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Evolution of an Eschaton: An Analysis of On the Antichrist (CPG 3946) Attributed to Efrem the Syrian
As its goal, this study employs On the Antichrist to investigate how religions (e.g. Christianity) employ religio-cultural constructs and either refine, or redefine, them for new audiences and circumstances. To accomplish this, the author transcribes and translates one of the most important manuscript witnesses of this sermon (labelled Ov1), translates it, compares it with other early witnesses, and analyzes the differences between the Greek and OCS versions of the text in order to ascertain the variations in the versions and to posit why such variations might have arisen in the transmission of this sermon. Finally, the critical edition is interrogated to propose a date of the autographic text-form of On the Antichrist to the 6th to 8th centuries.
This dissertation finds that multiple recensions of the sermon evolved from the earliest recension, the A Recension. The Old Church Slavonic recension of On the Antichrist falls squarely within the A Recension and seems to share a common ancestral tradition with the other A Recension manuscripts and help to reconstruct the early history of On the Antichrist. Thus, this dissertation provides one necessary step in preparation for the difficult task of preparing a critical edition of this sermon.
The sermon draws heavily upon 2 Thessalonians 2 and the Little Apocalypse. Two manuscripts overtly indicate multiple meters for the sermon, but two others only hint at such divisions, and the nature of the meters (Aramaic or Byzantine) is uncertain. The sermon itself references no datable historical events. The Greek of the sermon analyzing to a Late Koine/Early Byzantine cusp language datable to between the 6th to 8th centuries. For all the uncertainties and puzzles this sermon presents, the evidence clearly points to at least one conclusion: Efrem the Syrian (d.373) cannot have authored this work, and there is no way currently to ascertain the author.
Finally, this dissertation adduces an argument that Byzantine and Slavic Christians preserved On the Antichrist because of its emphasis upon humility and penitence, which allowed for the sermon to be incorporated into Orthodox liturgy by the 10th century.
This project consists of both a research paper and a qualitative and quantitative analysis of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and more (LGBTQ+) college students in Greek Life sorority and fraternity organizations. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the experiences and social climate that LGBTQ+ students face when navigating the intersections of gender, sexuality, and their involvement in Greek Life. Themes that emerged include heteronormative and cisgendered aspects of sororities and fraternities; lack of education on the LGBTQ+ community and how to support them; and exclusion of LGBTQ+ students in Greek Life organizations, especially those outside of the gender binary. As many sororities and fraternities are over 100 years old, many aspects of these organizations have changed over the years. However, there is always room for improvement and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts have been slowly developing with these organizations amending their official documents based on the gendered language used that is outdated. The next step for better supporting LGBTQ+ students in Greek Life organizations is for these organizations to discuss nonbinary and transgender membership at their annual conventions, as well as universities seeking to begin either incorporating a gay-straight alliance for fraternity and sorority life, or better educating their members on aspects of the community.