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Popular Patristics Series #48
Light on the Mountain: Greek Patristic and Byzantine Homilies on the Transfiguration of the Lord
Popular Patristics Series Volume 48 The episode of the Transfiguration of Jesus plays a key role in the narrative of the Synoptic Gospels. Peter and his fellow Apostles have just acknowledged Jesus to be Israel’s long-awaited Messiah, and have been shocked by Jesus’ immediate prediction of his coming passion and death. Now Peter, James and John are allowed to share an extraordinary vision, marking him out as truly God’s own Son, radiant with divine glory. Early Christian commentators and preachers recognized the crucial importance of this incident for Christian faith and discipleship, as pointing in advance to the power of the cross and resurrection of Christ. The liturgical feast of the Transfiguration, anticipating that of the Exaltation of the Cross by forty days, came to be celebrated in the Eastern and Western Churches, beginning in the seventh century; yet since at least the third century, theologians have reflected on the significance of this event for the life of faith. This volume brings together, in a new translation, a comprehensive collection of homilies on the Transfiguration of Christ from the Greek Patristic and Medieval Church, from Origen in the third century to St. Gregory Palamas in the fourteenth. Together they form a profound and moving set of meditations, from many perspectives and in many voices, on “the light of the recognition of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (II Cor 4.6), and on its importance for our lives. Brian E. Daley, S.J., is the Catherine F. Husking Professor of Theology at the Univeristy of Notre Dame and also the translator of On the Dormition of Early Patristic Homilies (PPS18).
334 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2013
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About the author
Brian E. Daley
25 books12 followersBrian Edward Daley, S.J. (born in 1940) is an American Catholic priest and theologian. He is currently the Catherine F. Huisking Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame and was the recipient of a Ratzinger Prize for Theology in 2012.
Daley's primary academic field is Patristics, the study of the Fathers of the Church. The Patristic topics on which he has published include Christology, eschatology, Mariology, philanthropy, and scriptural exegesis.
In addition to his academic commitments, Daley is active in ecumenical dialogue and serves as the executive secretary of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation.
Background and education
Daley was born in 1940 in Orange, New Jersey, USA.[citation needed] He attended the Jesuit-run St. Peter's Preparatory School and did his first undergraduate degree at Fordham University, where he received a B.A. in Classics in 1961. Daley was the first Fordham alumnus to receive a Rhodes Scholarship, which he used to read Literae Humaniores (also known as "Greats") at Merton College, Oxford. While there, he was tutored by the philosopher J. R. Lucas. He obtained a B.A. in 1964 and entered the Society of Jesus the same year.
After receiving a Ph.L. at Loyola Seminary (Shrub Oak, New York) in 1966, Daley returned to Oxford and obtained an M.A. in 1967.[6] He was ordained a priest in 1970 and then traveled to Frankfurt, where he studied at the Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology and worked as the research assistant of Aloys Grillmeier, S.J. In 1972, he earned a Lic.theol. from Sankt Georgen, after which he returned to Oxford again to pursue a D.Phil. at Campion Hall under the supervision of Henry Chadwick.[8] He defended his thesis, entitled "Leontius of Byzantium: A Critical Edition of his Works, with Prolegomena," in 1978. His examiners were Kallistos Ware and Lionel Wickham.
Professional and ecumenical work
From 1978 to 1996, Daley taught at the Weston School of Theology. In 1996, took a position at the University of Notre Dame, where he is currently the Catherine F. Huisking Professor of Theology. He was president of the North American Patristics Society from 1997 to 1998.
Daley has long been committed to ecumenical dialogue and was one of the signatories of the 2003 "Princeton Proposal for Christian Unity," which was sponsored by the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology. He is also the current executive secretary for the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation, which is co-sponsored by SCOBA, the USCCB, and the CCCB.
Honors and awards
A Festschrift was published in Daley's honor in 2008.Notable contributors include Lewis Ayres, John Anthony McGuckin, and Rowan Williams.
Daley received the Ratzinger Prize for Theology on October 20, 2012.
At the conferral ceremony, Pope Benedict XVI praised Daley for his ecumenical work with the following words: "Father Daley, through his in-depth study of the Fathers of the Church, has placed himself in the best school for knowing and loving the one and undivided Church, though in the richness of her diverse traditions; for this reason, he also performs a responsible service in relations with the Orthodox Churches." The other recipient of the Ratzinger Prize in 2012 was the French philosopher Rémi Brague.
In 2013, Daley was awarded the Johannes Quasten Medal by the School of Theology and Religious Studies of the Catholic University of America
Daley's primary academic field is Patristics, the study of the Fathers of the Church. The Patristic topics on which he has published include Christology, eschatology, Mariology, philanthropy, and scriptural exegesis.
In addition to his academic commitments, Daley is active in ecumenical dialogue and serves as the executive secretary of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation.
Background and education
Daley was born in 1940 in Orange, New Jersey, USA.[citation needed] He attended the Jesuit-run St. Peter's Preparatory School and did his first undergraduate degree at Fordham University, where he received a B.A. in Classics in 1961. Daley was the first Fordham alumnus to receive a Rhodes Scholarship, which he used to read Literae Humaniores (also known as "Greats") at Merton College, Oxford. While there, he was tutored by the philosopher J. R. Lucas. He obtained a B.A. in 1964 and entered the Society of Jesus the same year.
After receiving a Ph.L. at Loyola Seminary (Shrub Oak, New York) in 1966, Daley returned to Oxford and obtained an M.A. in 1967.[6] He was ordained a priest in 1970 and then traveled to Frankfurt, where he studied at the Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology and worked as the research assistant of Aloys Grillmeier, S.J. In 1972, he earned a Lic.theol. from Sankt Georgen, after which he returned to Oxford again to pursue a D.Phil. at Campion Hall under the supervision of Henry Chadwick.[8] He defended his thesis, entitled "Leontius of Byzantium: A Critical Edition of his Works, with Prolegomena," in 1978. His examiners were Kallistos Ware and Lionel Wickham.
Professional and ecumenical work
From 1978 to 1996, Daley taught at the Weston School of Theology. In 1996, took a position at the University of Notre Dame, where he is currently the Catherine F. Huisking Professor of Theology. He was president of the North American Patristics Society from 1997 to 1998.
Daley has long been committed to ecumenical dialogue and was one of the signatories of the 2003 "Princeton Proposal for Christian Unity," which was sponsored by the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology. He is also the current executive secretary for the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation, which is co-sponsored by SCOBA, the USCCB, and the CCCB.
Honors and awards
A Festschrift was published in Daley's honor in 2008.Notable contributors include Lewis Ayres, John Anthony McGuckin, and Rowan Williams.
Daley received the Ratzinger Prize for Theology on October 20, 2012.
At the conferral ceremony, Pope Benedict XVI praised Daley for his ecumenical work with the following words: "Father Daley, through his in-depth study of the Fathers of the Church, has placed himself in the best school for knowing and loving the one and undivided Church, though in the richness of her diverse traditions; for this reason, he also performs a responsible service in relations with the Orthodox Churches." The other recipient of the Ratzinger Prize in 2012 was the French philosopher Rémi Brague.
In 2013, Daley was awarded the Johannes Quasten Medal by the School of Theology and Religious Studies of the Catholic University of America
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 16, 2024
Light on the Mountain was a very thought-provoking read. I am not well acquainted with many patristic or Greek writers or theology; therefore, this book was a great look into the theology and historical views of the Greek church. This book is a rich collection of homilies on the Transfiguration that offer a variety of views and interpretations of this event recorded in the Gospels. While each homily was unique, I think I benefited most from seeing the unity and common themes from across the various authors and across centuries. I enjoyed the rich Christology brought out in the homilies, as well as the meditations on the mystery of the Trinity.
Many (if not most) of the authors were monks of various orders and many lived ascetic lives. Most of the homilies were addressed to members of monastic orders, and as such, the authors also expounded the virtues of an ascetic life in pursuit of Christ. In the West, our culture often praises the pursuit of material wealth and possessions, and it was refreshing to read about another worldview which showed the benefits of shunning possession and wealth in pursuit of godliness. I won’t say that I’ve been converted to asceticism, but I did like hearing a view that I don’t often encounter.
Many (if not most) of the authors were monks of various orders and many lived ascetic lives. Most of the homilies were addressed to members of monastic orders, and as such, the authors also expounded the virtues of an ascetic life in pursuit of Christ. In the West, our culture often praises the pursuit of material wealth and possessions, and it was refreshing to read about another worldview which showed the benefits of shunning possession and wealth in pursuit of godliness. I won’t say that I’ve been converted to asceticism, but I did like hearing a view that I don’t often encounter.
June 22, 2023
typo: p. 67 - “fifth century” should be “fourth century”
Potent Quotables:
“By raising you, as one who had been killed by sin, he will make you divine in the Spirit… Knowing this, my fellow human, never convict yourself of being unworthy of grace, or forfeit the heavenly life, which is free from all strife, through laziness in how you live here.” St. Andrew of Crete
“Above all, as you fight the good fight, hold on to fear and longing, so that you may be helped by the one not to fall into arrogance, when you glory in the greatness and beauty of virtue, and be inflamed and moved upwards by the other, lest you look down - by some inner weariness - on progress and advancement towards what is truly good. Rather, preserve this divine love for what is beyond this world, unyielding and unsullied forever. For that beloved object, which all your longing reaches out to grasp, is without beginning and without end.” St. Andrew of Crete
“The mother of prayer is rest, and prayer is the manifestation of God’s glory. For when we shut down the senses and enter into union with ourselves and God, and - freed from the steady revolution of the external world - come to live inside ourselves, then we shall clearly see the Kingdom of God in ourselves. For Jesus, who is God, declared that ‘the Kingdom of heaven,’ which is the Kingdom of God, is ‘within you!’” St. John of Damascus
February 21, 2021
This is a really charming little collection of homilies and reflections on what I would consider one of the most difficult and fascinating pericopes in the Gospel accounts of the life of Christ. Obviously reflecting the Byzantine tradition, the writings are arranged in order from oldest to newest, allowing the reader to get a sense of some of the thought developments in Eastern Christianity.
I was sort of struck by the things that came up as themes for the different speakers, especially as a lot of ink seemed to be dedicated to the same topics: there seemed to be a lot of focus on why only Peter, James, and John were taken up the mountain as well as how Moses and Elijah were identified by the three. Both themes striking me as odd, seeing as those are seldom areas of interest (at least to me) in the text.
To be candid, as the same subject is being explored over and over, it does get a little repetitive. I also found the footnotes unusually distracting, as about half the time they didn’t seem to add much assistance to the text. Those minor things aside, it was certainly a helpful read as I prepare a homily myself on the Transfiguration for the upcoming close of Epiphany.
I was sort of struck by the things that came up as themes for the different speakers, especially as a lot of ink seemed to be dedicated to the same topics: there seemed to be a lot of focus on why only Peter, James, and John were taken up the mountain as well as how Moses and Elijah were identified by the three. Both themes striking me as odd, seeing as those are seldom areas of interest (at least to me) in the text.
To be candid, as the same subject is being explored over and over, it does get a little repetitive. I also found the footnotes unusually distracting, as about half the time they didn’t seem to add much assistance to the text. Those minor things aside, it was certainly a helpful read as I prepare a homily myself on the Transfiguration for the upcoming close of Epiphany.
November 17, 2025
Sadly not as helpful as I’d hoped. It came highly recommended by Patrick Schreiner in the Preface to his book The Transfiguration of Christ as “the best book on the transfiguration and the place I would recommend everyone start,” but he distills this book effectively enough that his book is sufficient to cover the high points of this book… and more. I’d suggest starting with Schreiner instead.
November 24, 2022
What a wonderful idea to devote a volume to homilies on the Transfiguration! Inspiring experience sitting with these ancient texts, even if a bit repetitive.
January 20, 2014
Most useful as a scholar's comparison of patristic writers in different ages, showing what themes are consistent through the centuries, which ideas change through time, and what the interests of the writers in different centuries are. Less useful if you're looking for inspiration, as these are heavily theological texts, and the Fathers are not answering our questions but wrestling with the debates of their day within their framework of understanding the world.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews