The Mystery of the Church: God's Self-Revelation in Ephrem the Syrian

by Rev. Dr. Jijimon J. Puthuveettilkalam, S.J.

The Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Gregorian University is pleased to organize the presentation of Fr. Jijimon J. Puthuveettilkalam, SJ’s latest book, The Mystery of the Church: God’s Self-Revelation in Ephrem the Syrian. This work invites readers to engage with the profound thought of St. Ephrem the Syrian (c. 306–373), one of the most influential voices of the Syriac Patristic tradition. It illuminates the richness of his vision of the Church through four central questions: Where was the Church born? Why does it exist? How is it linked to God’s self-revelation? And how does it symbolize God’s revelation to humanity?

The book presentation will take place on Thursday, 20 November 2025, from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM, in Aula C008 at the Collegium Maximum of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. The event will feature presentations by some of the world’s leading scholars in Syriac studies, Patristics, and ecumenical dialogue with the Oriental Orthodox Churches, including Prof. Sebastian Brock, Reader Emeritus in Syriac Studies at the University of Oxford; Dr. David G. K. Taylor, Associate Professor of Aramaic and Syriac and Fellow of Wolfson College, University of Oxford; Prof. Dietmar Winkler, Professor of Patristic Studies and Church History at the University of Salzburg; and Rev. Dr. Hyacinthe Destivelle, O.P., Director of the Œcumenicum, Institute for Ecumenical Studies of the Angelicum. This presentation offers a unique opportunity to explore the enduring legacy of St. Ephrem and his theological vision of the Church.