Commentary on the Apocalypse. (Oecumenii commentarius in Apocalypsin). Translated by John N. Suggit.

Ancient world 947Oecumenius, Bishop of Tricca. Commentary on the Apocalypse. (Oecumenii commentarius in Apocalypsin).Translated by John N. Suggit. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2006, xii, 216 p, bib, index. New in dust jacket. $17.50 This is the first complete translation in English of Oecumenius's commentary, which is the first known Greek commentary on the book of Revelation. Written in the sixth century but discovered only at the beginning of the twentieth, it presents a fascinating view of a writer who strove to be faithful to the teaching of the church while at the same time allowing his imagination to make sense of the stories and visions of Revelation. In interpreting the events surrounding the destruction of the wicked he shows sensible pastoral restraint and refuses to be swayed by the dogmatic certainty shown even by some modern interpreters.

The introduction to the translation by John N. Suggit provides a brief account of the identity of the author and the theological issues with which he was involved, especially the controversy over the beliefs of Origen and his followers.