Out of the Flames: Preserving the Manuscript Heritage of Endangered Syriac Christianity in the Middle East

Lecture by Dr. Columba Stewart, OSB, Professor of Theology and Director of the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library (HMML) at St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN

The Syriac Christians of Mesopotamia (modern Iraq, Syria, and southeast Turkey) are among the most vulnerable of minority cultures in the current middle eastern crisis. Their culture is ancient and its manuscript heritage is among the richest in the Christian world. This lecture will describe the significance of Syriac Christianity as a counterpoint to historically dominant Greek and Latin Christian cultures, with a particular focus on the manuscripts that embody and represent Syriac heritage. It will also describe current efforts to preserve and share those precious manuscript witnesses in the face of determined efforts to destroy them.