Stephen Bar Sudayli

Stephen Bar Sudayli

Stephen Bar Sudayli was a notable Syrian Christian mystical writer who flourished around the end of the 5th and beginning of the 6th centuries CE. He is primarily known for his complex theological ideas, which led to controversy, and for his likely authorship of the influential, though pseudonymous, Book of the Holy Hierotheos.

Born possibly in Edessa, a vibrant intellectual and spiritual hub, Stephen spent the earlier part of his career there before moving to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, he lived as a monk and sought to propagate his doctrines, both through direct teaching and through correspondence with his former contacts in Edessa.

Stephen Bar Sudayli authored commentaries on the Bible and other theological works. However, his most significant impact stems from the doctrines attributed to him, which generated strong reactions from prominent contemporaries. Two of the most eminent Syriac theologians of the era, Jacob of Serugh (d. 521 CE) and Philoxenus of Mabbogh (d. 523 CE), wrote letters condemning aspects of his teaching.

His main controversial tenets, as identified by his critics, included:

• Limited Duration of Future Punishment: Stephen believed that the punishment of sinners in the after life would not be eternal, a view that diverged from the established Christian doctrine of everlasting damnation.

• Pantheistic Universalism: He taught a doctrine asserting that all of nature is "consubstantial with the Divine essence," implying that the entire universe emanated from God and would ultimately return to and be absorbed by Him. This idea, reflecting influences from Origen and particularly Evagrius of Pontus, suggested an ultimate unification where all distinctions, including that between Creator and creation, would eventually dissolve.

The "Book of the Holy Hierotheos," a significant mystical treatise, is widely attributed to Stephen Bar Sudayli. This work, which claims to be by the revered teacher Hierotheos (said to be a teacher of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite), expounds on profound mystical concepts, including the ascent of the mind towards God and the final process of unification. The book's content, particularly its esoteric nature and the idea of ultimate absorption into the divine essence, aligns with the teachings condemned by Philoxenus.

Despite the condemnation from some ecclesiastical figures who considered his views to be heretical, the Book of the Holy Hierotheos retained a degree of popularity within the Syriac Orthodox Church. Later Syriac Orthodox patriarchs and scholars, such as Patriarch Quryaqos (793–817 CE) and Gregory Bar Hebraeus (1226–1286 CE), acknowledged Stephen as its author and sometimes provided commentaries that aimed to reinterpret its more radical elements to align with orthodox Christian teachings.

Stephen Bar Sudayli's legacy is that of a complex figure who pushed the boundaries of theological thought in early Syriac Christianity. His mystical insights, while controversial to his contemporaries, continue to be studied for their rich philosophical and spiritual depth, offering a unique perspective on early Christian mysticism.