“From Nisibus to the North: The Latin Sermons Attributed to Ephrem the Syrian in Early Medieval Europe”

Six Latin sermons attributed to the fourth-century Syrian theologian Ephrem the Syrian (c. 306-373) circulated in western Europe from the sixth century onwards. These sermons share common themes, including the need for compunction and repentance motivated by fear of the Last Judgment and the value of weeping and contrition to temper God’s wrath. This paper examines the history of their transmission and reception in early medieval Europe with attention to the evidence of their appeal of Ephrem’s “lachrymose spirituality” among lay audiences in the Carolingian period.