Bede: Commentary on Revelation

by Bede, Faith Wallis (Translation)

The Commentary on Revelation is Bede's first venture into Biblical exegesis -- an ambitious choice for a young monastic scholar in a newly Christianized land. Its subject matter -- the climax of the great story of creation and redemption, of history and of time itself -- adds to the Commentary's intrinsic importance, for these themes lie at the heart of Bede's concerns and of his achievement as a historian, exegete, scholar, and preacher. But Bede was also a man of his age. When he penned the Commentary around 703, speculation and anxiety about the end of the world was in the air. According to conventional chronology, almost 6000 years had passed since creation. If for God -one day... is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day' (2 Peter 3:8), the world was destined to last six millennia, corresponding to the six days of creation. The end, then, was close. Bede vigorously opposed the temptation to calculate the time of the end. The Commentary argues that Revelation is
not a literal prophecy, but a symbolic reflection on the perennial struggle of the Church in this world. At the same time, the young Bede is starting to shape his own account of how the end-times would unfold. This translation, prefaced by a substantial Introduction, will be of interest to students of medieval religious and cultural history, of Anglo-Saxon England, and of the history of Biblical exegesis in the Middle Ages.

Genres: Medieval

343 pages, Hardcover

First published February 15, 2013

About the author

born perhaps 673

Saxon theologian Bede, also Baeda or Beda, known as "the Venerable Bede," wrote Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation , a major work and an important ancient source, in 731 in Latin and introduced the method from the birth of Jesus of dating events.

People referred to Saint Bede, a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth and at its companion of Saint Paul in modern Jarrow in the kingdom, for more than a millennium before canonization. Most fame of this well author and scholar gained him the title as "the father.”

In 1899, Leo XIII, pope, made Bede a doctor of the Church, a position of significance; only this native of Great Britain achieved this designation; from Italy, Saint Anselm of Canterbury originated.
Bede, a skilled linguist, moreover translated the Greek of the early Church Fathers, and his contributions made them significantly much more accessible to his fellow Christians. Monastery of Bede accessed a superb library, which included Eusebius and Orosius.

Reviews

[Jonathan Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edited and translated with substantial introductory discussion by Faith Wallis, this is a commentary on Revelation written circa 703 or 710 by the Venerable Bede, famed Anglo-Saxon monk. His commentary, as it turns out, wasn't very original - many of his comments are in fact quoted from two previous commentaries by Primasius and Tyconius - but his synthesis of those and other materials into a coherent whole that reads fluidly and lightly, verse by verse, is a real accomplishment. His interpretation (which can probably best be classified with the idealist school, with which I'd largely agree) may not always be right - he allegorizes a bit too much and isn't always attentive to the Old Testament references - but it's a refreshing counterweight to certain trends of interpretation today, as well as a fascinating window into Bede's era.

[BigGuyJawny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bede’s Revelations commentary is important as it shows how early medieval Christians understood God’s Word, but the content falls short of being very useful for spiritual edification.

Three Reasons Why I gave it Three Stars
+ The editors did a great job sourcing the Church Fathers where Bede got much commentary. Good introduction as well.
- Bede sadly overemphasizes the role of “good works” and monastic ritual where the text emphasizes grace.
- Bede’s interpretation of the events of Revelation being Church-centered (when it could be more God-centered) is an interpretative deficiency.