The Book of Union by Babai the Great (d. 628) is a compendium of christological texts by the famed author at a time when the christological position of the Assyrian Church of the East (also known as the ‘Church of the East’ or the ‘Church of Persia’) became crystalized.
It is the finest representation of the Christology of the Church in Persia, in contrast to diaphysite expression of Byzantium in the Roman East, and the miaphysite expression of the Church in Alexandria and its dependencies. The christological expression of the Church of the East was standardized and canonized by Babai in his christological magnum opus. Accompanied by an introduction and English translation, this volume presents an indispensable text for the study of Christology and its development.
Michael J. Birnie served the St. Thomas Parish of the Assyrian Church of the East, in Seattle, Washington, from 1968 until he died on January 6, 2013. Self-taught in the Syriac language, he has translated many liturgical texts of the Assyrian Church of the East from Syriac into English, as well as canonical and theological texts.
Mar Awa III (Royel), SEOD (2007), Pontifical Oriental Institute, is the supreme head of the Assyrian Church of the East worldwide. He has published many monographs, translations and articles on the liturgy and patrology of the Assyrian Church of the East, including Mysteries of the Kingdom (Edessa Publications, 2011).
Foreword Sebastian Brock Preface Mar Awa III Royel
Introduction Theresia Hainthaler
Text and Translation
The Treatises Of Mar Babai on the Godhead [of Christ] and on [His] Manhood and on the Parsopa of the Union English translation by Michael J. Birnie †