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American Society of Church History

Magistri Johannis Hus Tractatus de ecclesia by S. Harrison ThomsonReview by: Howard KaminskyChurch History, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Dec., 1957), pp. 385-386Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of the American Society of Church HistoryStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3161422 .

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BOOK REVIEWSOOK REVIEWS

Cyril of Jerusalem and Nemesius ofEmesa. Edited by WILLIAM TELFER.Vol. IV of the Library of Christian

Classics. Philadelphia: WestminsterPress, 1956. 446 pp. $5.00.The first half of this volume con-

tains an introductory essay on St.Cyril and the Church of Jerusalem,then selections from Cyril's Catecheti-cal Lectures, and thirdly his littleknown but interesting letter to theEmperor Constantius. The MystagogicLectures traditionallyattributed to himare not dealt with. It is the introduc-

tion that will particularly interestscholarly readers, for in it Canon Tel-fer undertakes no less than a reap-praisal of the whole place of Jerusalemin Early Church History. He arguesthat in spite of the destruction of theancient city, the Christian communitykept its continuity and its awarenessof the sacredness of the place. Thelocal pre-Nicene doctrinal tradition-conservative but quite orthodox-is, hemaintains, the tradition expounded and

preserved by Cyril. The Church of theHoly Sepulchre, where Cyril's lectureswere delivered and to which he oftenrefers, is described and its archeologydiscussed in a brief but masterful man-ner. A generation ago, critical histor-ians dismissed the traditional identifi-cation of Our Lord's tomb as fanciful.Telfer effectively shows, however, thatthere are strong arguments in favorof the tradition, and very little against

it.Canon Telfer's conclusions certainly

deserve the serious consideration ofhistorically conscious Christians. Asthe war clouds once again gatheraround Sion, it is importantthat we askourselves what attitude, if any, themodern Christian should have towardthat place which is in such a uniquesense the Mother of Christendom.

As to the handling of the texts, the

comments and annotations are on thewhole excellent. It is unfortunate,how-ever, that the editor gives the readerno idea of how important these lecturesare for the history of the Creed.

The second part of the volume isdevoted to Nemesius' Treatise on theNature of Man. Telfer here gives us

Cyril of Jerusalem and Nemesius ofEmesa. Edited by WILLIAM TELFER.Vol. IV of the Library of Christian

Classics. Philadelphia: WestminsterPress, 1956. 446 pp. $5.00.The first half of this volume con-

tains an introductory essay on St.Cyril and the Church of Jerusalem,then selections from Cyril's Catecheti-cal Lectures, and thirdly his littleknown but interesting letter to theEmperor Constantius. The MystagogicLectures traditionallyattributed to himare not dealt with. It is the introduc-

tion that will particularly interestscholarly readers, for in it Canon Tel-fer undertakes no less than a reap-praisal of the whole place of Jerusalemin Early Church History. He arguesthat in spite of the destruction of theancient city, the Christian communitykept its continuity and its awarenessof the sacredness of the place. Thelocal pre-Nicene doctrinal tradition-conservative but quite orthodox-is, hemaintains, the tradition expounded and

preserved by Cyril. The Church of theHoly Sepulchre, where Cyril's lectureswere delivered and to which he oftenrefers, is described and its archeologydiscussed in a brief but masterful man-ner. A generation ago, critical histor-ians dismissed the traditional identifi-cation of Our Lord's tomb as fanciful.Telfer effectively shows, however, thatthere are strong arguments in favorof the tradition, and very little against

it.Canon Telfer's conclusions certainly

deserve the serious consideration ofhistorically conscious Christians. Asthe war clouds once again gatheraround Sion, it is importantthat we askourselves what attitude, if any, themodern Christian should have towardthat place which is in such a uniquesense the Mother of Christendom.

As to the handling of the texts, the

comments and annotations are on thewhole excellent. It is unfortunate,how-ever, that the editor gives the readerno idea of how important these lecturesare for the history of the Creed.

The second part of the volume isdevoted to Nemesius' Treatise on theNature of Man. Telfer here gives us

the complete work in the first transla-tion from the Greek ever to be publish-ed in English. The treatise is an ex-

position of the Christian doctrine ofman, and had a wide influence in an-cient and mediaeval times, when it wasfrequently attributed to St. Gregory ofNyssa. Its curious and complicatedliterary history is dealt with at lengthin the introduction. Nemesius is no-table for his preoccupation with scien-tific questions, and his extensive knowl-edge of contemporary medicine. Thistreatise is in fact primarily importantfor medical

history.For the ecclesias-

tical historian, it provides interestingbrowsing, and reveals an aspect ofpatristic thought about which wewould otherwise know virtually noth-ing.

H. BOONEPORTER, R.Nashotah House, Nashotah, Wisconsin

Magistri Johannis Hus Tractatus deecclesia. Edited by S. HARRISON

THOMSON.Boulder: University ofColorado Press, 1956. xxxiv, 251pp. $6.00.

John Hus' major theological work,the De ecclesia, was of great interestto his judges at Constance and to hisown followers in Bohemia. In the fol-lowing century it showed the GermanProtestants that they were all Hus-sites without knowing it, at least insome respects, and accordingly re-

ceived three editions from them: twoin 1520 and one in 1558. In all threeHus' latinity was improved accordingto humanist standards. Subsequentlyinterest faded and no new edition waspublished, although that of 1558 wasreprinted in 1583 and again in 1715.Modern scholarship has studied thework chiefly in this 1715 edition,which in fact provided the text forthe only translation into a major lan-guage-David S. Schaff's Englishtranslation of 1915. Only now, how-ever, with Dr. Thomson's scientificedition, can the De ecclesia be giventhe systematic study that it deserves,as an expression of Hus' thought, aspart of the intellectual universe ofHussite Bohemia, and as part of thewhole European intellectual movement

the complete work in the first transla-tion from the Greek ever to be publish-ed in English. The treatise is an ex-

position of the Christian doctrine ofman, and had a wide influence in an-cient and mediaeval times, when it wasfrequently attributed to St. Gregory ofNyssa. Its curious and complicatedliterary history is dealt with at lengthin the introduction. Nemesius is no-table for his preoccupation with scien-tific questions, and his extensive knowl-edge of contemporary medicine. Thistreatise is in fact primarily importantfor medical

history.For the ecclesias-

tical historian, it provides interestingbrowsing, and reveals an aspect ofpatristic thought about which wewould otherwise know virtually noth-ing.

H. BOONEPORTER, R.Nashotah House, Nashotah, Wisconsin

Magistri Johannis Hus Tractatus deecclesia. Edited by S. HARRISON

THOMSON.Boulder: University ofColorado Press, 1956. xxxiv, 251pp. $6.00.

John Hus' major theological work,the De ecclesia, was of great interestto his judges at Constance and to hisown followers in Bohemia. In the fol-lowing century it showed the GermanProtestants that they were all Hus-sites without knowing it, at least insome respects, and accordingly re-

ceived three editions from them: twoin 1520 and one in 1558. In all threeHus' latinity was improved accordingto humanist standards. Subsequentlyinterest faded and no new edition waspublished, although that of 1558 wasreprinted in 1583 and again in 1715.Modern scholarship has studied thework chiefly in this 1715 edition,which in fact provided the text forthe only translation into a major lan-guage-David S. Schaff's Englishtranslation of 1915. Only now, how-ever, with Dr. Thomson's scientificedition, can the De ecclesia be giventhe systematic study that it deserves,as an expression of Hus' thought, aspart of the intellectual universe ofHussite Bohemia, and as part of thewhole European intellectual movement

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CHURCH HISTORYHURCH HISTORYHURCH HISTORY

of the later Middle Ages.The present edition itself constitutes

a great step forward on these paths of

study. Besides offering a text establish-ed by collation of all important manu-

script versions and early printed edi-

tions, and besides providing indices of

proper names, subjects, and scripturalcitations, it gives an excellent accountof the origin and early history of thework, and it systematically attacks the

key problem of identifying Hus' ownsources. Of these the most importantgroup, apart from standard scriptural,

patristic,and canonistic sources, con-

sists of the works of John Wyclyf.Since Dr. Thomson, like Hus, is aneminent student of Wyclyf, he has beenable to note many hitherto unnotedcases in which the Czech reformerused the Englishman as a source ofideas or as a source of other authori-ties. A few other such borrowings, in-

cluding some from Marsilius of Padua,are also noted. This process of chartingout the intellectual currents of the

later Middle Ages has only begun inmodern times, and the present editionwill doubtless play an important rolein it.

Those interested simply in readingthe De ecclesia will doubtless continueto use the Schaff translation, both forconvenience and for its wealth of back-

ground material (which Dr. Thomsondoes not duplicate). But all seriouswork with Hus' great treatise will

henceforth be based onDr. Thomson's

edition.HOWARD KAMINSKY

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The Byzantine Background to theItalian Renaissance. By KENNETHM. SETTON. Philadelphia: Proceed-

ings of the American PhilosophicalSociety, Volume 100, No. 1, 1956.76 pp.Professor Setton has produced in

remarkablybrief compass an extremelyinformative article which deals withtwo aspects of the same problem-thefirst, the presence of the Greeks inItaly; and the second, the relationsbetween Italy and Byzantium up tothe time of the Renaissance. He pointsout that there is no difficulty at all in

of the later Middle Ages.The present edition itself constitutes

a great step forward on these paths of

study. Besides offering a text establish-ed by collation of all important manu-

script versions and early printed edi-

tions, and besides providing indices of

proper names, subjects, and scripturalcitations, it gives an excellent accountof the origin and early history of thework, and it systematically attacks the

key problem of identifying Hus' ownsources. Of these the most importantgroup, apart from standard scriptural,

patristic,and canonistic sources, con-

sists of the works of John Wyclyf.Since Dr. Thomson, like Hus, is aneminent student of Wyclyf, he has beenable to note many hitherto unnotedcases in which the Czech reformerused the Englishman as a source ofideas or as a source of other authori-ties. A few other such borrowings, in-

cluding some from Marsilius of Padua,are also noted. This process of chartingout the intellectual currents of the

later Middle Ages has only begun inmodern times, and the present editionwill doubtless play an important rolein it.

Those interested simply in readingthe De ecclesia will doubtless continueto use the Schaff translation, both forconvenience and for its wealth of back-

ground material (which Dr. Thomsondoes not duplicate). But all seriouswork with Hus' great treatise will

henceforth be based onDr. Thomson's

edition.HOWARD KAMINSKY

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The Byzantine Background to theItalian Renaissance. By KENNETHM. SETTON. Philadelphia: Proceed-

ings of the American PhilosophicalSociety, Volume 100, No. 1, 1956.76 pp.Professor Setton has produced in

remarkablybrief compass an extremelyinformative article which deals withtwo aspects of the same problem-thefirst, the presence of the Greeks inItaly; and the second, the relationsbetween Italy and Byzantium up tothe time of the Renaissance. He pointsout that there is no difficulty at all in

of the later Middle Ages.The present edition itself constitutes

a great step forward on these paths of

study. Besides offering a text establish-ed by collation of all important manu-

script versions and early printed edi-

tions, and besides providing indices of

proper names, subjects, and scripturalcitations, it gives an excellent accountof the origin and early history of thework, and it systematically attacks the

key problem of identifying Hus' ownsources. Of these the most importantgroup, apart from standard scriptural,

patristic,and canonistic sources, con-

sists of the works of John Wyclyf.Since Dr. Thomson, like Hus, is aneminent student of Wyclyf, he has beenable to note many hitherto unnotedcases in which the Czech reformerused the Englishman as a source ofideas or as a source of other authori-ties. A few other such borrowings, in-

cluding some from Marsilius of Padua,are also noted. This process of chartingout the intellectual currents of the

later Middle Ages has only begun inmodern times, and the present editionwill doubtless play an important rolein it.

Those interested simply in readingthe De ecclesia will doubtless continueto use the Schaff translation, both forconvenience and for its wealth of back-

ground material (which Dr. Thomsondoes not duplicate). But all seriouswork with Hus' great treatise will

henceforth be based onDr. Thomson's

edition.HOWARD KAMINSKY

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The Byzantine Background to theItalian Renaissance. By KENNETHM. SETTON. Philadelphia: Proceed-

ings of the American PhilosophicalSociety, Volume 100, No. 1, 1956.76 pp.Professor Setton has produced in

remarkablybrief compass an extremelyinformative article which deals withtwo aspects of the same problem-thefirst, the presence of the Greeks inItaly; and the second, the relationsbetween Italy and Byzantium up tothe time of the Renaissance. He pointsout that there is no difficulty at all in

demonstrating that the Greeks havebeen in Southern Italy from before theChristian era to the present day and

there are now in the area of Otrantoas many as 16,000 persons who speakGreek. At certain periods the Greekof Calabria was preferred by the Ital-ians and by the English to that ofAthens or Constantinople. The onlyproblem here is as to whether theGreek colonies in Southern Italy wereunbroken in their continuity. We haverecords of decline and of repletionthrough new immigrations. An ab-solute continuity is difficult to demon-

strate, but the evidence here gatheredpoints in that direction.

The other part of the study has todo with the relations between Italy andConstantinople; and these were muchmore intimate than one is inclined tosuppose who has been told that afterthe Photian schism the East and theWest mutually looked upon each otheras Samaritans.All in all, this is a high-ly instructive study.

ROLANDH. BAINTONYale Divinity School

The Christian Scholar in the Ageof the Reformation. By E. HARRISHARBISON. New York: CharlesScribner's Sons, 1956. xii, 177 pp.$3.00.

The Reformation was, says theauthor, to a large extent a learnedmjovement. Its era was one in whichthe

prestigeand

influence of Christianscholars reached a height not beforeattained. Erasmus, Luther, and Cal-vin are the scholars specificallydescrib-ed (Chapters III-V). The author be-gins by determining what Christianscholarship is. This is not done bymere theorizing, but rather by histori-cal examples. Thus in Chapter I theauthor takes up Jerome, Augustine,Abelard, and Thomas Aquinas; inChapter II, Petrarch, Valla, G. Pico

della Mirandola, and Colet. It wouldbe difficult to make better choices. Inthe very beginning, Tertullian's cele-brated sentence is quoted about theincompatibility of Athens with Jeru-salem, which might have opened theway for a chapter on Christian scholar-ship in the age of the Apologists. But

demonstrating that the Greeks havebeen in Southern Italy from before theChristian era to the present day and

there are now in the area of Otrantoas many as 16,000 persons who speakGreek. At certain periods the Greekof Calabria was preferred by the Ital-ians and by the English to that ofAthens or Constantinople. The onlyproblem here is as to whether theGreek colonies in Southern Italy wereunbroken in their continuity. We haverecords of decline and of repletionthrough new immigrations. An ab-solute continuity is difficult to demon-

strate, but the evidence here gatheredpoints in that direction.

The other part of the study has todo with the relations between Italy andConstantinople; and these were muchmore intimate than one is inclined tosuppose who has been told that afterthe Photian schism the East and theWest mutually looked upon each otheras Samaritans.All in all, this is a high-ly instructive study.

ROLANDH. BAINTONYale Divinity School

The Christian Scholar in the Ageof the Reformation. By E. HARRISHARBISON. New York: CharlesScribner's Sons, 1956. xii, 177 pp.$3.00.

The Reformation was, says theauthor, to a large extent a learnedmjovement. Its era was one in whichthe

prestigeand

influence of Christianscholars reached a height not beforeattained. Erasmus, Luther, and Cal-vin are the scholars specificallydescrib-ed (Chapters III-V). The author be-gins by determining what Christianscholarship is. This is not done bymere theorizing, but rather by histori-cal examples. Thus in Chapter I theauthor takes up Jerome, Augustine,Abelard, and Thomas Aquinas; inChapter II, Petrarch, Valla, G. Pico

della Mirandola, and Colet. It wouldbe difficult to make better choices. Inthe very beginning, Tertullian's cele-brated sentence is quoted about theincompatibility of Athens with Jeru-salem, which might have opened theway for a chapter on Christian scholar-ship in the age of the Apologists. But

demonstrating that the Greeks havebeen in Southern Italy from before theChristian era to the present day and

there are now in the area of Otrantoas many as 16,000 persons who speakGreek. At certain periods the Greekof Calabria was preferred by the Ital-ians and by the English to that ofAthens or Constantinople. The onlyproblem here is as to whether theGreek colonies in Southern Italy wereunbroken in their continuity. We haverecords of decline and of repletionthrough new immigrations. An ab-solute continuity is difficult to demon-

strate, but the evidence here gatheredpoints in that direction.

The other part of the study has todo with the relations between Italy andConstantinople; and these were muchmore intimate than one is inclined tosuppose who has been told that afterthe Photian schism the East and theWest mutually looked upon each otheras Samaritans.All in all, this is a high-ly instructive study.

ROLANDH. BAINTONYale Divinity School

The Christian Scholar in the Ageof the Reformation. By E. HARRISHARBISON. New York: CharlesScribner's Sons, 1956. xii, 177 pp.$3.00.

The Reformation was, says theauthor, to a large extent a learnedmjovement. Its era was one in whichthe

prestigeand

influence of Christianscholars reached a height not beforeattained. Erasmus, Luther, and Cal-vin are the scholars specificallydescrib-ed (Chapters III-V). The author be-gins by determining what Christianscholarship is. This is not done bymere theorizing, but rather by histori-cal examples. Thus in Chapter I theauthor takes up Jerome, Augustine,Abelard, and Thomas Aquinas; inChapter II, Petrarch, Valla, G. Pico

della Mirandola, and Colet. It wouldbe difficult to make better choices. Inthe very beginning, Tertullian's cele-brated sentence is quoted about theincompatibility of Athens with Jeru-salem, which might have opened theway for a chapter on Christian scholar-ship in the age of the Apologists. But

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