The Incarnation in the Sermons of Saint Peter Chrysologus By Robert H. McGlynn (review)

BOOK REVIEWS McGlynn, Robert H., The Incarnation in the Sermons of Saint Peter Chrysologus (Pontificia Facultas Theologica Seminarii Sanctae Mariae ad Lacum, Dissertationes ad Lauream 25), [v]—150 pp.; Mundelein, Illinois: Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary, 1956. The author purposes a study of the Incarnation in the works of Peter Chrysologus because Chrysologus is a Doctor of the Church rather neglected and "it will most likely be in the domain of his teaching on the Incarnation that an evaluation of his position as a doctor of the Church can be profitably attempted" (pg. 4). After a brief survey of the authenticity of the sermons (He does not use the six that are generally considered by scholars as unauthentic ) the life of Peter and his style, McGlynn launches into the main body of the work. Mystery is a point much stressed. Reverence, faith rather than curiosity, the author finds to be a predominant theme in Chrysologus. In the same chapter he treats the purpose of the Incarnation. Chapter two deals with the Person of Christ, Son of God and Mary, then His proper function in the world according to Chrysologus is analogous. There follows appropriately a chapter on heresies current in Peter's time and a couple of theologically difficult passages are treated. The author then dedicates a chapter to the Doctrine of Peter on Mary, the Mother of Christ. A cursory study of Peter's teaching on the Members of Christ forms the last chapter. There are no indices, but a detailed table of content compensates to some degree. Every chapter and some sections have summaries which enhance clarity but might give the impression that a great deal of the work is introduction and summaries. The author has limited his aim and achieved it but more on the sources of Peter's Doctrine would be appreciated by many. The exposition on Marian doctrine is justified and seems scientifically cautious and well done. The Chapter on the Members of Christ appears however, to attempt too much and accomplish too little. The "Sensus Plenior" is accepted by the author without defence or explanation on page 11; he simply writes "Then there is the higher reality, the mystical meaning of the writer, which he himself may not have been conscious of, but which contains truth for all men." In dealing with the motive of the Incarnation, McGlynn, on pp. 28 ff. cites passages in which Peter writes of Christ coming to save man, then on pg. 32 writes: "In no one of his sermons does Peter say that Christ would have assumed human nature if the sin of Adam had not taken place." On pg. 42: "Never has Peter said that Christ would have come . . .". Then the author concludes "No, Christ has come to a sinful humanity precisely because it is laden with sin." No Catholic denies that Christ came to save 306 Book Reviews307 man from sin and secondly, in the 5th century we do not expect a clear enunciation of the absolute primacy of Christ any more than we expect to find the sevenfold number of the Sacraments or the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. Third, there are passages of Chrysologus cited by the author that could be interpreted as motive of the Incarnation independent of sin. Examples of this we find on pg. 24: "In man, God finds the perfect way to show Himself to those he loves on earth". On pg. 61 : "In Peter, man is the visible image of the invisible Creator here on earth. For this reason it is not loss or occasion for shame that God should become man. Here the author cites sermon 148 597A "Quare modo putatur iniuria, quando Deus quod per se fecit in te clementer excepit, et in homine se veré videri voluit, in quo ante imaginario voluit se videri . . ." These are just some of the passages which, even if they do not establish the absolute primacy of Christ, they could be so interpreted. Apparently we could say that no where does Peter say that Christ would not have become man had there been no sin. McGlynn would have done well to use the same scientific circumspection concerning the motive of...