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Journal of Early Christian Studies 10.4 (2002) 526-527



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Origen. Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans Translated by Thomas P. Scheck, 2 vols. Fathers of the Church 103/104 Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2001, 2002 Pp. xiii + 411. $39.95; Pp. xviii + 340. $39.95.

With this first English translation of Origen's Commentary on Romans, Thomas Scheck makes a significant contribution to studies of Origen and the history of Pauline exegesis. Scheck bases his translation on Caroline Hammond Bammel's critical edition of Rufinus' Latin version of the Commentary. His is only the second translation of the critical edition into a modern language; the first is in Japanese by Takeshi Odaka.

This commentary, in Rufinus' shortened version, is still one of the most com-plete extant works of Origen, considerably longer, for example, than On First Principles. As such, the work provides an excellent introduction to Origen's theology, presenting a wide range of themes which are central for him in his doctrine of God, anthropology, mystical theology, and eschatology.

Scheck's introduction provides an excellent outline of the textual issues surrounding the Latin version of the Commentary, indicating the current move-ment towards a more positive evaluation of Rufinus' work. He also engages in a substantial discussion of Origen's treatment of justification, distinguishing Origen's understanding from those in the later Pelagian controversy and emphasizing the unity of faith and works in Origen's thought. Scheck's lengthy excursus is appropriate, given the importance of justification in the history of the exegesis of Romans and the role that disputes about faith versus works have had in the development of Western Christianity.

While Scheck focuses on justification, his bibliography points to the work of a number of scholars who have identified a range of additional themes in Origin's treatise. The Alexandrian's awareness of the relationship between the third-century Christian and Jewish communities in Caesarea leads him to read Romans with sensitivity towards Judaism. Throughout the Commentary, Origen depicts Paul as an arbitrator between Jews and Gentiles, speaking to each group in turn. He recognizes that Paul can be difficult to understand; Paul "carefully weighs his speech and the chambers of each mystery he touches on and slightly opens to us in only one or two words . . . . Sometimes having entered from one door, he dashes into another room so that if you search for him at that entrance by which he went in, you may not find him exit" (5.1.11). Origen sees Paul as an historical [End Page 526] figure whose writing style and lack of rhetorical skill he freely criticizes in certain passages. At the same time, Paul is the Apostle, a man to be revered, and Origen tends to use prosopological exegesis to explain passages in Romans that seem to indicate weakness on Paul's part.

These volumes are an excellent way to introduce graduate students to Origen's scriptural exegesis. Scheck's notes are helpful. He translates many of Hammond Bammel's notes from the German and adds his own discussions of theological and textual issues. He occasionally cites words from the available Greek frag-ments and gives references not only to the Bible and to Origen's other works but to other ancient authors as well. Each volume has its own indices although only the first volume contains an introduction.

Though the translation is based on the new critical edition, Scheck follows the chapter numbers made standard in PG. As a result, his numbers differ from Hammond Bammel's in books 1, 2, 3, 7, and 8. However, both Scheck and Hammond Bammel include references to the columns in PG, an arrangement which facilitates a comparison of their texts.

Scheck's translation itself is very literal without being awkward. Working with a text where wordplay already exists in two linguistic layers, he tries to convey some of the rhetoric in English. In book 7.19.6 he renders "the 'sects' have been named from 'seeking'" for Rufinus' "a sectando sectae appellatae sunt...

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