Albert the Great: A Selectively Annotated Bibliography (1900–2000) by Irven M. Resnick (review)

152 BOOK REVIEWS Albert the Great: A Selectively Annotated Bibliography (1900-2000). By IRVEN M. RESNICK. Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies 269. Tempe, Ariz.: Arizona Center for Medieval & Renaissance Studies, 2004. Pp. 424. $75.00 (doth). ISBN 086698-312-0. An irony concerning contemporary scholarship on thirteenth-century intellectual life is the relative lack of studies of the work of Albert the Great. His famous student, Thomas Aquinas, has commanded a greater share of modern attention, yet in his own time it was Albert and not Thomas who was the betterknown scholar. Albert's reputation was such that his contemporary Roger Bacon could complain that Albert was alleged in the schools to have the authority of Aristotle, Avicenna, and Averroes even while he was still living. It is indeed ironic that Thomas is far better known today than his great teacher and this situation is surely reflected in the scholarship. Only in recent decades has Albert's contribution begun to receive some scholarly attention. A beginning was made in 1958 with James A. Weisheipl's now-classic study of Albert and Oxford Platonism that demonstrated Albert's historic role in distinguishing the Aristotelian and Platonic conceptions of form. The appearance of this study roughly coincided with the postwar initiation ofthe ambitious editio Coloniensis project aimed at producing critical editions of the whole of Albert's corpus, a project that continues today. It was not until 1980, however, that Albert studies truly became a sustained effort among medievalists. That year, the sevenhundredth anniversary of Albert's death, saw the publication of several important collections of papers on various aspects ofhis monumental intellectual achievement. Since then interest in Albert has begun to increase and each year sees more contributions to the growing body of scholarship. Now, then, is a good time for the appearance of basic resources supporting Albert studies. This annotated bibliography of some 2500 entries is a good example of such a resource that will assist those already working in the field as well as those new to it. Fresh from his recent publication of an annotated English translation of Albert's massive De animalibus, produced with his colleague Kenneth F. Kitchell, Jr., Irven M. Resnick has compiled a research tool that will both encourage and organize future Albert studies. The bibliography is impressively comprehensive, covering Latin editions, translations into modern languages, studies, and reviews. As a whole, this work not only serves as a guide to available resources and recent scholarship, but also provides some idea of the history ofAlbert studies. Thus, it stands as both a research tool and introduction to the field. After a brief introduction to the current state of Albert studies, complete bibliographic information on omnia opera as well as Latin editions and translations of individual works is listed according to subject area. This is followed by studies of Albert's individual works, again listed by subject area. Thus, the researcher is able quickly to obtain information on available editions and recent studies in a two-step search. Separate sections cover Albert's vitae, canonization, iconography, and legendae as well as existing specialized BOOK REVIEWS 153 bibliographies, manuscript studies, and studies and reviews connected with the editio Coloniensis project. About half of the bibliography is devoted to topical studies of Albert's thought arranged according to generic and specific subject areas. Included here is scholarship on Albert's contributions to the natural sciences, political theory, philosophy (logic, metaphysics, ethics, etc.), and theology. Finally, studies on Albert's sources and influence are listed. Bibliographic entries are numbered consecutively, allowing for crossreference within the bibliography. Useful subject and author indices are included at the end of the work, but with references to page numbers rather than entry numbers. Entry number cross-references within the bibliography are quite helpful. The compiler's reasons for using page-number index references, however , is unclear as there would seem to be merit in consistently carrying the entry-number reference system in the bibliography through to the indices. Despite this, the reader should not have much trouble searching the work and, after using the table of contents, bibliographic cross-references, and indices, one can be reasonably certain of locating all relevant items. Students...