Kretschmar, Offenbarung des Johannes

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