'The Bird Who Sang the Trisagion' of Isaac of Antioch

This book provides close historical, theological and cultural analyses of an important, but neglected, Late Antique writer, Isaac of Antioch, who was active during the second half of the fifth century. This book is the first English-language monograph on this key figure and also includes the first translation (without the Syriac) of this compelling metrical homily into English, which has at its heart the public pronouncement by a parrot of theological truths. The authors situate this remarkable text in the wider fields of performance studies, animal studies and media studies, all areas that can illuminate essential meanings and implications of the homily.

“Birds can play an important role in literature; situated in time between Aristophanes' Birds and Farid al-Din 'Attar's Conference of the Birds, Isaac of Antioch's poem on the bird who sang the Trisagion plays its part in theological controversy of the time.  Robert Kitchen introduces the context and provides the poem with its first English translation, while Glenn Peers explores the parrot's role in the wider context of humanity's fascination with parrots.  Clearly a must for all parrot-lovers.” (Sebastian Brock, Fellow of the British Academy, Emeritus Reader in Syriac Studies and Emeritus Fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford, UK)

“In this polished volume, the authors show Isaac’s homily on the parrot to be a sophisticated, multilayered text that will appeal both to scholars of Christian antiquity as well as to contemporary readers, especially those interested in animal studies.” (Patricia Cox Miller, The Bishop W. Earl Ledden Professor of Religion, Emerita, Syracuse University, USA)

“Isaac of Antioch is a mysterious figure of late antique Syriac Christianity, prolific yet understudied. Robert Kitchen’s clear introduction is followed by his elegant translation of Isaac’s surprising and revelatory encounter with a parrot, an unlikely source of fresh theological, exegetical, and liturgical wonder for Isaac’s poetic exploration. Glenn Peers adds an interpretive essay that reflects on the significance of non-human beings for ancient Christians and ourselves, refracted through a remarkable tour of the relationship between humans and parrots across vast swaths of history, past and present. There is much to learn here, and much to enjoy – whether of Isaac’s world or our own. Partnering meticulous scholarship with imaginative insight and depth, this is work that instructs and delights at every turn.” (Susan Ashbrook Harvey, Willard Prescott and Annie McClelland Smith Professor of History and Religion, Brown University, USA)

“In an age where the parrot is often reduced to the symbol of mindless repetition - parroting - or merely seen as a colorful pet, the authors offer a captivating account of a parrot that transcended these clichés. Isaac's parrot is not only is capable of speaking but defies conventional expectations of the human-animal relationship by helping a human understand a theological truth. This book seamlessly blends solid philological work, an enjoyable translation of a challenging text, with a brilliant interpretation of the Syriac mēmrā. After more than 1500 years Robert Kitchen and Glenn Peers return the parrot its voice.” (Przemysław Marciniak, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland)

“Could a bird be a theological teacher? Indeed, it was a parrot that inspired a key text on the Christological debates in late 5th-century Antioch. In their translation and analysis of Isaac of Antioch’s Mēmrā about ‘The Bird Who Sang the Trisagion,’ Robert Kitchen and Glenn Peers masterfully combine theological and historical analysis with historical human-animal studies. Their highly original perspective on animal (parrot) agency and human ‘parroting’ demonstrates how even a seemingly anthropocentric activity, such as the exploration for the true faith, can be read as a multi-species event.” (Tristan Schmidt, Uniwersytet Śląski w Katowicach, Poland)
 

Robert A. Kitchen is a retired minister of the United Church of Canada, who has extensive experience in teaching the Syriac language and publishing on theology related to this tradition.

Glenn Peers is emeritus professor at the University of Texas at Austin and Syracuse University, USA; his field is Byzantine and East Christian art and culture.