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Francis Gumerlock

Books and Articles on the Theology of Grace and Eschatology

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Exegesis of the Apocalypse in the Tenth Century

April 12, 2020 by Frank Leave a Comment

Interpretation of the Book of Revelation in the early Middle Ages has received much scholarly attention, especially the commentaries from the sixth through ninth centuries. Did you ever wonder how Christians in the tenth century interpreted Revelation? My essay, entitled “Exegesis of the Apocalypse in the Tenth Century,” was recently published as Chapter 8 in the Cambridge Companion to Apocalyptic Literature edited by Colin McAllister.

Early Latin Commentaries on the Apocalypse by Francis X. Gumerlock

The article examines three texts from the tenth century: the Commentary on the Apocalypse by Arethas of Caesarea, the Catechesis Celtica, and an anonymous Gloss on the Apocalypse of John. At this time none of these texts are available in English translation. The chapter explains the provenance and purpose of each text, provide summaries and details of their contents, along with excerpts from them in English. The chapter ends with a translation of the entire anonymous Gloss on the Apocalypse of John.

If you are interested in how the Book of Revelation has been interpreted in Christian history, or if you collect commentaries on the Book of Revelation from ancient and medieval writers, I encourage you to purchase a copy of this book, which is available in affordable paperback. Click here.

Filed Under: Eschatology, Uncategorized

Latest Book Release: Carolingian Commentaries on the Apocalypse by Theodulf and Smaragdus

October 28, 2019 by Frank Leave a Comment

I am happy to announce the release of the book Carolingian Commentaries on the Apocalypse by Theodulf and Smaragdus by Francis X. Gumerlock. It contains English translations of the commentary on the Book of Revelation by Theodulf of Orleans from the year 810 and of three homilies from the year 812 by Smaragdus of Saint-Mihiel on Rev 1:1-5; Rev 4:1-10; and Rev 14:1-5.

The introduction discusses the life and writings of these authors Theodulf and Smaragdus, summarizes the contents of the writings on the Book of Revelation, and examines the sources which they used. It also explains their place in early ninth-century biblical exegesis.

On the term “Carolingian,” the Latin word for “Charles” is “Carolus.” The term “Carolingian” refers to the very influential time and dynasty in the early middle ages, some of whose rulers were Charles Martel (aka: Charles the Hammer), Charlemagne, and Charles the Bald.

The book is available from Medieval Institute Publications at Western Michigan University (click here) and on Amazon. I hope that you secure a copy for yourself and perhaps additional copies as holiday gifts for friends. You can also recommend that your local or academic library purchase a copy for their stacks.

God bless you as you read these fascinating texts and may your Thanksgiving and Christmas be filled with joy, peace, and refreshment.

Filed Under: Eschatology, Uncategorized

Early Latin Commentaries on the Apocalypse

August 28, 2016 by Frank Leave a Comment

Early Latin Commentaries on the Apocalypse by Francis X. GumerlockEarly Latin Commentaries on the Apocalypse contains translations of two Hiberno-Latin commentaries on the Book of Revelation from the seventh and eighth centuries.  They are the pseudo-Jerome Handbook on the Apocalypse of the Apostle John and On the Mysteries of the Apocalypse of John found in the anonymous eighth-century Reference Bible.  These commentaries use earlier Latin commentaries, such as those of Victorinus and Tyconius, as source material.  However, they contain unique interpretations of the Book of Revelation.  The Handbook has the number of the beast (Rev 13:18) as 666, 000, which the author says may be the number of Antichrist’s army or disciples.  It also says that they are heretics who interpret the thousand years of Rev 20 in a carnal manner and who think that Christ has not already bound the devil.  On the Mysteries implies that Nero was reigning when John wrote the Apocalypse (On Rev 17:10), and that the mark of the beast will be a slight counterfeit of the Chi-Rho symbol for Christ.

Early Latin Commentaries on the Apocalypse by Francis X. Gumerlock is reasonably priced and available on Amazon.  To purchase a copy, click here.

Filed Under: Eschatology, Uncategorized

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