'The Bird Who Sang the Trisagion' of Isaac of Antioch Becoming Parrot in a Late Antique Syriac Sermon

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.

Chapter 1 A Fowl Theology of the Cross: Isaac of Antioch’s Memra on the Parrot.- Chapter 2 Translation: Isaac of Antioch's Memra on the Parrot.- Chapter 3 Interpretative Essay: Becoming Parrot: Voice’s Subject Formation.

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.