Marganitha

The Marganitha (which translates as "Pearl") is the most concise teaching of the Assyrian Church of the East. Written by Mar Odisho, Metropolitan of N’siwin and Armenia, in 1298, the book is divided into four sections:

On God
- Theory Concerning God
- That God is One and Not Many
- That God is Eternal
- That God is Incomprehensible
- On the Trinity
On the Creation
- On the Creation of the Universe
- On First Man’s Sin
- On the Divine Laws and Ordinances, and On the Prophets
- Prophecies Concerning Christ
On the Christian Dispensation
- On the Advent of Christ, and His Union
- On the Dispensation of Christ
- On the Truth of Christianity
- On the Different Sects
- Refutation of the Foregoing Creeds
- On the Title "Begetter of God"
- On Four Qnume (Hypostasis)
- On the Church
On the Church Sacraments
- On the Number of the Church Sacraments
- On the Priesthood
- On Baptism
- On the Oil of Unction
- On the Oblation
- On the Holy Leaven
- On the Remission of Sins and Repentance
- On Matrimony and on Virginity

The first chapter is theological, explaining God's necessary existence and most basic features, as revealed in the Old Testament. Following this is the Assyrian cosmology, which sets the stage for the coming of the Messiah. The next chapter is Christological, attempting to explain the Assyrian understanding of Jesus' personhood and divinity; this is the most crucial chapter in terms of explaining Assyrian doctrine to other Christian groups, as the Assyrians had been incorrectly labeled Nestorians for centuries. The thrust of the chapter is largely ecumenical, in an attempt to reconcile the linguistic and cultural forces that kept the Assyrians from the larger Christian community. The final division concerns the practice and significance of Christian sacraments. An appendix of the Assyrian patriarchs often follows the text of the book.

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