Reviewed by: EDWARD MOORE, St. Elias School of Orthodox Theology

This well-organized, attractively presented reference work completes the project begun by Johannes Quasten, whose The Golden Age of Greek Patristic Literature covered the period from Nicaea to Chalcedon, but excluded several important and not-so-important figures, some prominent during the Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon. The present volume is a comprehensive resource, providing information on Fathers major and minor (including troublesome ‘heretics' like Eutyches -- a most interesting fellow, whose entry here is somewhat too brief), from the period of Chalcedon to John of Damascus. Also included, most helpfully, are sections on patristic literature in Coptic and Armenian, and on Liturgical writings and Catenae. Since this is a reference work, one would not expect to find much in the way of original scholarship or interpretive analysis, especially in the case of minor figures in patrology. However, even in such cases, the short entries are informative, and contain helpful citations and bibliographical information for further study. In the case of figures of great importance, such as Maximus the Confessor, the Emperor Justinian, and, of course, John of Damascus, the entries are longer and more detailed. As is to be expected, in these longer entries, usually written by a well-known expert on the figure in question, the particular interpretation of the author is given prominence, and there are examples of generalizations and (especially in the entry on John Philoponus) overly technical detail, which belie the claim of this volume to be "accessible and digestible" (as the dust jacket states). Anyone entering the field of patristic studies must, of course, expect difficulties, but the inclusion of a glossary of Greek terms and their various usages would have increased the use value of this book for the student and non-specialist.

The sections and entries are arranged, as far as possible, chronologically, by geographical region. Given the uncertainty of dating of some figures, and attributions of texts (for example, Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, and the various Gnostic writings) this is the best organizational scheme possible. The Introduction, by Manlio Simonetti, does a fine job of orienting the reader/user of this volume to the figures presented, and their respective socio-cultural and intellectual milieux. Simonetti also makes a good case for concluding a study of Greek patristics with John of Damascus, arguing that it is not simply a concession to the demands of periodization, but arises more or less naturally from the fact that, after the Iconoclast controversy, theological developments became more modest (18-19). Indeed, the Damascene represents the final systematization of patristic theology in a synthesis that bequeathed upon Byzantium the intellectual riches of the earlier Fathers -- especially the Cappadocians and Maximus the Confessor.

Among the many highlights of this volume are the entries on Aeneas of Gaza (Salvatore Lilla), and Anastasius of Sinai (Karl-Heinz Uthemann) -- two relatively little-studied fathers (at least in English) who are nevertheless of great philosophical interest. The creative appropriation of Neoplatonic philosophy (especially Plotinus and Porphyry) by Aeneas is evident in his dialogue Theophrastus, where, following Gregory of Nyssa's approach in De anima et resurrectione, he examines certain doctrines of pagan philosophy by way of arguments pro and con undertaken by the interlocutors. Among the doctrines Aeneas sets out to refute are the pre-existence of souls, metempsychosis, and the eternity of the world (260). The first two are famously present in Origen's De principiis, and were commonplace Platonic doctrines, still being taught in Christian academies as late as the seventh century (e.g., Stephanus of Alexandria). The pagan concept of the eternity of the cosmos was already well-established, but often within a Stoicizing context that qualified the doctrine with the notion of periodic conflagration and restoration of the world. Aeneas rejected the Platonic-Stoic and Origenist idea of multiple ages, arguing that the cosmos will be reborn only once. He also argued for the demiurgic capacity of "the rational principle of the soul ... to reawaken matter and adorn it" (264). Such an idea was already explored by the pagan Neoplatonist Iamblichus, specifically his concept of a second soul utilized by the divinized soul for the purpose of embodiment and cosmic existence (De mysteriis 10.5), though Lilla does not mention this.

Anastasius the Sinaite was a theologically sophisticated expounder of the Chalcedonian Creed, and defender of the doctrine of two natures in a single person after the Incarnation, against the Monophysite, Monoenergist, and Monothelite positions. Anastasius recognized the dangers inherent in a misapplication of theôsis doctrine, especially when it denied the continued efficacy of the human will in the eskhaton. "The soul's natural energy," writes Uthemann, "consists in the fact that it animates the body; in it are situated will and desire, insofar as it is a spiritual soul." The Incarnation, like our eschatological state, did not involve a replacement of the human nature by the divine presence, but a glorifying of the human in and through the divine. Therefore, Anastasius "emphasizes ... the permanence of what is proper to human nature" (327). One will note here a corrective to Maximus the Confessor's view -- as expressed in his Gnostic Centuries (2.88), for example -- of our eschatological state as the replacement of the human ego by the divine presence. This entry by Uthemann covers very difficult terrain masterfully, and readably.

Another of the longer entries, on John Philoponus (also by Lilla), does indeed cover difficult terrain with great command and knowledge; however, the readability of this entry is somewhat diminished by excessive citations of technical Greek terms and concepts, making it more useful to the specialist than the student of patrology. Philoponus was one of the most profound philosophical minds of his era, particularly in his synthesis of Platonic and Aristotelian concepts in the service of a Monophysite and Tritheistic theology. Aristotle's doctrine of substance (ousia) is of central importance for Philoponus (368). It is also one of the most difficult concepts in ancient Greek philosophy. Lilla, for his immediate purpose, could have dispensed with the citations of the various Greek terms used by Aristotle in the Categories and Metaphysics and used the space allotted for his explanation to instead provide a clear and concise working definition of Aristotelian ousia, in the context Philoponus' theology. The author succeeds in providing an accurate account of Philoponus' thought, but at the expense of the student. This is an entry by a specialist, for a specialist. Also of note are some misleading generalizations (which only a specialist would likely recognize), most glaringly the following: "Like Neoplatonism, Philoponus too considers the good superior to the beautiful ..." (375). This is surprising coming from the pen of Lilla, whose work often demonstrates a deep knowledge of Neoplatonism and related philosophies. Even a cursory glance at one of the founding texts of Neoplatonism, Plotinus' Ennead 1.6, "On Beauty" (especially at section 6, lines 20-25, where Plotinus states that for the divinity, beauty and the good are the same) will show that the topic of the relationship of the Good and the Beautiful was not nearly as clearcut as this oversimplification dares to suggest.

The section devoted to "Patristic Texts in Coptic" (Tito Orlandi) is comprehensive and, especially in the case of Gnostic texts, an attempt is made (quite successfully) to aid the reader in placing these works within the larger milieu of early Egyptian Christianity. The division of the Gnostic texts into five general types: Valentinian, Sethian, Iranian, Asiatic, and Hermetic (with sections also for moral texts, speculative and polemical texts, and "Various"), is presented by Orlandi as a "working hypothesis" (510). This is more or less acceptable, considering the controversy in recent years not only over the various designations of these writings, but of the use and validity of the terms ‘Gnostic' and ‘Gnosticism' themselves (see, for example, the recent studies of Michael Allen Williams, and Karen L. King). A brief statement regarding this debate, and the inclusion of the relevant publications, would have enhanced this section.

Also rounding out this volume are sections on "Patristic Texts in Armenian (5th to 8th Centuries" (Sever J. Voicu), "Greek Exegetical Catenae" (Carmelo Curti, Maria Antonietta Barbŕra), and "Canonical and Liturgical Literature" (Angelo di Berardino, Manel Nin). There is an index of names, but unfortunately not of topics, and, as mentioned above, no glossary of Greek terms, which would have enhanced the use value of this book considerably, especially for the student and non-specialist.

As in any work of reference, the reader must expect nuggets of knowledge, not elaborate theses or explications. In this publication, however, a fine job is done of providing a concise and extremely helpful general overview of the period from Chalcedon to John of Damascus, by way of the introductions to each of the sections, the generally representative bibliographical data, and the lengthier entries on the most important Fathers. This volume will serve as an indispensable resource for the scholar working on patrology and the history of early Christianity. The student and non-specialist, however, may encounter some difficulties, but hopefully the fascinating world of the Church Fathers will inspire him or her to overcome these difficulties, and explore the riches of which we are given a generous sampling in this book.