2023.09.07 | Mark DelCogliano, ed. Christ: Through the Nestorian Controversy. Vol. 3 of The Cambridge Edition of Early Christian Writings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022. Pp. xlvii + 778. ISBN: 978-1-107-06213-9. [Hardback].

Mark DelCogliano, ed. Christ: Chalcedon and Beyond. Vol. 4 of The Cambridge Edition of Early Christian Writings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022. Pp. xlii + 666. ISBN: 978-1-316-51114-5. [Hardback].

Review by Shawn J. Wilhite, California Baptist University

I do not envy any editor or author writing a holistic account of Trinitarian or Christological theology in the early centuries of Christian thought. It seems impossible to keep in tension each figure, nuance, development of thought, and all the lines of argumentation. The editors say, “An anthology on the vast topic of ‘Christ’ is a fool’s errand” (p. xx). I can only imagine the conversations among the editors, several lists of possible texts to consider, the amount of paper in the “wastebasket” with notes, or even the list of texts that did not “make the cut.” An anthology of Christology became too large for a single volume, so the editors commissioned two volumes: “Though physically separate, the two volumes (i.e., vols. 3 and 4) belong together and are intended to be used together. In fact, together they encapsulate the editor’s vision for the study of Christology in the formative centuries of Christianity” (p. xx). So, before anything further is stated, Andrew Radde-Gallwitz, Mark DelCogliano, Ellen Muehlberger, and Bradley K. Storin ought to be commended for undertaking such a daunting task and for the lasting quality of such an anthology, and especially DelCogliano as the lead editor for volumes 3 and 4.

Together, these two volumes do not provide a “comprehensive or definitive account” of early Christian thought on the entire life of the Son but focus on “Christ as God incarnate” (p. xx). The series seeks to offer representative literature from the early Christian period on four themes: God, Practice, Christ (Through the Nestorian Controversy and Chalcedon and Beyond), and Community. Volumes 3 and 4 focus on “Christ as God incarnate.”

The Series Introduction helpfully situates how to read each volume. The editors’ goals (in negation form) are to refrain from (1) narrating normative Christianity, (2) highlighting a different form of Christianity, (3) reproducing a “canon” of early Christian literature, or (4) claiming the superiority of one text over the other; instead, “we have opted to let each text speak with its own historical voice and authority, while aiming to expand the number and range of early Christian texts available to English speakers” (pp. xviii–xix). Thus, some texts are provided in English for the first time, whereas others have been translated anew; the purpose is “to show the diversity and interconnectedness of Christianity in its formative period” (p. xix).

Volume 3 includes a lengthy introduction, four parts of translated material, and suggestions for further reading. Volume 4 consists of the same introduction and suggested reading list, and two parts of translated material. The introduction helpfully walks readers through the entirety of the early Christian period, commenting on the texts included in volumes 3 and 4, and summarizes selected theological positions. The purpose of the book’s survey is threefold: (1) situate each translated text “into the larger story of reflection on Christ,” (2) assist readers in determining which texts aid their interests, and (3) clarify the “interrelationships among the texts” (p. xxv). Volume 3 includes four parts with 54 entries: (1) Part I: The Beginnings of Christology; (2) Part II: Developing Christological Traditions; (3) Part III: Traditions of Pro-Nicene Christology; and (4) Part IV: Controversy over Nestorius. Volume 4 includes two parts with 37 entries: (1) Part I: The Council of Chalcedon and its Reception; and (2) Christological Perspectives after Constantinople II. In total, the two volumes contain 91 entries, with some entries including more than one text.

While the length of my critical questions is longer than my positive evaluation, this imbalance need not speak to the collection’s value. I am aware of no comparable anthology that surpasses volumes 3 and 4 in content and quality. These two volumes have set a “new bar” for future anthologies. I commend the volumes on two accounts. First, these volumes have several new translations of works previously untranslated or updated older translations (e.g., Irenaeus Adv. Haer. 5). This is the primary strength of these books. Additionally, the editors commissioned new or fresh translations of Apollinarius of Laodicea, the Leporius Dossier, Aphrahat, Ephrem the Syrian, Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Ibas of Edessa, and Proclus of Constantinople.

Additionally, I found the inclusion of Timothy Aelurus, Mar Narsai, Jacob of Serugh, Emperor Justinian, Babai the Great, and Sophronius of Jerusalem in volume 4 particularly helpful. These entries highlight the Christological diversity after Chalcedon and give attention to more unfamiliar writings. I wonder if situating some of these later controversies would be helpful too (for example, situating the anti-monoenergism of Sophronius of Jerusalem alongside Honorius, Sergius, and Cyrus; Radde-Gallwitz’s introduction to Sophronius is helpful in this regard). Several of these figures remain untranslated or have scant translated material available. These are wonderful additions to English-speaking scholars and students.

Second, the introductory content for each entry helpfully frames each translation. Each entry includes a 700–1000-word introduction to the author and text that historically situates it, the critical text used, and the translation. Each entry is a stand-alone piece that will serve students and scholars of the period.

Next, I offer two lines of criticism, framed as questions about (1) the selection of material and (2) the structure that narrates early Christian Christology. First, what was the rubric to include or exclude specific texts? This question enquires about including previously translated material and excluding other possible texts. For example, all the material by Cyril of Alexandria appears in previously translated work in the Fathers of the Church series (when material from his Thesaurus and Dialogues on the Trinity remain untranslated; both include Christological reflections), Origen of Alexandria’s Princ. 2.6 has been recently translated by John Behr in the Oxford Early Christian Text series, and all works from the Apostolic Fathers’ collection appear in generally recent translations. Additionally, some texts were excluded from this collection. After the immediate years after Nicaea, could several of the conciliar materials in the 350s have been added to this narrative as several struggled to describe Christ? Also, what about the other Christological and Trinitarian theologians, including Hilary of Poitier (earlier in his career), Eunomius, Marcellus of Ancyra, and John Chrysostom?

Second, if the volumes aim to represent vision of the period, what might the structure (not individual texts) communicate about said vision? I wonder if readers of this volume will infer a Christological narrative and development from this ordering of texts. More specifically, are the two major movements of fourth and fifth-century Christology simply a distinction of (1) pro-Nicene Christology and (2) the Nestorian controversy?—Of course not, and I am confident the editors would agree. Additionally, within “Part III: Traditions of Pro-Nicene Christology,” I wonder how un-informed readers may perceive this section. The Christological development of the fourth century extends well beyond Apollinarius and the Cappadocian Fathers. Of the 19 entries in this section, Apollinarius receives six, Basil receives two, Gregory of Nazianzus receives two, and Gregory of Nyssa receives one, totaling eleven of the nineteen entries. If previously translated material is part of this collection, how might Gregory of Nyssa’s Eun. 2 fit into this development (if at all)? To remedy these concerns, a few things can prevent this paradigm: (1) further explanation in the introduction, (2) create a third historically sensitive category to structure the texts, (3) provide a “wish list” of texts the editors hoped to include but could not, and/or (4) provide a reading list to help situate this two-fold movement.

I have one final comment, not about the quality of the book and certainly out of the editor’s control. For anyone to have volumes 3 and 4 in their possession, they will spend roughly $300. As a result, good and valuable resources for early Christian scholarship will be difficult to access for several researchers. As a result, these volumes will belong primarily to research libraries and less so to personal ones.

I heartily recommend volumes 3 and 4 to researchers and students of early Christianity. Especially for those interested in the development of Christological thought, students need to read selections of this volume and take seriously the stout “Suggestions for Further Reading”; they will be well on their way to understanding more than the basic contours of early Christian Christology. I have already used selections from volumes 1–2 for course material and have begun making accommodations for volumes 3–4. This anthology, I hope, will serve as a standard for future anthologies and will serve our shared field for quite some time.

Shawn J. Wilhite
California Baptist University
shawn.j.wilhite [at] gmail.com