This lecture aims to introduce listeners to the original conception of the human condition that was outlined by Isaac of Nineveh, a Christian 7th century mystic from the East-Syriac tradition. By journeying through Isaac’s writings the lecture will focus on his understanding of human finitude, weakness, and the experience of suffering. It will also discuss the close link that Isaac sees between faith and trust, as well as the role of hope within his thought.
Valentina Duca is a postdoctoral reasearcher (PhD Oxford), for the past three years at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She specializes in Syriac mysticism and the wider Christian mystical tradition (PhD Oxford, 2019). She is the author of Exploring Finitude: Weakness and Integrity in Isaac of Nineveh (Leuven: Peeters, 2023), and is currently working at a critical edition of the unedited portion of Isaac of Nineveh’s writings.