Liturgy of St James of Jerusalem
The Liturgy of St. James is an ancient Christian eucharistic service, attributed to James the Just, the first bishop of Jerusalem. It is a form of worship based on the Antiochene Liturgy and is still used today, primarily by West Syriac Rite churches like the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. The service includes scripture readings, prayers, a sermon, the kiss of peace, the offering of gifts, and the Eucharist. Other Liturgical writers form their liturgies on the basis of the structure of this first and original liturgy (divine service by the clergy and laity). Written near Jerusalem, and shared south with Alexandria/Africa, north with Persia, and west with Rome/Europe. The author of this divine service was said to have "knees like a camel" due to his regular prayer life at the Temple in Jerusalem.
The Church understands itself as an orthodox faith with collegiate efforts among the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic diaconates because of its unbroken historical, theological, and sacramental continuity from the Apostolic age. Beginning with Pentecost around AD 33, the Church grew through apostolic preaching, developed a stable threefold ministry (bishop, priest, deacon), and established a conciliar and liturgical life rooted in Jewish worship and early Christian practice. Despite intense persecution, Christianity expanded rapidly due to its social Compassion, philosophical engagement, and the saving power of the Gospel. By the fourth century, Christianity moved from persecution to legalization under Constantine, eventually becoming the official religion of the Roman Empire under Theodosius I in 380 AD—all before the biblical canon was formally finalized, highlighting the Church’s life in Holy Tradition.
Definition: A sacrament is a holy Mystery in which God uses the material world to unite human beings to Himself and to one another in Christ. The Mysteries are the manifestation of the Kingdom of God in the life of the Church. (Revelation, Participation, Transformation, Union with Christ)
A diaconate is a service, or a ministry administered among Orders.
An order is a distribution of spiritual energy among ranks of clergy and laity. Examples include Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Subdeacons, Chanters, Readers, Virgins (Monks and Nuns), Orphans, Widows, Acolytes, helpers (male or female), etc
Collegiate means partnership, in a closed system, where one who has received grace (i.e. of ordination) passes on the grace to another (i.e. chrismation, baptism, reconciliation, etc) where the faith is passed on in a clear and formative method. It is tradition to not have a defined and limited explanation. So this paragraph itself is not necessarily useful to each Orthodox christian. An inferred or implied partnership assumes that a previous minister (i.e. a bishop or a priest) has satisfactorily passed on the grace through faith. In this sense, Orthodoxy has no "lone wolf" mentality, nor an "island christian" circumstance. The faithful are regularly transmitted grace by the Lord Jesus Christ through the Apostles and their successors.
Compassion. See eleemosynary. In orthodox terms it comes from the Greek word eleēmosúnē, which in Latin was called "eleemosyna". This is where the English word "alms" comes from. Almsgiving is therefore a normal (expected) christian practice of loving-kindness. The Liturgy includes a time for Almsgiving, initiating in the Church and then dismissing to transmit it outside the Church.
The Liturgy changed its calendar in unique locations over time. See for example one of many versions. https://www.academia.edu/67033733/The_Liturgical_Calendar_of_Jerusalem?email_work_card=view-paper or https://www.academia.edu/32902171/Liturgy_and_Byzantinization_in_Jerusalem_Oxford_Early_Christian_Studies_Oxford_Oxford_University_Press_2018_xvi_437_pp
To see how the Liturgy played a unique role in Jerusalem for specifically visiting actual places throughout the year. See https://www.academia.edu/30422681/_Various_Orthodoxies_Feasts_of_the_Incarnation_of_Christ_in_Jerusalem_in_the_First_Christian_Millennium_in_Prayer_and_Worship_in_Eastern_Christianities_5th_to_11th_Centuries_ed_Derek_Krueger_and_Brouria_Bitton_Ashkelony_London_Routledge_2017_181_209
Title - Thesis | Scroll | Short Description | Synthesis 2nd Temple | Antithesis | Synthesis Apostolic | Synthesis Amoraim | Continent Origin | Southern Worldview | Northern Worldview |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liturgy of St James of Jerusalem | Scroll 74 | 1st edition Liturgy | Divine Service of James the Brother of the Lord. | Η Θεία Λειτουργία του Αγίου Ιακώβου (The Godlike Liturgy of Holy Jacob) | Liturgical | NA | Asia | Church Service Book | Public Liturgy |
Category Reference Guide
Title/Thesis - The name of the book in American English
Synthesis 2nd Temple - The name of the book in order of its presentation other than the Apostles, ranging from 2nd temple Judaism up to the 1st century
Antithesis - The name of the book in another language
Synthesis Apostolic - The identity of the book in order of its presentation according to Tradition in the church after the 3rd century
Synthesis Amoraim - The name of the book in order of its presentation other than the Apostles, ranging from Tannaim up to the 5th century
Continent Origin - Continent from where the Text Type Source comes from
Southern Worldview - Catalog strategy for storing the scrolls include the interpretation. South means Africa or Egypt (Alexandrian) such as LXX. South of Palestine.
Northern Worldview - Catalog strategy for storing the scrolls include the interpretation. North means Asia or Persia (Babylonian) such as Masoretic. North of Palestine.
Here are additional resources for those who want to continue learning and exploring:
Link to some reference to The Liturgy of St James