Book Description
Jerome (AD 347-420) brought the traditions of classical rhetoric and Christian exegesis more closely together than any other early Christian writer, many of whom saw classical culture as an enemy to be rejected. As a scholar and commentator on the Bible and an indefatigable translator from Hebrew, Jerome was a major intellectual force in the early church. His novelistic lives of the saints encapsulated Christian aspirations in an attractive literary form. As an ascetic and (often irascible) mentor to many young Christian men and women, he shaped the ideals of Christian chastity and poverty for generations to come. This book assembles a representative selection of his voluminous output, and will help readers to a balanced portrait of a complex and brilliant, but not always likeable man.
Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Latin
Jerome FROM THE PUBLISHER
"Jerome (c.A.D. 347-420) was the father of the Latin Bible, the Vulgate, and brought the traditions of classical rhetoric and Christian exegesis more closely together than any other early Christian writer. A major intellectual force in the early church, he mediated between eastern and western theology. His novelistic lives of the saints encapsulated Christian aspirations in an attractive literary form. As an ascetic and an often irascible mentor to many Christian men and women, he shaped the ideals of Christian chastity and poverty for generations." Through a representative selection of translated works from Jerome's voluminous output, Stefan Rebenich analyses the saint's career as a Christian writer, his social and theological context, and his role in the public discourse on orthodoxy and asceticism. Combining informed and accessible commentary on the extracts with some provocative reassessments, the book will help readers to a more balanced portrait of a complex and brilliant, if not always likeable, man.
Art & Photography
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