In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

BOOK REVIEWS 697 like to make. For the life of St. Anselm he has followed closely Eadmer and R. W. Southern, St. Anselm and his Biographer; it would have been helpful if Colleran had tried to distinguish a little more clearly between historical facts and literary commonplaces. For example, we should like to know how strongly the monks insisted that Anselm write down his treatises or reflections or musings. Again, was it true that Anselm was carried rather than led to the church for his investiture by the king? To such questions many will reply that, if we cannot believe what an author writes, then history-writing becomes impossible; yet we do know that rhetorical commonplaces were long in honor. Furthermore, it seems to me that any discussion of Anselm's methodology without a precise analysis of his teaching on faith, truth, and the rectitude of the mind is bound to miss the point of his "proofs." Did Anselm hope to convince his readers by persuasion or demonstration? There is a vast literature on St. Anselm in which we find many divergent interpretations. It is surprising, therefore, to find such unqualified statements as " father of scholastic theology " (p. 53) and the implication of a " realism that is faithful to the philosophic tradition stemming from Plato." (p. 50) The notes (pp. £15-£45) are sometimes helpful, especially the crossreferences . Some of the notes are to me ambiguous expecially where references are given to the Fathers; does this always imply that this was the source of St. Anselms speculation? Again, Colleran speaks of the ambiguity of Anselm's use of the word "Father," because it often refers to all three Persons of the Trinity. Yet the references (pp. 230-1, fnn. 33 & 79) do not seem to bear out what Colleran alleges. All in all, Coleran's work is a contribution to Anselmian studies and is, I think, without serious errors. In these days of "little Latin" it will serve a useful purpose. Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies Toronto, Canada. J. REGINALD O'DoNNELL St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, vol. 51 (3a, 27-30) Our Lady, with notes and appendices by THoMAs R. HEATH, 0. P. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1969. Pp. 144. $7.00. The reader who wishes to savor to the full the excellently translated and commented present volume of the Blackfriars Summa would do well to have at hand Lumen gentium, the dogmatic constitution on the Church, with its eighth chapter on "The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, in the Mystery of Christ and the Church." 698 BOOK REVIEWS Our Lady takes up qq. 27 through 30 of pars tertia: sanctification of the Blessed Virgin, virginity of the l\Iother of God, her betrothal, the announcement to l\1ary-four questions, editor-translator Heath says, that " have come from somewhere and are going somewhere," viz., come from the consideration of the meaning of the Incarnation and going towards the existential consideration of the meaning of Mary's Son who was born, lived, died and rose to save us from our sins. For St. Thomas as for Vatican II, Mary belongs to the divine plan from the beginning, and this carries through to the eschatological joy of her union with the Risen Christ and continuing concern for the brethren of her Son. However, neither predestination nor Assumption are the immediate concern of qq. Q7-30, and even the specific question, Mother of God, comes a little later (q. 35). In qq. 27-30 St. Thomas takes up the last preparatory steps to the entrance of Christ into the world: " let us first look at the mother conceiving him." What will we discover? The four questions provide the answer in a remarkable delineation of our Lady: holiness, innocence, human love for Joseph her husband, and humility before the great announcement. Mary is before us as the virgin mother who conceives Christ, not as the Pieta. Appendix 3, " The Immaculate Conception," reflects further on Thomas's position, reproducing from the Shapcote 1926 English Summa a table on " The Law and Course of Original Sin." Heath shies away from discussing the possibility that Thomas finally accepted the privilege. Obviously he did not in...

pdf

Share