The Book of Revelation and Its Interpreters: Short Studies and an Annotated Bibliography ed. by Ian Boxall and Richard Tresley

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Book of Revelation and Its Interpreters: Short Studies and an Annotated Bibliography ed. by Ian Boxall and Richard Tresley Russell Morton ian boxall and richard tresley (eds.), The Book of Revelation and Its Interpreters: Short Studies and an Annotated Bibliography ( Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2016). Pp. xi + 282. $80. This book has a complex publication history. The bibliographic heart of the volume (pp. 125-272) was originally contracted for inclusion in the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) bibliography series. The project was delayed, and during this period ATLA no longer worked with the publishers. Nevertheless, the editors again approached the publishers, and, at the suggestion of reviewers, short essays were added. The result is the present volume (p. xi). The book concentrates on interpretation of the Apocalypse in the period before 1700. To that end, Christopher Rowland's introduction, "The Reception of Revelation: An Overview," provides the parameters for the study. Rowland notes briefly how Revelation was understood during major periods of church history. He remarks on the early popularity of the Apocalypse, as well as the growing unease with apocalypticism after the advent of Montanism. This anxiety was partially alleviated by Tychonius's reading. For the medieval period, Rowland discusses Joachim of Fiore's trinitarian understanding of history. Joachim's method, while not copied by later readers, would provide a precedent for Revelation's appropriation by marginalized groups in later centuries, such as adherents of the Radical Reformation and some of the more extreme elements in the English Civil War. In chap. 1, "Praising God in Adversity: Tyconius's Ecclesiastical Exegesis of the Celestial Liturgy (Rev. 4–5)," by Sean Michael Ryan, we learn that Tychonius creatively utilized Victorianus's recapitulation theory. Tychonius read Revelation 4–5 using "a subtle and coherent ecclesiological interpretation" (p. 38), which centered on Christ's birth and passion. Like Victorianus, Tychonius thought that the four living creatures of Rev 4:7 represented the four Gospels. Tychonius's interpretation, however, was more ecclesiastical, since each of the four living creatures also signified a different aspect of the church's character (p. 40). Francis X. Gumerlock ("Chromatius of Aquileia on John 21:22 and Rev. 10:11: Against a Legend about the Apostle John") discusses an early legend based on John 21:22 that John never died but was sleeping. John was waiting to be awakened so he could "preach again" (see Rev 10:11) in the end-times. This legend was modified by Chromatius, who asserted that John had died but died without pain. A new translation of Cromatius's sermon for the feast day of John and his introduction to the apocalypse illustrate this theme. In chap. 3, "The Figure of John of Patmos in Pre-1700 Interpretation of Revelation," Ian Boxall examines the various ways John of Patmos was understood by Christian tradition up to 1700. His purpose is to show "how this rich range of possibilities was exploited by commentators across the centuries, reflecting changed circumstances, fresh contexts, and differing hermeneutical strategies" (p. 67). Some terms applied to John were "martyr," [End Page 543] "exile," "visionary," and "prophet." In patristic tradition, John was viewed as a martyr, since he suffered for his faith. John's status as exile was established early by Tychonius and became a predominant view. Later patristic and early medieval interpreters often understood John as a visionary (see Rev 1:10). On the other hand, portrayals of John as a prophet were relatively rare. In chap. 4, "Seeing the Apocalypse: Pre-1700 Visualizations of Revelation," Natasha O'Hear explores artistic and iconographic representations of the Apocalypse from the High Middle Ages until the early sixteenth century. Anglo-Norman portrayals of the four horse-men of Revelation 6 are preserved at the libraries of Trinity College, Cambridge, and Lambeth Palace. In each, the viewer sees a sequential portrayal of the four figures. On the other hand, Hans Memling's St. John Altarpiece, dated 1474–79, provides a "simultaneous" representation of John's vision. Finally, with the advent of printing, we encounter the woodcuts of Albrecht Dürer and Lucas Cranach. Dürer represents the consummate artistic visualization of Revelation. These representations were made available to a...