Professor and Scanlan Foundation Chair in Theology
Andrew Hayes specializes in the study of Syriac and early Christian Arabic literature, exploring Christian spirituality in these vibrant traditions through the lens of their literary artistry. His research focuses especially on Ephrem the Syrian. He has also published on other early Syriac writers such as Jacob of Serugh and Narsai, and on the relationship between Syriac Christianity and the Qur’ān. From 2020 to 2024 he led the foundation of a renewed Core Curriculum for the University of St. Thomas. Currently, he is Professor and Scanlan Foundation Chair in Theology.
Ph.D. in Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures, The Catholic University of America
M.A. in Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures, The Catholic University of America
B.A. in Classical and Early Christian Studies, Christendom College
Selected Publications:
St. Ephrem the Syrian on Beatitude and the Afterlife. Cambridge Elements in Early Christian Literature. Cambridge: 2026.
“The Wellspring of Wonder: St. Ephrem the Syrian’s Contribution to Eastern Catholic Theology” in Eastern Catholic Theology in Action, ed. Andrew Summerson and Cyril Kennedy, Washington, DC: CUA Press, 2025.
“Ephrem and the Pursuit of Wisdom” in Eastern Christian Approaches to Philosophy, ed. Joshua Brown and James Siemens, London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2022.