The Theology of Marriage in the East Syrian Tradition.

This book started life as a doctoral dissertation at the Pontifical Institute of Oriental Studies, Rome, a fact which is apparent to the reader from the layout of the chapters and the way in which the material is presented in small sub-sections. However, once this approach is digested, the mass of detailed material becomes increasingly welcome. The East Syrian marriage rite is, from a theological point of view, one of the richest in the entire repertoire of Christian liturgy. The western reader is amazed by Edakalathur's grasp of the different strands that go into this particular rite, made up as it is of domestic rites surrounding consent and betrothal, culminating in the …