Book Review: The Life of Jesus Christ: Part Two, Volume 2, Chapters 58-89

Abstract

This is the fourth and final volume of Dr Milton T. Walsh’s monumental translation of Ludolph of Saxony’s Life of Jesus Christ. Readers will have been awaiting this addition to their collection, which runs from the Passion until the Last Judgement with a meditation on the punishment of hell and the glory of heaven. The final chapter is entitled ‘TheConclusion and Sealing of this Book’ and ends with a translation of St Bernard’s Iesu dulcis memoria, which is also reproduced in the Latin original. With this, in four volumes we have a comprehensive commentary on the entire Gospel from the beginning to the end of time. Anyone who has seen the previous volumes will recognise the wide margins, enabling the reader to make annotations as desired, and the italic font for quotations, with the references in the margin for easy access. As always, Dr Milton includes footnotes for explanation of unfamiliar concepts or names, such as the Office of Tenebrae (p. 63) or Eutychus (p. 478). The translation is superb. It marries accuracy and readability, so that it can be used and enjoyed by scholar and faithful alike. As we approach Advent, volume I would make a superb accompaniment to that season and the interested person will benefit from reading all four volumes. Similarly a priest may wish to use it as an aid to preparation of homilies, since we find not only a recounting of the Gospel events, but also background found in the apocryphal Gospels and the different interpretations of the Gospels by many Church Fathers from the early centuries up to those who were his near contemporaries. In this way, the book is useful also as a compendium of mediaeval views on the Gospel text and will be useful for scholars working in this field. This volume concludes with a table of Gospel passages and a comprehensive index to parts I and II. As always, it is a handsome volume that lies open easily on the desk and with a sturdy spine and good quality paper. This is important, since it is by no means cheap and both individuals and institutions will wish to be sure that each volume will last for a good many years. Dr Walsh is to be congratulated on this magnum opus and Liturgical Press should be encouraged to publish this work in paperback and electronic format as well.