Kretschmar, Georg: Die Offenbarung des Johannes: Die Geschichte ihrer Auslegung im 1. Jahrtausend. Calwer Theologische Monographien, B9. Stuttgart: Calwer Verlag, 1985. 164 pp.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Victorin. Sur l’Apocalypse: suivi du fragment chronologique et de La construction du monde: introduction, texte critique, traduction, commentaire et index. Ed. Martine Dulaey. Vol. 423 of Sources Chrétiennes. Paris: Éditions du Cerf, 1997. 243 pp.

According to Weinrich, Dulaey’s notes are helpful.

Victorinus, Marius Fabius. Victorini episcopi Petavionensis Opera: recensvit, commentario critico instrvxit, prolegomena et indices adiecit Iohannes Havssleiter. Adiectae svnt sex tabvlae lvcis ope depictae. (Corpus scriptorum ecclesiasticorum Latinorum, 49). Ed. Johannes Haussleiter. Vindobonae: F. Tempsky, 1916. lxxiv + 194 pp. Six diagrams.

(According to Weinrich, Haussleiter’s critical edition of Commentarii in Apocalypsin Editio Victorini is vol. 49 of CSEL, and it is published by G. Freytag in Leipzig).

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