De Bono By Alberti Magni Ord. Fr. Praed. (review)

Book Reviews219 he produced a very interesting treatise, one which is certainly above the average of the theses in the "Studies in Sacred Theology" series. It is refreshing to see that more and more scholars are abandoning the unreaUstic idea, still cherished in certain quarters, that St. Thomas is some kind of Melchisedech, "no name of father or mother, no pedigree, no date of birth. . ." This statement should not be construed as a critism of sound Thomism. But we sincerely beUeve that nobody can pride himself on a knowledge of the authentic teachings of St. Thomas, Duns Scotus, Ockham and so forth, if he does not study their spiritual ambience and their sources. The weaker part of this study, as we see it, is the Introduction (p. 1—20). Perhaps this is due to the fact that Fuerst depends on other authors. For instance, p. 11, Fuerst leaves the impression that John Damascene may have had influence on occidental theology before the XIIth century. Actually before 1155 the influence of Damascene on the West is nil, and his real importance appears only from the XIIIth century on. — The date of completion of the Sentences (p. 16—17) is less certain than admitted by Fuerst. — A priori we would object against the longer introduction to the teachings of Alexander of Hales, the Summa Halesiana and Odo Rigald. But since for certain people, these authors and writings are still not much more than names, we do beUeve that Fuerst followed here the right method. At the same time, especiaUy here, the author proves that his information on technical literature is up to date. Our congratulations. Eligius M. Buytaert, O. F. M. The Franciscan Institute, St. Bonaventure, N. Y. Alberti Magni Ord. Fr. Praed. De Bono. Primum ediderunt H. Kühler, C. Feckes, B. Geyer, W. Kübel [S. D. E. Alberti Magni Opera Omnia: XXVIII]. (Münster, Westfalen: Verlag Aschendorff, 1951. Pp. xxxü + 332.) It is with deep gratitude that we welcome this volume, for it marks the inception of a new and critical edition of the works of Saint Albert. Certainly this great Dominican theologian, phUosopher and scientist merits a critical edition that wiU compare with other recent editions of the princes of Scholasticism, Saint Bonaventure, Saint-Thomas, Alexander of Hales (whose Glossa on the Sentences is being currently edited), Roger Bacon, John Duns Scotus (two volumes of whose Ordinarium were published in 1950). Would that John de la Rochelle were named here also! This new edition of the Doctor universalis is the fruit of mature scholarship fostered at the Institute Albertus Magnus founded by the late Cardinal Schulte of Cologne. That Monsignor Bernhard Geyer is the president of this Institute is sufficient guarantee of the exceUence of the work; while the present volume reveals that he is assisted by an able group of coUaborators. The complete edition is expected to embrace some forty volumes, to be published at the 220Book Reviews rate of one volume a year (available in stiff paper cover or half-calf, with a reduction to subscribers of the first five volumes). This first volume, which is tome XXVIII of the completed series, contains a Summa de Bono hitherto unedited and almost totally neglected by scholars of the past. This was most unfortunate, for in the mind of Saint Albert it was closely linked to his Commentary on the Sentences and considered an important witness to his own thought on basic problems of the moral order. The work, a preUminary form of which is found in the Tractatus de natura boni, forms part of that group of works often caUed the Summa de creaturis compUed by Saint Albert is his early Parisian period. The Summa de bono is of capital importance, as it is the first systematic work of Christian moral to make use of the Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle (that is, books I—III and fragments of VII—VIII; book V is used in a special question added later to the Summa). Undoubtedly, scholars and students in the fields of ethics and moral theology, not to say of metaphysics also, will not be slow in investigating the historical and doctrinal riches of this text. At least...