Brief Notices

BRIEF NOTICES Themes of the Bible. By JACQUES GuiLLET, S. J. Translated by Albert J. LaMothe Jr. Notre Dame, Ind.: Fides Publishers Association, 1960. Pp. 279, $6.95. First published in 1951, Fr. Guillet's semantic history of key themes from first appearance to full blossom in the New Testament was received well by Biblical theologians. The translation is adequate. However, transliteration of Hebrew words follows French rather than English phonetics, 'e. g., ,mickpat, p. -47 and passim, instead of miskpat. Too, direct translation of Guillet's French Biblical texts in toto would have been preferable to the use of English versions in: such a semantic work. The author's -interpretations are, at times, quite personal, yet he shows close acquaintance with the other attempts at Biblical Theology. He does not pretend to present an exhaustive treatment of Biblical Theology, but his selection of themes is a happy one. The step by step development of such concepts as .grace, justice, loving-kindness and truth; sin and death; the devil and damnation; the breath or spirit of Yahweh affords the diligent student at least a basic grasp of the divine evolution of these important themes. Along with many other Biblical scholars, Fr. Guillet overstates the case for the Hebrew· pre-logical, non-conceptual, concrete rather than abstract use of words and ideas. Such betrays his and their misunderstanding of what he would call an abstract, and, therefore, lifeless, use of universals. Actually, his method shows that he is trying to introduce some type of universal predication into a systemization of matter-based concepts. He, therefore, is continually using the process of abstraction proper to the human intellect. If the process of abstraction is essentially a lifeless or a lethal thing, then, so is intellection, be it Hebrew and poetic, or Western and scientific. Unless Biblical theologians discover that there are many modalities to human abstraction, they will continue to ride their chargers against the wind-mill of " deadly essentialism." Whatever be the reasons for it, the price of the book is rather high. Perhaps a paperback edition would be more practicable for those who are interested in or have need of the matters of Biblical Theology. Dominican, HO'U8e uf Studies, Was/Wngtoo, D.C. 815 J. E. FALLoN, O.P. 316 BRIEF NOTICES Cosmologia. By RoBERT M.As1. Rome: Desclee & Cie., 1961. Pp. 582. This manual developed from the lectures of the author in the Lateran University and at the Propaganda. In the work of revising and preparing his material for publication, the author was assisted by Henry Nicoletti of the Lateran. It is intended for university students, but it has been composed in a manner that makes it adaptable for seminaries; certain historical parts and particular questions can be omitted at the discretion of the teacher. The objective is to present the natural philosophy of Aristotle and St. Thomas, brought up to date in accord with modem developments of philosophy and science. The scholastic method is followed, but with refreshing modem features. There is an adequate historical introduction to the various topics, opinions about each question are often expressed in the very words of their originators, and the author's own conclusions emerge naturally and logically. These conclusions are stated as summary theses at the end of each topic, rather than as propositions laid down at the beginning. Thus the impression of invention, rather than of dogmatism, is given. One of the valuable features of the book is the generous bibliographies given after each chapter; these are placed in chronological order, so that at a glance the reader can find the most recent treatments of a topic. After a short survey of Aristotelian physical method and of the rise of the new physics with Galileo, Boyle, Newton and Huygens, the author claims that the unified Aristotelian physics has been divided into two distinct sciences because of the new experimental method, which creates a new formal object (pp. 12, 13). Natural philosophy is said to consider the ultimate causes of the corporeal world (" causas scilicet metaphysicas ") and the intelligibility of corporeal being, whereas science considers the proximate and experimental causes. The object of science is " corpus prout est ens experimentabile." (p...