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A Decade of Research in Early Christian Literature, 1921–1930

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 October 2011

Gustav Krüger
Gustav Krüger
Affiliation:
Professor of Church History, Giessen, Germany
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Extract

In the present article, which continues the critical studies of the literature on Church History, published in this Review in 1921–1925, I cannot attempt to cover so wide a field as before, both because of my own advancing years and because, with the enormous yearly increase in the material, no single scholar is any longer in a position to treat it with adequate knowledge. I shall, therefore, limit myself to the field of patristic literature, the subject in which I won my spurs almost half a century ago and with which I have never ceased to occupy myself. Now that the literature of the countries formerly at war with Germany is again accessible to me, the survey can, as in old times, be international. In all these countries, especially in France and Belgium, the investigation of early Christian literature has in recent years had a powerful development, and Germany, under present economic conditions, in spite of unrelaxed industry, is in danger of falling into the rear.

Type
Research Article
Information
Harvard Theological Review , Volume 26 , Issue 3-4 , October 1933 , pp. 173 - 321
Copyright
Copyright © President and Fellows of Harvard College 1933

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References

1 Especially important are: the Bulletin d'ancienne littérature chrétienne latine, prepared by Bernard Capelle and the members of his Order, which, beginning in 1921, was appended to the Revue bénédictine and since 1928 has been issued separately as Supplément à la Revue bénédictine (abbreviated here as RBd sup); the Chronique d'histoire ancienne de l'Église, by E. Amann, in the Recherches de science religieuse; also the Jahresbericht über die Fortschritte der klassischen Altertumswissenschaft, 221 (1929), 65–140 (Josef Martin, Christliche lateinische Dichter, 1900–1927); 226 (1930), 157–206 (W. Wilbrand, Die altchristliche lateinische Literatur, 1921–1924); 220 (1929), 131–263 and 230 (1931), 163–273 (Franz Drexl, Zehn Jahre griechische Patristik, 1916–1925).

I shall be much indebted to authors who send me articles on patristic subjects for further bibliographical work.

2 Bardenhewer's work has come to an end with the fifth volume: Die letzte Periode der altkirchlichen Literatur mit Einschluss des ältesten armenischen Schrifttums, F., Herder, 1932. xi, 421 pp.

3 In the meantime, Rivière has carried his studies a step further: Le dogme de la rédemption. Études critiques et documents. (Bibliothèque de la RHE 5) Louvain, Bureaux de la Revue, 1931. x, 441 pp.

4 In a recent article (L'origine du symbole d'Athanase, RBd 44, 1932, 207–219) the learned Benedictine gives ample proof of the Creed being inserted into the Caesarean collections by the wish of Caesarius, but resigns himself as to the authorship: “Je ne pense pas que celui-ci ait composé lui-même la formule.”

5 Dies diem docet. According to Eduard Schwartz (Unzeitgemässe Beobachtungen zu den Clementinen, ZNW 31, 1932, 151–194), there never existed such a thing as the “Grundschrift” postulated by modern critics. Our Clementines are supposed to be based on an older work of the same character (“aeltere Fassung”), known to Origen and Eusebius, and there is no room for Jewish-Christian κηρύγματα Πέτρου to be dated as early as the second century. But compare the answer of Waitz in ZKG 52, 1933, 305–318, who maintains the position hitherto held by critics.

6 One volume of these Acts has already appeared: Acta …… Tomus II. Concilium Chalcedonense. Vol. IV: Leonis Papae I epistularum collectiones. 1932. xlvi, 156 pp. [H. Koch, ThLZ 57, 1932, 294 ff.; F. Diekamp, ThR 31, 1932, 315 ff.] In press is Vol. II, Part 1: Collectio Novariensis de re Eutychis.

7 In 1920, P. Guido Müller, S. J., in Feldkirch, sent out the prospectus of an Index Athanasianus which he had planned and for which he had made preliminary studies (180,000 slips). Nothing more had been heard of it since, but on Dec. 2, 1931 he wrote me that he was busy with the work and had completed the index from A to Δ. Deus det profectum, say I with him. But, in view of the work now beginning on the manuscripts, it is a question whether this is the right time for finishing the index.

8 A complete collation of the text and marginal material (so far as it can be read) of von der Goltz's codex, with a discussion by Kirsopp Lake and Silva New, has recently (1932) been published as Volume XVII of the Harvard Theological Studies.

9 Albers's edition is now completely superseded by Amand Boon, Pachomiana Latina. Règie et Épîtres de S. Pachôme. Épître de S. Théodore et “Liber” d'Orsiesius. Texte latin de S. Jérôme (Bibliothèque de la RHE 7). Louvain, 1932. [H. Koch, ThLZ 58, 1932, 391–394; Ph. Oppenheim, ThR 31, 1932, 368 f.]

10 Ed. H. de Vis, Homélies Coptes, 1, 198–204. Copenhagen, 1922.

11 In his answer to Lebon Stiglmayr (Um eine Ehrenrettung des Severus von Antiochien. Schol 7, 1932, 52–67) holds to his opinion, and so does Lebon to his (Encore le pseudo-Dénis l'Aréopagite. RHE 28, 1932, 296–313).

12 Such enrichment of our knowledge we now owe to a young German scholar, Walther Völker, who has lately published a portion of his penetrating studies under the title: Das Vollkommenheitsideal des Origenes (BHTh 7). Tübingen, Mohr, 1931. iv, 236 pp. [H.-G. Opitz, ThLZ 57, 1932, 489–494; F. Schulte, ThR 31, 1932, 364, ff.; D. van den Eynde, RHE 28, 1932, 627, f.]

13 In the last edition of the Apologeticum, Joseph Martin (FF 6, 1933) also rejects Thörnell's hypothesis decisively and on the basis of most careful collations comes to the conclusion: neque solum Fuldensem neque Vulgatum sequi debere qui genuinum textum eruere sibi proposuerit.

14 On Beck's “Römisches Recht bei Tertullian und Cyprian” and Koch's “Cathedra Petri,” see Tertullian, pp. 291 f., below.

15 The controversy is continued in the articles of Walther Köhler (Omnis ecclesia Petri propinqua, ZNW 31, 1932, 60–67), who takes the words as indicating the Roman Church, because she is in possession of St. Peter's tomb and therefore “near” to him, and Hugo Koch (ibid., 68–72), who holds to his opinion. See also, Barnhard Poschmann, Ecclesia principalis. Breslau, Franke, 1933. 106 ppGoogle Scholar.

16 For other notices about Augustine, see Hermann Dörries, Fünfzehn Jahre Augustin-Forschung (Theologische Rundschau n. s. 1, 1929, 217–245); Gustav Krüger, Neuere Augustinliteratur (ZKG 49, 1930, 494–501); Engelbert Krebs, Neuere Augustinusliteratur (ThR 31, 1932, 49–53; 97–106; 137–143). I have included in my notice the second volume of the Miscellanea Agostiniana, published only in 1931, because the two volumes are indivisible.

17 Among them No. 34 in the Codex Guelferbytanus (Wolfenbüttel) 4096, which Morin published in 1917 in a fine edition now out of print (see my article, 1921, p. 307 f.). At that time he relegated No. 34 to the appendix as doubtful, but he has since become convinced that it is genuine.