Catena (Biblical commentary)
Encyclopedia
A catena is a form of biblical commentary, verse by verse, made up entirely of excerpts from earlier Biblical commentators, each introduced with the name of the author, and with such minor adjustments of words to allow the whole to form a continuous commentary.
The texts are mainly compiled from mainstream authors, but they often contain fragments of certain patristic writings now otherwise lost. It has been asserted by Faulhaber
that half of all the commentaries on scripture composed by the church Fathers are now extant only in this form.
, in the first part of the sixth century. Between the seventh and the tenth centuries Andreas Presbyter and Johannes Drungarius are the compilers of catenas to various Books of Scripture. Towards the end of the eleventh century Nicetas of Heraclea
produces a great number of catenas. Both before and after, however, the makers of catenae were numerous in the Greek Orient, mostly anonymous, and offering no other indication of their personality than the manuscripts of their excerpts. Similar compilations were also made in the Syriac and Coptic Churches.
In the West, Primasius of Adrumentum in the former Roman province of Africa in the sixth century compiled the first catena from Latin commentators. He was imitated by Rhabanus Maurus (d. 865), Paschasius Radbertus, and Walafrid Strabo
, later by Remigius of Auxerre
(d. 900), and by Lanfranc of Canterbury (d. 1089). The Western catenae have had less importance attached to them. The most famous of the medieval Latin compilations of this kind is that of Thomas Aquinas
, generally known as the Catena Aurea (Golden Catena) and containing excerpts from some eighty Greek and Latin commentators on the Gospels.
Similar collections of Greek patristic utterances were constructed for dogmatic purposes. They were used at the Council of Chalcedon
in 451, at the Fifth General Council
in 533, also apropos of Iconoclasm
in the Seventh General Council in 787; and among the Greeks such compilations, like the exegetical catenae, did not cease until late in the Middle Ages. The oldest of these dogmatic compilations, attributed to the latter part of the seventh century, is the "Antiquorum Patrum doctrina de Verbi incarnatione".
Finally, in response to homiletic and practical needs, there appeared, previous to the tenth century, a number of collections of moral sentences and paraenetic fragments, partly from Scripture and partly from the more famous ecclesiastical writers; sometimes one writer (e.g. Gregory of Nazianzus
, Basil the Great, especially John Chrysostom
whom all the catenae-makers pillage freely) furnishes the material. Such collections are not so numerous as the Scriptural or even the dogmatic catenae. They seem all to depend on an ancient Christian "Florilegium" of the sixth century, that treated, in three books, of God, Man, the Virtues and Vices, and was known as τα ιερά (Sacred Things). Before long its material was recast in strict alphabetical order; took the name of τα ιερά parállela, "Sacra Parallela" (because in the third book a virtue and a vice had been regularly opposed to one another); and was attributed widely to John Damascene, whose authority was defended (against Loofs, Wendland
, and Cohn) by K. Holl in the above-mentioned "Fragmente vornikänischer Kirchenväter" (Leipzig, 1899), though the Damascene probably based his work on the "Capita theologica" of Maximus Confessor. The text of these ancient compilations is often in a dubious state, and the authors of most of them are unknown; one of the principal difficulties in their use is the uncertainty concerning the correctness of the names to which the excerpts are attributed. The carelessness of copyists, the use of "sigla
", contractions for proper names, and the frequency of transcription, led naturally to much confusion.
Among the editors of Greek catenae was the Jesuit Balthasar Cordier
, who published (1628–47) collections of Greek patristic commentaries on St. John and St. Luke and, in conjunction with his confrère Possin, on St. Matthew; the latter scholar edited also (1673) similar collections of patristic excerpts on St. Mark and Job. The voluminous catenae known as Biblia Magna (Paris, 1643) and Biblia Maxima (Paris, 1660), edited by J. de la Haye, were followed by the nine volumes of Critici Sacri, sive clarissimorum virorum annotationes atque tractatus in biblia
, containing selections, not only from Catholic but also from Protestant commentators.
An important collection of the Greek catenae on the New Testament is that of J. A. Cramer (Oxford, 1638–44), online at archive.org. See also the twenty-eight volumes of the Migne
commentary in his "Scripturae sacrae cursus completus" (Paris, 1840–45).
For the Byzantine collections of ethical sentences and proverbs of (Stobaeus
Maximus Confessor, Antonius Melissa
, Johannes Georgides, Macarius
, Michael Apostolios) partly from Christian and partly from pagan sources, see Krumbacher, pp. 600–4, also .
The texts are mainly compiled from mainstream authors, but they often contain fragments of certain patristic writings now otherwise lost. It has been asserted by Faulhaber
Faulhaber
Faulhaber is the last name of:* Michael von Faulhaber , German Roman Catholic Cardinal* Johann Faulhaber , German mathematician* Markus Faulhaber , Sturmbannführer in the Waffen SSFaulhaber can also mean...
that half of all the commentaries on scripture composed by the church Fathers are now extant only in this form.
History
The earliest Greek catena is ascribed to Procopius of GazaProcopius of Gaza
Procopius of Gaza was a Christian sophist and rhetorician, one of the most important representatives of the famous school of his native place...
, in the first part of the sixth century. Between the seventh and the tenth centuries Andreas Presbyter and Johannes Drungarius are the compilers of catenas to various Books of Scripture. Towards the end of the eleventh century Nicetas of Heraclea
Nicetas of Heraclea
Nicetas was an 11th century Greek clergyman. A deacon of St. Sophia, Constantinople, he was a nephew of the bishop Serres or Serrae in Macedonia. Eventually he became Metropolitan of Heraclea , at the end of the eleventh century...
produces a great number of catenas. Both before and after, however, the makers of catenae were numerous in the Greek Orient, mostly anonymous, and offering no other indication of their personality than the manuscripts of their excerpts. Similar compilations were also made in the Syriac and Coptic Churches.
In the West, Primasius of Adrumentum in the former Roman province of Africa in the sixth century compiled the first catena from Latin commentators. He was imitated by Rhabanus Maurus (d. 865), Paschasius Radbertus, and Walafrid Strabo
Walafrid Strabo
Walafrid, alternatively spelt Walahfrid, surnamed Strabo , was a Frankish monk and theological writer.-Theological works:...
, later by Remigius of Auxerre
Remigius of Auxerre
Remigius of Auxerre was a Benedictine monk during the Carolingian period, a teacher of Latin grammar, and a prolific author of commentaries on classical Greek and Latin texts...
(d. 900), and by Lanfranc of Canterbury (d. 1089). The Western catenae have had less importance attached to them. The most famous of the medieval Latin compilations of this kind is that of Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
, generally known as the Catena Aurea (Golden Catena) and containing excerpts from some eighty Greek and Latin commentators on the Gospels.
Similar collections of Greek patristic utterances were constructed for dogmatic purposes. They were used at the Council of Chalcedon
Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon was a church council held from 8 October to 1 November, 451 AD, at Chalcedon , on the Asian side of the Bosporus. The council marked a significant turning point in the Christological debates that led to the separation of the church of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 5th...
in 451, at the Fifth General Council
Fifth General Council
The Fifth general council may designate, in Catholic history:*The Second Council of Constantinople*Fifth General Council , a council held in 1512 in Rome, at the Pope's Lateran Palace...
in 533, also apropos of Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction of religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually with religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major political or religious changes...
in the Seventh General Council in 787; and among the Greeks such compilations, like the exegetical catenae, did not cease until late in the Middle Ages. The oldest of these dogmatic compilations, attributed to the latter part of the seventh century, is the "Antiquorum Patrum doctrina de Verbi incarnatione".
Finally, in response to homiletic and practical needs, there appeared, previous to the tenth century, a number of collections of moral sentences and paraenetic fragments, partly from Scripture and partly from the more famous ecclesiastical writers; sometimes one writer (e.g. Gregory of Nazianzus
Gregory of Nazianzus
Gregory of Nazianzus was a 4th-century Archbishop of Constantinople. He is widely considered the most accomplished rhetorical stylist of the patristic age...
, Basil the Great, especially John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom , Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. He is known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his ascetic...
whom all the catenae-makers pillage freely) furnishes the material. Such collections are not so numerous as the Scriptural or even the dogmatic catenae. They seem all to depend on an ancient Christian "Florilegium" of the sixth century, that treated, in three books, of God, Man, the Virtues and Vices, and was known as τα ιερά (Sacred Things). Before long its material was recast in strict alphabetical order; took the name of τα ιερά parállela, "Sacra Parallela" (because in the third book a virtue and a vice had been regularly opposed to one another); and was attributed widely to John Damascene, whose authority was defended (against Loofs, Wendland
Wendland
Wendland may refer to either of the following regions or people:*Wendland may refer to a region once inhabited by Wends, an old Germanic term for Slavic tribes living in close proximity to the Germanic tribes:...
, and Cohn) by K. Holl in the above-mentioned "Fragmente vornikänischer Kirchenväter" (Leipzig, 1899), though the Damascene probably based his work on the "Capita theologica" of Maximus Confessor. The text of these ancient compilations is often in a dubious state, and the authors of most of them are unknown; one of the principal difficulties in their use is the uncertainty concerning the correctness of the names to which the excerpts are attributed. The carelessness of copyists, the use of "sigla
Sigla
Sigła is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Aleksandrów, within Biłgoraj County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It lies approximately east of Aleksandrów, south-east of Biłgoraj, and south of the regional capital Lublin....
", contractions for proper names, and the frequency of transcription, led naturally to much confusion.
Printed editions
From the sixteenth century to the nineteenth, various catenas were published. However no modern editions exist, and there are severe textual problems in editing them.Among the editors of Greek catenae was the Jesuit Balthasar Cordier
Balthasar Cordier
Balthasar Cordier was a Belgian Jesuit exegete and editor of patristic works. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1612, and after teaching Greek, moral theology, and Sacred Scripture, devoted himself to translating and editing manuscripts of Greek catenae and other works of the Greek Fathers, for...
, who published (1628–47) collections of Greek patristic commentaries on St. John and St. Luke and, in conjunction with his confrère Possin, on St. Matthew; the latter scholar edited also (1673) similar collections of patristic excerpts on St. Mark and Job. The voluminous catenae known as Biblia Magna (Paris, 1643) and Biblia Maxima (Paris, 1660), edited by J. de la Haye, were followed by the nine volumes of Critici Sacri, sive clarissimorum virorum annotationes atque tractatus in biblia
Critici sacri
Critici sacri was a compilation of Latin biblical commentaries published in London from 1660, edited by John Pearson. The publisher was Cornelius Bee. The work appeared in nine volumes, and collected numerous authors, both Protestant and Catholic, of early modern critical work on the Bible...
, containing selections, not only from Catholic but also from Protestant commentators.
An important collection of the Greek catenae on the New Testament is that of J. A. Cramer (Oxford, 1638–44), online at archive.org. See also the twenty-eight volumes of the Migne
Migné
Migné is a commune in the Indre department in central France.-References:*...
commentary in his "Scripturae sacrae cursus completus" (Paris, 1840–45).
For the Byzantine collections of ethical sentences and proverbs of (Stobaeus
Stobaeus
Joannes Stobaeus , from Stobi in Macedonia, was the compiler of a valuable series of extracts from Greek authors. The work was originally divided into two volumes containing two books each...
Maximus Confessor, Antonius Melissa
Antonius Melissa
Antonius Melissa , is the name given to a Greek monk who wrote a compilation of moral sentences called Loci Communes.Nothing is known about Antonius. The surname traditionally applied to him, Melissa , seems to have been, in fact, the original title of his compilation...
, Johannes Georgides, Macarius
Macarius
Macarius is a Latinized form of the Greek given name Makarios.It name may refer to:*Macarius of Egypt: Egyptian monk and hermit. Also known as Pseudo-Macarius, Macarius-Symeon, Macarius the Elder, or St...
, Michael Apostolios) partly from Christian and partly from pagan sources, see Krumbacher, pp. 600–4, also .