Posted by Georg S. Adamsen on January 5, 2008
Kretschmar, Georg: Die Offenbarung des Johannes: Die Geschichte ihrer Auslegung im 1. Jahrtausend. Calwer Theologische Monographien, B9. Stuttgart: Calwer Verlag, 1985. 164 pp.
Kretschmar’s book is not only a presentation of its history of interpretation throughout the first millennium. It also presents the author’s view on introductory matters and its overall interpretation.
Contents (apart from foreword, list of abbreviations and abbreviated references)
I. Jewish apocalyptic (sic) as the background of traditional material for Revelation (pp. 11-18)
1. Apocalyptic as prophecy
2. Book of Daniel
3. The spread of apocalyptic in Judaism
II. The pictorial Book of Promises (pp. 19-68)
1. Christian apocalyptic
2. The origins of Revelation
3. Intention and characteristics
4. The structure of Revelation
5. The imagery of Revelation
III. Revelation in Early Christianity (pp. 69-79)
1. Early Christian apocalyptic and Revelation
2. Christian chiliasm
3. Gnostic reception
4. Irenaeus and Hippolytus, Methodius
5. Disputed canonicity
IV. Revelation in the Greek Church and the rest of the Orient (pp. 80-90)
1. Acceptance and influence of Revelation
2. Christian apocalyptic and interpretation of history besides Revelation
3. The great commentaries after the sixth century: Oecumenius; Andrew of Caesarea; Arethas of Caesarea; Dionysios bar Saliba
V. Revelation in the Latin Church (pp. 91-115)
1. Early Christian heritage: Victorinus of Poetovio
2. Church Controversy: Tyconius and Augustine
3. Learned collectors: Jerome, Cassiodor, Primasius
4. Results and heritage
VI. Revelation in the Middle Ages of the West (pp. 116-160)
1. Collecting and sieving the ancient heritage
a) Britain: Beda
b) Spain: Beatus
c) Italy: Ambrosius Autpertus
2. Revelation in the Carolingian Renaissance
a) The Carolingian Renaissance
b) Book paintings
c) Commentators
3. The High Middle Ages
a) Ottonic, imperial theology
b) Anti-Christ and the end of the world
c) Revelation in the Investiture Controversy
d) The Crusades and the theology of the House of Hohenstaufen
4. Exposition of Scripture and interpretation of history
a) The methods of theology
b) Experience of history and interpretation of Scripture
c) Epilogue: Change into a new chiliasm
Posted by Georg S. Adamsen on December 20, 2007
Beda Venerabilis (Bede the Venerable). Bedae presbyteri Expositio Apocalypseos. Ed. Roger Gryson. Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina, 121A. (Bedae Opera 2:5). Turnhout: Brepols, 2001. 606 pp.
Bede’s commentary is regularly cited in Weinrich, Revelation. Apart from Weinrich’s (partial) translation, Bede’s Expositio is translated in this work: Bede (the Venerable). The explanation of the Apocalypse. Trans. Edward Marshall. Oxford and London: J. Parker & Co., 1878.
Posted by Georg S. Adamsen on
Weinrich, William C., ed. Revelation. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, vol. 12. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2006. xxxii + 454 pp. RRP $40.00 (but street prices are much cheapter). ISBN: 0830814973
This volume is strongly recommended.
In the ideal world, students would read the ancient Christian commentaries themselves in the original language. In the real world this volume is a very welcome one. Indeed, it should sit on every student’s shelf, or rather, it should lie on the desk and be consulted regularly. I really missed this volume when I wrote my forthcoming commentary on Revelation.
Professor Weinrich is professor of early church history at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
In his introduction, Weinrich surveys the ancient commentaries, as to their view on authorship and canonicity of Revelation (pp. xvii-xx). In the next section, Weinrich reviews the ancient commentaries and the interpretation of Revelation (pp. xx-xxix).
Weinrich has chosen eight commentaries for regular citation. He also includes selections from the Christian writers in order to illustrate their uses of Revelation, be it thematic, moral or theological and doctrinal reasons.
The eight commentaries that Weinrich cites regularly eller Petuvium
Andreas or Buy at Amazon: US
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Kretschmar, Georg: Die Offenbarung des Johannes: Die Geschichte ihrer Auslegung im 1. Jahrtausend. Calwer Theologische Monographien, B9. Stuttgart: Calwer Verlag, 1985. 164 pp.
