Sad News: Fr. Sidney H. Griffith (1938–2026)

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Nathan Tilley

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Jul 13, 2026, 3:08:25 PM (yesterday) Jul 13
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Dear Colleagues,

I write with a heavy heart to share the news that Fr. Sidney H. Griffith, Professor Emeritus of Semitics at the Catholic University of America, passed away on July 1, 2026 in Maryland. 

Fr. Griffith was born in 1938 in Gaithersburg, Maryland where he attended school until 1952 when he began studies at the John Carroll High School in Washington, DC. He subsequently joined the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity and attended the congregation’s minor seminary in Alabama and major seminary in Monroe, Virginia. He was ordained as a priest in 1965. 

In 1965, Fr. Griffith began the first of his many years at the Catholic University of America by earning an M.S. in Library Science and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology the following year (1966). Fr. Griffith then began studies in the Department of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures where he would remain for the rest of his career. He earned his PhD in Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures in 1978. Fr. Griffith joined the faculty of Catholic University in 1977 and was promoted to ordinary professor in 2001. He held this position until his retirement in 2014. 

Fr. Griffith was internationally renowned as a scholar of Syriac and early Arabic Christianity. His numerous scholarly works include studies of the famous Syriac thinker Ephrem the Syrian, early Syriac asceticism, early Arabic Christian theology, and interreligious dialogue and spirituality. Fr. Griffith was the author of over 130 articles and seven books, including the award-winning The Church in the Shadow of the Mosque: Christians and Muslims in the World of Islam (2008); The Bible in Arabic (2013); Yahyā ibn ʿAdī, The Reformation of Morals: A Parallel English-Arabic Text Translated and Introduced (1992); and A Treatise on the Veneration of the Holy Icons Written in Arabic by Theodore Abû Qurrah, Bishop of Harrān (c. 755–c. 830 A. D.) (1997). His Marquette Lecture of 1997 was published as Faith Adoring the Mystery: Reading the Bible with St. Ephraem the Syrian.

Numerous institutions have recognized Fr. Griffith for his work. He was awarded fellowships from Dumbarton Oaks, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Institute for Advanced Studies. From 1986 to 1988 he was President of the North American Patristics Society; he also served as president of the Byzantine Studies Conference (1990–1991) and of the American Oriental Society (2007–2008). In 2009, he received a Rumi Peace Award for his work in interfaith dialogue. For over a decade he was a member of the Eastern Orthodox-Roman Catholic Dialogue and was a frequent participant in various forms of Christian-Muslim dialogue.

Fr. Griffith was a pillar of the Catholic University of America community, having served as chair of the Department of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures for three terms, as director of the Center for the Study of Early Christianity from 1984–1999, and as secretary of the Institute of Christian Oriental Research for decades. He trained numerous graduate students in the languages and literatures of the Christian Near East, many of whom went on to become notable scholars in the field.

Colleagues, students, and friends remember Fr. Griffith for his engaging conversations and his scholarly generosity. Fr. Griffith was always eager to work through a text with students or colleagues, sharing their curiosity and offering insights from his immense learning. His generosity, knowledge, and humility will be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. 

May his memory be eternal. 

With much sadness,
Nathan
__________________________________________________
Nathan Tilley, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Ancient and Medieval Languages and Cultures
Director, Institute of Christian Oriental Research
Director of Graduate Studies, Program in Early Christian Studies
The Catholic University of America
Washington, DC

Ayman Ibrahim

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Jul 13, 2026, 3:14:55 PM (yesterday) Jul 13
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This is truly heartbreaking. Just an hour ago, I was holding one of his books and reflecting with deep admiration on his remarkable scholarship. Father Sidney was not only a top-notch scholar, but also a genuinely sweet, caring, and humble man. His wisdom, kindness, and faithful witness touched so many lives. He will be deeply missed. May he rest in the peace of the Lord, whom he loved and served so faithfully.

Ayman S. Ibrahim, Ph.D.

Bill and Connie Jenkins Professor of Islamic Studies

Director, Jenkins Center for the Christian Understanding of Islam

Director, Research Doctoral Studies


The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Amazon Page | Academia Page | SBTS Page | Jenkins Center | Twitter | Office: 502-897-4319


My Recent Books: Sharia versus the U.S. Constitution (Think and Tell, 2026) | A Medieval Case for Islam’s Superiority (Baylor University Press, 2025) | Muhammad’s Military Expeditions (Oxford University Press, 2024) | Introducing Islam (Baker Academic, 2020–2024) | Islam and the Bible (B&H, 2023) | A Concise Guide to Islam (Baker Academic, 2023) | Reaching Your Muslim Neighbor (Crossway, 2022) | Medieval Encounters: Arabic-speaking Christians and Islam (Gorgias, 2022) | A Concise Guide to the Life of Muhammad (Baker Academic, 2022) | In Search of the True Religion (Gorgias, 2022) | Conversion to Islam (Oxford University Press, 2021) | Basics of Arabic (Zondervan, 2021) | Modern Standard Arabic Workbook (2025) | A Concise Guide to the Quran (Baker Academic, 2020) | The Stated Motivations for the Early Islamic Expansion (Peter Lang, 2018) | Muslim Conversions to Christ (Peter Lang, 2018)


Forthcoming Publications: An Early Muslim Disputation with Jews and Christians (2026); A Critical Edition, Translation, and Analysis of an Early Shiite Polemical Text against Christianity (2027);  Medieval Encounters II: Arabic-speaking Christians and Islam (2027); A Concise Guide to Christian-Muslim Apologetics (2028)



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S. Keating

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Jul 13, 2026, 3:18:50 PM (yesterday) Jul 13
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Thank you, Nathan, for this. I am heartbroken that I will not have one more conversation with Fr Sidney. He will be missed by so many.
May the Angels lead him into Paradise.
Sandra

From: nas...@googlegroups.com <nas...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Ayman Ibrahim <aibr...@sbts.edu>
Sent: Monday, 13 July 2026 15:14:41
To: nas...@googlegroups.com <nas...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [nascas] Sad News: Fr. Sidney H. Griffith (1938–2026)
 

Prof. Dr. Najib George Awad

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Jul 13, 2026, 3:25:59 PM (yesterday) Jul 13
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Oh Jesus. What shattering and devastating news. May his soul rest in peace. We lost a true patriarch in the field whose thought was a referential educating fountain to me and I believe to many others. I will never ever forget his very positive and support of my habilitationsschrift on Theodore Abu Qurra and that he was the external reader and evaluator of the text. I lost a mentor, an intellectual inspirer and a friend!…. To the heavenly court of almighty and graceful, father Sidney 

Najib George Awad 


Najib George Awad (Dr. Phil; Dr. Theol. Habil)
Associate Researcher
Center for Comparative Theology and Social Issues (CTSI)
Bonn University, Germany

Associate Researcher
Institute for Eastern Christian Studies (IvOC)
Radboud University, Netherlands

             na...@uni-bonn.de

St. Shenouda the Archimandrite Coptic Society

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Jul 13, 2026, 3:31:38 PM (yesterday) Jul 13
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Dear Colleagues,
I am very sad to such news. I first met Fr. Griffith in1992 at the Coptic Congress at CUA, then in Birmingham, UK at another Symposium. Christian Arabic Studies has indeed lost one of its pillars. May the Lord repose his soul and give comfort to his family and the students that benefited from his immense scholarship.
Sincerely,
Hany 

Hany N. Takla, President
St. Shenouda the Archimandrite Coptic Society
1701 S Wooster St.
LOS ANGELES CA 90035-4332
USA


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Tomas Samuel

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Jul 13, 2026, 3:35:16 PM (yesterday) Jul 13
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Dear Colleagues, Mentors and Friends,

I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Fr. Sidney Griffith. As a young researcher, I feel that I have lost a role model before I had the chance to learn even more from his example. His scholarly work and generous intellectual presence were an inspiration, and his legacy will continue to shape many of us who follow in his footsteps �.
May God grant comfort to his family, peace to all who mourn him, and may his memory remain a blessing.


Tomas Samuel
PhD Candidate
Lecturer, Apologist and Researcher
Christian-Muslim Relations

Sent from my Galaxy



-------- Original message --------
From: "'St. Shenouda the Archimandrite Coptic Society' via North American Society for Christian Arabic Studies" <nas...@googlegroups.com>
Date: 7/13/26 9:31 PM (GMT+01:00)
Subject: Re: [nascas] Sad News: Fr. Sidney H. Griffith (1938–2026)

Tomas Samuel

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Jul 13, 2026, 3:35:19 PM (yesterday) Jul 13
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Dear Colleagues, Mentors and Friends,

I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Fr. Sidney Griffith. As a young researcher, I feel that I have lost a role model before I had the chance to learn even more from his example. His scholarly work and generous intellectual presence were an inspiration, and his legacy will continue to shape many of us who follow in his footsteps �.
May God grant comfort to his family, peace to all who mourn him, and may his memory remain a blessing.


Tomas Samuel
PhD Candidate
Lecturer, Apologist and Researcher
Christian-Muslim Relations

Sent from my Galaxy



-------- Original message --------
From: "'St. Shenouda the Archimandrite Coptic Society' via North American Society for Christian Arabic Studies" <nas...@googlegroups.com>
Date: 7/13/26 9:31 PM (GMT+01:00)
Subject: Re: [nascas] Sad News: Fr. Sidney H. Griffith (1938–2026)

Lukáš de la Vega Nosek

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Jul 13, 2026, 3:54:32 PM (yesterday) Jul 13
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R. I. P.
I feel very sad.

Deep prayer for Him.

Lukas

po 13. 7. 2026 v 21:08 odesílatel Nathan Tilley <nate....@gmail.com> napsal:
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Myriam Wissa

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Jul 13, 2026, 4:10:19 PM (yesterday) Jul 13
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Nathan, 

This is truly a big loss. We ask the Holy Lord to give rest  to his soul. 

Alexander Treiger

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Jul 13, 2026, 11:48:59 PM (17 hours ago) Jul 13
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This is heartbreaking...
Memory eternal to Fr. Sidney!
He has been an inspiration for all of us - as a wonderful teacher, researcher, mentor, and friend...
All of us are in his debt.
He will be missed tremendously!

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/nascas/CABCWV7rV1hSMwsasSuZariX-7%3DzntrXZJ85cM_spWKUG8pO8iw%40mail.gmail.com.

ff1m...@uco.es

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3:57 AM (13 hours ago) 3:57 AM
to nas...@googlegroups.com, Nathan Tilley, North American Society for Christian Arabic Studies
Oh sweet Jesus! The world of Christian Arabic literature and the
Oriens Christianus has lost one of its true fathers, a scholar of
immense learning and generosity. I shall always treasure our first
meeting, and the rich and thoughtful correspondence that followed over
the years. He was not only a great master, but also a gracious friend
whose wisdom and humanity will remain with me always.

May the angels lead him into the glory of the Lord!

Rest in peace Fr. Griffith!

Juan Pedro




Nathan Tilley <nate....@gmail.com> escribió:

> Dear Colleagues,
>
> I write with a heavy heart to share the news that Fr. Sidney H. Griffith,
> Professor Emeritus of Semitics at the Catholic University of America,
> passed away on July 1, 2026 in Maryland.
>
> Fr. Griffith was born in 1938 in Gaithersburg, Maryland where he attended
> school until 1952 when he began studies at the John Carroll High School in
> Washington, DC. He subsequently joined the Missionary Servants of the Most
> Holy Trinity and attended the congregation?s minor seminary in Alabama and
> major seminary in Monroe, Virginia. He was ordained as a priest in 1965.
>
> In 1965, Fr. Griffith began the first of his many years at the Catholic
> University of America by earning an M.S. in Library Science and a
> Licentiate in Sacred Theology the following year (1966). Fr. Griffith then
> began studies in the Department of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and
> Literatures where he would remain for the rest of his career. He earned his
> PhD in Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures in 1978. Fr. Griffith
> joined the faculty of Catholic University in 1977 and was promoted to
> ordinary professor in 2001. He held this position until his retirement in
> 2014.
>
> Fr. Griffith was internationally renowned as a scholar of Syriac and early
> Arabic Christianity. His numerous scholarly works include studies of the
> famous Syriac thinker Ephrem the Syrian, early Syriac asceticism, early
> Arabic Christian theology, and interreligious dialogue and spirituality.
> Fr. Griffith was the author of over 130 articles and seven books, including
> the award-winning *The Church in the Shadow of the Mosque: Christians and
> Muslims in the World of Islam* (2008); *The Bible in Arabic* (2013); *Yahy?
> ibn ?Ad?, The Reformation of Morals: A Parallel English-Arabic Text
> Translated and Introduced *(1992); and *A Treatise on the Veneration of the
> Holy Icons Written in Arabic by Theodore Abû Qurrah, Bishop of Harr?n (c.
> 755?c. 830 A. D.)* (1997). His Marquette Lecture of 1997 was
> published as *Faith
> Adoring the Mystery: Reading the Bible with St. Ephraem the Syrian.*
>
> Numerous institutions have recognized Fr. Griffith for his work. He was
> awarded fellowships from Dumbarton Oaks, the Hebrew University of
> Jerusalem, and the Institute for Advanced Studies. From 1986 to 1988 he was
> President of the North American Patristics Society; he also served as
> president of the Byzantine Studies Conference (1990?1991) and of the
> American Oriental Society (2007?2008). In 2009, he received a Rumi Peace
> Award for his work in interfaith dialogue. For over a decade he was a
> member of the Eastern Orthodox-Roman Catholic Dialogue and was a frequent
> participant in various forms of Christian-Muslim dialogue.
>
> Fr. Griffith was a pillar of the Catholic University of America community,
> having served as chair of the Department of Semitic and Egyptian Languages
> and Literatures for three terms, as director of the Center for the Study of
> Early Christianity from 1984?1999, and as secretary of the Institute of
> Christian Oriental Research for decades. He trained numerous graduate
> students in the languages and literatures of the Christian Near East, many
> of whom went on to become notable scholars in the field.
>
> Colleagues, students, and friends remember Fr. Griffith for his engaging
> conversations and his scholarly generosity. Fr. Griffith was always eager
> to work through a text with students or colleagues, sharing their curiosity
> and offering insights from his immense learning. His generosity, knowledge,
> and humility will be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.
>
> May his memory be eternal.
>
> With much sadness,
> Nathan
> __________________________________________________
> Nathan Tilley, PhD
> Assistant Professor, Department of Ancient and Medieval Languages and
> Cultures
> Director, Institute of Christian Oriental Research
> Director of Graduate Studies, Program in Early Christian Studies
> The Catholic University of America
> Washington, DC
> Email: til...@cua.edu
>
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Miss Falafel

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8:49 AM (8 hours ago) 8:49 AM
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So sad.  A great star of Arab Christianity has set. Yet I believe he will now watch over us from heaven forever. 
Father Sidney Griffith, we love and deeply respect you. May God put his soul in peace and rest. 
In the name of our Lord, until we finally meet face to face in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Thank you for letting us know the news, Professor Nathan Tilley.

With lots of love,
Yen

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/nascas/CALTrM6ir0m%2B63jkA6nQm9w5fWYwpT2VyeCdjF16ECAfMDZUMRg%40mail.gmail.com.


--
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. (Rome 8 : 9)

Mark Swanson

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9:43 AM (7 hours ago) 9:43 AM
to nas...@googlegroups.com, Nathan Tilley
Thank you, Nathan, for sharing this sad news with us. We mourn the loss of a friend and of a pillar in our field.

A chance encounter with one of Fr. Sidney's early articles (in the basement of the Hartford Seminary library in 1983) was my introduction to the study of Arabic Christian literature — and to Fr. Sidney's careful, always insightful, and wide-ranging scholarship, scholarship that has played a huge role in creating space for Arabic Christian studies in the English-language academy.

I'll always be in his debt.

Rest in peace, Fr. Sidney!

Mark Swanson
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
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Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2026 2:57 AM
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Subject: Re: [nascas] Sad News: Fr. Sidney H. Griffith (1938?2026)
 
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Rodrigo Adem

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1:08 PM (4 hours ago) 1:08 PM
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It is sad news to hear of your great loss at CUA, Nathan.
We have all learned so much from Sidney's exemplary intellectual life and his influence has been large.  
Special condolences to his students and long-time colleagues.

Sincerely, 
Rodrigo


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Rodrigo Adem
Assistant Professor

Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies
Georgetown University
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