understanding of history and archaeology.

Antioch Centre Aims:

  1. To advance the rediscovery of the heritage and patrimony of the Rum Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, its history, culture, and society, for all to learn and understand.
  2. To facilitate and enhance the study of Antiochian history, demography, hagiography, spirituality, theology, liturgy, biography, archaeology, and linguistics.
  3. To publish and disseminate information on this heritage and patrimony that is otherwise unavailable to the public.
  4. To accomplish this by:
    • Cataloguing manuscripts in a fully searchable database open to all.
    • Publishing its findings both in print and online.
    • Editing and translating manuscripts written in the three main languages of the Antiochian Orthodox Tradition, i.e. Syriac, Greek, and Arabic.
    • Supporting scholars in the field.
    • Organising conferences and pilgrimages.

Antioch Centre has projects in progress, and others still to begin, relating to the poorly known, though extremely rich, Antiochian Orthodox Christian heritage and patrimony.