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  • The Creedal Homilies: Conversion in Fifth-Century North Africa
  • Daniel G. Van Slyke
Quodvultdeus of Carthage The Creedal Homilies: Conversion in Fifth-Century North Africa Translated with introduction and commentary by Thomas Macy FinnAncient Christian Writers 60New York: The Newman Press, 2004 Pp. x + 137. $22.95.

Until the appearance of this volume, only a few scattered works attributed to Quodvultdeus had been rendered into English. R. Kalkman translated the two sermons De tempore barbarico for a dissertation at the Catholic University of America (1963), and more recently M. Heintz translated De symbolo I for an M.A. thesis at Saint John's Seminary (1994) and De cantico novo for the journal Antiphon (4.2 [1999]). In this welcome volume of the Ancient Christian Writers series, Thomas Macy Finn provides an entirely fresh translation of De symbolo I along with the first English translations of De symbolo II and III. Finn situates these explanations of the creed as homilies delivered to the competentes in Carthage on the Sunday before Easter, perhaps of three consecutive years, in the mid-430s. [End Page 401]

In the introduction Finn nicely summarizes the catechumenate of ancient North Africa. He then discusses the manifestations of struggle against Jews, pagans, and heretics—particularly Donatists and Arians—which appear in the sermons. Finn also comments on the author's rejection of Roman spectacles and ends with observations on the use of Scripture in the sermons. In addition to the topics which Finn highlights, these sermons contain much material related to ecclesiology, mariology, demonology, and eschatology as well as many points of interest to those studying the development of trinitarian doctrine in fifth-century North Africa. The preacher's trinitarian theology and eschatology reflect without always faithfully following Augustine; comparing these homilies with De civitate Dei, De trinitate, and the Enchiridion would be a fruitful endeavor.

A thorough treatment of the attribution of these sermons to Quodvultdeus is wanting. While admitting that questions are raised, Finn pays little attention to the problem. Following R. Braun, the editor of the critical edition of Quodvultdeus' works (CSEL 60), Finn simply asserts that these three sermons are "now convincingly assigned to Quodvultdeus" (3). Not entirely true in itself, this assertion may become a self-fulfilling prophecy with the appearance of his volume. Several important studies of the problem, like the English translations mentioned above, appear neither in the notes nor the bibliography, and the mixed reception of Braun's arguments is similarly unmentioned.

The translation itself is beautifully laid out, with the chapters and lines of Braun's critical edition clearly demarcated for easy reference. According to Finn, the rendition "attempts to be as literal as late antique Latin and inviting English permit" (21–22). This principle occasions a number of awkward and distracting renditions, especially of scriptural passages. For example, the posteriora seen by Moses (Exod 33.23) becomes God's "hindquarters" (71), leading to "the Christ of God" being equated with "the hindquarters of God" on the following page (72), while incorruptibili (1 Tim 1.17) becomes "imperishable," making God comparable to a canned good.

This volume generally does not provide references to scriptural allusions, and so is less helpful than the critical edition on that score. The unnoticed allusion to Matt 12.44 occasions a displaced "not" that detracts from the homilist's discussion of pre-baptismal exorcisms (28), and similarly a passage obviously referring to Ps 18.6 becomes "as Bridegroom to go in search of his bridal chamber" (36). Sometimes the translations mislead: "the Catholic faith" appears to be "built by the hands of the prophets and apostles" rather than the aedificium ecclesiae (51); what is rhetorically said by the elements is attributed to "the scriptures" (52); "he who is everything" for qui ubique totus est (34); "Christ died for us" for Christus pro impiis mortuus est (38); "Let none of you ignore [the fact] that the dragon is the devil" for Draconem diabolum esse, nullus uestrum ignorat (67). Of course it is easier to criticize another's translation than to produce one, so a debt of gratitude is owed to Finn for making these signifi-cant sources more readily available.

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