Patrology and Patristics

PATROLOGY AND PATRISTICS. — Terms of Protestant origin. In 17th-century Lutheran theology people began to speak of a "theologia patristica" in the sense of a collection of patristic testimonies for individual dogmas. This theological concept of the term "patristics" became confused with the literary concept of "patrology," which as a term was used for the first time by the Lutheran theologian Johs Gerhardus (d. 1637) in his work Patrologia, sive de primitiva Ecclesiae christianae Doctarum vita ac lucubrationibus opus postumum (Jena 1653). But if the two terms "patrology" and "patristics" are of Protestant origin, the two concepts — the theological one and the literary one — for evaluating the ecclesiastical writers of the ancient Church are already found in Catholic literature. The concept of "Father" (v.) is dogmatic in character, having its basis in the dogmatic proof from tradition, while the need to consider the ancient writers from a literary standpoint already manifests itself in St. Jerome's De viris illustribus. Starting from the dogmatic concept of "Father," patristics (or patrology) approaches, as a theological discipline, dogmatics or the history of dogmas; following the path begun by St. Jerome one arrives at the "history of ancient Christian literature," that is, at a particular discipline of Church history. Catholic scholarship has chosen both paths.

The already-cited work of St. Jerome (eds. by C. A. Bernoulli; Freiburg im Br. 1895, by E. C. Richardson, Leipzig 1896; v.: H. Edmonds, 2nd ed., in Altertum, Leipzig 1941, p. 348 ff.), made public in the year 392, is fundamentally nothing other than a catalogue, which excludes neither non-Christian writers (Philo, Flavius Josephus and Justus of Tiberias) nor schismatic and heretical authors, and numbers even the Evangelists in its literary list. The little work had an apologetic purpose, because it sought to demonstrate against Celsus, Porphyry and the emperor Julian that the Church had never lacked eloquent philosophers and teachers. In form Jerome copied Suetonius, in content he depends on Eusebius (Historia ecclesiastica and Chronicon), but notices based on his own reading are not lacking. His criticism of biblical texts is quite free, the profile of the characteristic style of individual authors is superficial (not comparable with the literary criticism of Photius; on Jerome's work, cf. C. A. Bernoulli, Der Schriftstellerkatalog des Hieronymus, Freiburg im Br. 1895; St. von Sychowski, Hieronymus als Literaturhistoriker, Münster 1894; A. Feder, Studien zum Schriftstellerkatalog des hl. Hieronymus, Freiburg 1927; P. Courcelle, Les lettres grecques en Occident, Paris 1943, p. 78 ff.). Around 480 the semi-Pelagian priest Gennadius of Marseilles wrote a continuation of St. Jerome's work; for this reason most of the manuscripts of Jerome also contain Gennadius's continuation. Gennadius's work is more accurate, more theological than Jerome's, but it also reveals his semi-Pelagian position (B. Czapla, Gennadius als Literaturhistoriker, Münster 1898; F. Diekamp, Wann hat Gennadius seinen Schriftstellerkatalog verfasst, in Römische Quartalschr., 12 [1898], p. 411 ff.; A. Feder, Der Semipelagianismus im Schriftstellerkatalog des G., in Scholastik, 2 [1927], p. 481 ff.; id., Die Entstehung und Veröffentlichung des gennadianischen Schriftstellerkatalogs, ibid., 8 [1933], p. 217 ff.; id., Zusätze des Gennadian. Schriftstellerkatalogs, ibid., p. 380 ff.; P. Courcelle, Les lettres grecques en Occident, Paris 1943, p. 221 ff.). Continuators of St. Jerome and Gennadius with particular interests in Spanish writers were Isidore of Seville (between 615 and 618: PL 83, 1081-1106) and his disciple Ildefonsus of Toledo (d. 667: PL 96, 195 ff.; cf. G. V. Dzialowski, Isidor und Ildefons als Literaturhistoriker, Münster 1898; F. Schütte, Studien über den Schriftstellerkatalog des hl. Isidor, in M. Sdralek, Kirchengeschichtliche Abhandlungen, Breslau 1902, p. 75 ff.; M. Ihm, Beiträge zur alten Geschichte und griech.-römischen Altertumskunde [Festschrift für O. Hirschfeld], Berlin 1903, p. 341 ff.; H. Koeppler, in Journal of theolog. studies, 38 [1936], p. 16 ff.). While in Byzantium Photius took up the study of the Fathers together with that of the ancient authors (his Myriobiblon = Bibliotheca: PG 103-104), in the West the literature of the De viris illustribus was begun anew in the 11th century by Sigebert of Gembloux (d. 1112: PL 160, 547 ff.), in Belgium by Honorius of Autun (ca. 1122) in his De luminarius Ecclesiae (PL 172, 197 ff.) and by the so-called Anonymus Mellicensis (De scriptoribus ecclesiasticis: PL 213, 959 ff.), and in the 15th century by Johannes Trithemius. All these authors rely, for the patristic era, on St. Jerome and Gennadius. Their works are important for knowledge of the writers of their own time; for the reconstruction of the text of Jerome and Gennadius this indirect tradition is of little value (v. A. Feder, Studien zum Schriftstellerkatalog des hl. Hieronymus, Freiburg im Br. 1927, p. 90). The line of these "nomenclatores" (v. I. A. Fabricius, Bibliotheca ecclesiastica, Hamburg 1718) was continued by Johannes Gerhardus, Giuseppe Hülseemann, etc., on the Lutheran side, and by St. Robert Bellarmine in his Liber de scriptoribus ecclesiasticis (Rome 1613), an edition enlarged by F. Labbé (Paris 1670) and by Casimir Oudin (ibid. 1682), on the Catholic side. The first great attempt at a critical treatment of ancient Christian literature was made by Louis Ellies Du Pin (d. 1719) with his Nouvelle bibliothèque des auteurs ecclésiastiques, etc. (Paris 1686-1711) in 47 vols. (v. Reusch, Index der verbotenen Bücher, II, 1, p. 586). The book, which was placed on the Index, stirred up many literary controversies (M. Petit-Didier, R. Simon, R. Ceillier and others). The lack of respect in its language and its Gallicanism were the principal causes of the condemnation of this work. A work of value is the Apparatus ad Bibliothecam maximam Patrum veterum (Paris 1604), by Le Nourry, but the critical-historical masterpiece is the famous Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire ecclésiastique des six premiers siècles of L. S. Le Nain de Tillemont ([d. 1698], Paris 1693-1712) in 16 vols., a work that is still consulted with profit by scholars. In the Protestant camp, the works of William Cave, James Ussher, John E. Grabe (v.), John Pearson, H. Dodwell, Anglicans who, in order to defend their dogmatic position, were forced to occupy themselves with the Fathers. Alongside them one may also mention the studies of Le Clerc, Dallaeus and Oudin. Of the works concerning the history of ancient Christian literature in the modern era, the following are remembered: J. A. Möhler, Patrologie (vol. I [the only one], Regensburg 1840); J. Nirschl, Lehrbuch der Patrologie und Patristik (3 vols., Mainz 1881-85); I. Fessler, Institutiones Patrologiae (2nd ed. by Jungmann, Innsbruck 1890-96); Ad. Harnack, Geschichte der altkirchlichen Literatur bis auf Eusebius (3 vols., Leipzig 1893-1904); H. Kihn, Patrologie (Paderborn 1904-1908); O. Bardenhewer, Patrologie (3rd ed. Freiburg 1910); id., Geschichte der altkirchlichen Literatur (5 vols., ibid. 1913-32); H. Jordan, Geschichte der altkirchlichen Literatur (Leipzig 1911); I. Tixeront, Mélanges de patrologie et d'histoire des dogmes (Paris 1921); H. Lietzmann, Christliche Literatur (Leipzig 1923); F. Cayré, Précis de Patrologie (2 vols., Paris 1927-1930); B. Steidle, Patrologie (Freiburg 1937); U. Mannucci, Istituzioni di patrologie (ed. by A. Casamassa, Rome 1948-50); E. I. Goodspeed, A History of early christian literature (Chicago 1942); B. Altaner, Patrologie (2nd ed., Freiburg 1950; also in Italian translation revised by A. Ferrua, Turin 1944); J. Quasten, Patrology, I. The Beginnings of Patristic Literature (Utrecht-Brussels 1950). Special works concerning Greek patristics: K. Krumbacher-A. Ehrhard, Geschichte der byzantinischen Literatur (2nd ed., Munich 1897); O. Stählin, Die altkirchliche griechische Literatur, in W. v. Christ, Geschichte der griechischen Literatur (5 vols., 6th ed., ibid. 1924); A. Puech, Littérature grecque chrétienne (Paris 1928); I. M. Campbell, The Greek Fathers (London 1929). On the knowledge of the Greek Fathers in the Latin Church see: P. Courcelle, Les lettres grecques en Occident (Paris 1943); A. Siegmund, Die Überlieferung der griechischen Literatur in der lateinischen Kirche bis zum 12. Jahrhundert (Munich 1949). Special works on Latin patristics: P. Monceaux, Histoire littéraire de l'Afrique chrétienne (7 vols., Paris 1901-23); R. Pichon, Etudes sur l'histoire de la littérature latine dans les Gaules (ibid. 1906); W. S. Teuffel, Geschichte der römischen Literatur (III, 6th ed., Leipzig 1913); the Christian authors are treated by E. Klostermann; M. Schanz, G. Hosius, G. Krüger, Geschichte der röm. Literatur (III, 3rd ed., ibid. 1922; IV, 1, ibid. 1914; IV, 11, ibid. 1920; the Christian literature is treated by G. Krüger); U. Moricea, Storia della letteratura latina cristiana, 3 vols., in 5 tomes (Turin 1915-1934); P. Monceaux, Histoire de la littérature latine chrétienne (Paris 1924); C. Weymann, Beiträge zur Geschichte der christlich-lateinischen Poesie (Munich 1926); N. Terzaghi, Storia della letteratura latina da Tiberio a Giustiniano (Milan 1934); L. Salvatorelli, Storia della letteratura latina cristiana (ibid. 1936); E. Bickel, Lehrbuch der Geschichte der römischen Literatur (Heidelberg 1938); P. de Labriolle, Histoire de la littérature latine chrétienne, 3rd ed. by G. Barzy (2 vols., Paris 1947); P. Courcelle, Histoire littéraire des grandes invasions germaniques (ibid. 1948); E. Dellers, Clavis Patrum latinorum (Steenbrugge 1951, in Sacris erudiri, III). For works concerning the Eastern Fathers, v. ORIENTE CRISTIANO. The transmission of the Fathers in the life of the Church during the Middle Ages and modern times has been treated in the excellent studies of J. de Ghellinck, Patristique et moyen-âge (3 vols., Brussels 1946-48). The reflections of Christian literature on European literature are studied by E. R. Curtius, Europäische Literatur und lateinisches Mittelalter (Bern 1948).

THE PUBLICATION OF PATRISTIC TEXTS

It was humanism that gave the impulse to the first printing of patristic texts. Some of these publications have the value of a manuscript because many codices of that time have been lost. The first critical editions appeared in the 17th and 18th centuries. As editors, mention should be made of Fronton le Duc ("Ducaeus", d. 1624), the editor of Chrysostom and John Damascene, Jacques Sirmond (d. 1651), Jean Garnier (d. 1681), Fr. Combefis (d. 1679), J. B. Cotelier (d. 1686) and the great representatives of the Benedictine Congregation of St. Maur

(v. MAURINI): J. L. D'Achéry (d. 1685), Jean Mabillon (v.), R. Massuet (d. 1716, editor of St. Irenaeus), P. Constant (d. 1721), Le Nourry (d. 1724), Julien Garnier (d. 1725, editor of Basil), Ch. de la Rue (d. 1739, editor of Origen), B. de Montfaucon (v.), P. Maran (d. 1762). The first great collections are the Sacris bibliotheca veterum Patrum (Cologne 1618-22) or Maxima bibliotheca veterum Patrum (27 vols., Lyon 1677).

Still of value today is the Bibliotheca veterum Patrum of Andrea Gallandi (14 vols., Venice 1764-81; 2nd ed. ibid. 1788). At bottom the great Patrologie of J.-P. Migne (v.) is the continuation of these old Bibliothecae Patrum. Migne was able to enlarge his edition as a result of the numerous publications of Card. A. Mai (v.) and Jean Baptiste Pitra (v.); for Migne's edition see also F. Cavallera, Patrologiae cursus completus. Series graeca. Indices (Paris 1912); Th. Hopfner, Index locupletissimus (ibid. 1928 ff.). Critical editions of all the Latin ecclesiastical writers from the 1st to the 7th century have been planned by the Academy of Vienna (since 1866). So far 70 vols. of this Corpus scriptorum ecclesiasticorum latinorum (CSEL or CV) have been published. A corresponding collection for the Greek Fathers is Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten drei Jahrhunderte (GCS or CB), published by the Academy of Berlin (since 1897), so far 41 vols. For the preparation of the Greek texts the collection Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altkirchlichen Literatur, ed. O. v. Gebhardt and A. Harnack (Leipzig 1882 ff.), is of service. This collection has its counterpart in the collection Texts and Studies. Contributions to Biblical and Patristic Literature, ed. J. A. Robinson (Cambridge 1891) and, in a broader sense, in Studi e testi (publications of the Vatican Library, Rome 1900 ff.; v. A. M. Albareda, Nel cinquantesimo di «Studi e testi», Vatican City 1950). Of the collections for school use, mention should be made of Florilegium Patristicum, ed. B. Geyer and J. Zellinger (44 fasc., Bonn 1904 ff.); Cambridge Patristic Texts, ed. A. J. Mason (Cambridge 1890 ff.); Textes et documents pour l'étude historique du christianisme, ed. H. Hemmer-P. Lejay (20 vols., Paris 1904-12); Testi cristiani, with Italian translation by G. Manacorda (Florence 1930 ff.); Corona Patrum Salesiana (Sanctorum Patrum graecorum et latinorum opera selecta, addita interpretatione vulgari), ed. P. Ricaldone (Turin 1937 ff.); Sources chrétiennes, ed. H. de Lubac and J. Daniélou (Paris 1941 ff.).

Erik Peterson