Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium
Encyclopedia
The Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium is an important multilingual collection of Eastern Christian
texts with over 600 volumes published since its foundation in 1903 by Louvain Catholic University in Belgium
and The Catholic University of America
in Washington, D.C.
. The present Secretary General is Andrea Schmidt of Louvain University (French Section in Louvain-la-Neuve).
240 volumes are devoted to Syriac
writers. There are also sections for works in Arabic
, Coptic
, Ethiopian, Armenian
and Georgian
. The total number of publications also includes just over a hundred monographs.
The series is characterized by publications presenting a critical edition of the original texts in one volume and a translation in a second volume (there are some exceptions though).
The series was originally printed by different printing offices, each specialized in representing ancient characters in print. Today, only one of these specialized printers is responsible for the production and publication of the volumes. Peeters (formerly known as 'Orientaliste'), who established also an international academic publishing house in the 20th century, is responsible for the distribution of the books. All volumes of the series are still in print.
Eastern Christianity
Eastern Christianity comprises the Christian traditions and churches that developed in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Northeastern Africa, India and parts of the Far East over several centuries of religious antiquity. The term is generally used in Western Christianity to...
texts with over 600 volumes published since its foundation in 1903 by Louvain Catholic University in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. The present Secretary General is Andrea Schmidt of Louvain University (French Section in Louvain-la-Neuve).
240 volumes are devoted to Syriac
Syriac language
Syriac is a dialect of Middle Aramaic that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. Having first appeared as a script in the 1st century AD after being spoken as an unwritten language for five centuries, Classical Syriac became a major literary language throughout the Middle East from...
writers. There are also sections for works in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, Coptic
Coptic language
Coptic or Coptic Egyptian is the current stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century. Egyptian began to be written using the Greek alphabet in the 1st century...
, Ethiopian, Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
and Georgian
Georgian language
Georgian is the native language of the Georgians and the official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus.Georgian is the primary language of about 4 million people in Georgia itself, and of another 500,000 abroad...
. The total number of publications also includes just over a hundred monographs.
The series is characterized by publications presenting a critical edition of the original texts in one volume and a translation in a second volume (there are some exceptions though).
The series was originally printed by different printing offices, each specialized in representing ancient characters in print. Today, only one of these specialized printers is responsible for the production and publication of the volumes. Peeters (formerly known as 'Orientaliste'), who established also an international academic publishing house in the 20th century, is responsible for the distribution of the books. All volumes of the series are still in print.