The Letter to the Romans

by Ian Christopher Levy (Editor), Philip D. Krey W. (Editor), Thomas Ryan (Editor)

Overview

This is the second volume of The Bible in Medieval Tradition (BMT), a series that aims to reconnect the church with part of its rich history of biblical interpretation.

Ian Levy, Philip Krey, and Thomas Ryan's Letter to the Romans presents the history of early and medieval interpretations of Romans and gives substantial translations of select medieval commentaries. Written by eight representative medieval interpreters between the ninth and fourteenth centuries, these commentaries have never been translated into English before.

This valuable book will enhance contemporary reading of the Bible even as it lends insight into medieval scholarship. As Levy says, the medieval commentaries exhibit "qualities that many modern commentaries lack: a spiritual depth that reflects their very purpose, namely, to read Holy Scripture within the sacred tradition under the guidance of the Holy Spirit."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802809766
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	08/11/2013
Series:	The Bible in Medieval Tradition (BMT)
Pages:	339
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Ian Christopher Levy is associate professor of theology at Providence College and editor-translator of the BMT volume on Galatians.


Philip D. W. Krey is president and professor of church history at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.


Thomas F. Ryan is director of the Loyola Institute for Ministry in New Orleans and the author of Thomas Aquinas as Reader of the Psalms.

Table of Contents

Editors' Preface vii

Abbreviations x

Introduction 1

Pre-Reformation Romans Interpretation 1

Patristic Commentaries 4

The Standard Gloss 20

The Anonymous Commentator of Mont Saint-Michel 24

William of St. Thierry 26

Peter Abelard 29

Peter Lombard 33

The Cambridge Commentary 34

Thomas Aquinas 45

Peter of John Olivi 45

Nicholas of Lyra 50

Conclusion 56

Translations

Prologue to Romans: Peter Lombard 59

1 The Cambridge Commentator 65

2 William of St. Thierry 83

3 Peter Abelard 97

4 Peter of John Olivi 122

5 Peter of John Olivi 134

6 Peter of John Olivi 144

7 Thomas Aquinas 151

8 Thomas Aquinas 174

9 Nicholas of Lyra 220

10 Nicholas of Lyra 231

11 Nicholas of Lyra 238

12 Thomas Aquinas 246

13 Nicholas of Lyra 268

14 Anonymous Commentator of Mont Saint-Michel 272

15 Nicholas of Lyra 284

16 Nicholas of Lyra 292

Bibliography 299

Index of Names 307

Index of Subjects 310

Index of Scripture References 319

Editorial Reviews

E. Ann Matter
— University of Pennsylvania
"A judicious selection of medieval Latin commentaries on the Epistle to the Romans. . . . Will be especially illuminating to readers interested in the history of exegesis who do not have much background in medieval theology, for whom the interpretations may be surprisingly rich and sophisticated. A cogent preface places the texts in helpful historical, theological, and literary contexts. Levy, Krey, and Ryan deserve our thanks for making these texts available to students of the Bible at all levels, from undergraduates to professors."

Kevin Madigan
— Harvard Divinity School
"This book is a labor of love and a gift given by three of the world’s leading interpreters and translators of medieval biblical exegesis. . . . The chronological span taken on is breathtaking, with translations from late antiquity to the dawn of the Reformation. . . . This work altogether successfully defies the stereotype that medieval interpretation was simply parasitic upon patristic exegesis. It will be extremely valuable as a teaching tool."

Lawrence S. Cunningham
— University of Notre dame
"This intelligently presented volume is a model not only in its choice of texts but also for its readable (and learned) introductions and notes. The keen interest in Romans over the centuries explains why Paul’s letter is a classic: it provides a surplus of meaning both in the past and in the present day."

Bernard McGinn
— University of Chicago Divinity School
"One cannot understand patristic and medieval theology without careful attention to Romans. This volume, with its excellent introduction and well-balanced series of translated texts, is an impressive contribution to making the riches of medieval exegesis available to contemporary readers."

From the Publisher