ST. ME) [MMUS: THE SYMPOSIUM: a treatise on chastity, translated and annotated by Herbert Musurillo, SJ. (Ancient Christian Writers, Vol. xxvii: Longmans, 2Is.).
THE standard achieved by suecessive volumes of the Ancient Christian Writers series is already sufficiently well-known, whilst Fr. Musurillo's reputation as a scholar has been assured ever since the appearance of his "Acts of the Pagan Martyrs".
This volume will enhance the standing of both author and series. It is excellent. It should serve to extend very considerably our appredation of a remarkable patristic document.
in the "Symposium". composed. it would seem, towards the end of the third century, Methodius applies the method of Platonic dialogue to the exposition of Christian truth. For the work is not concerned solely with virginity in the
strict sense.
Wide range IT ranges widely over various topics of Christian theology and practice, and it is particularly interesting in that it was composed at a time just before the earliest Conciliar definitions were elaborated.
Methodius was, naturally, much influenced by the climate of his age and environment, nor was he sufficiently original or independent to be regarded as an important contributor to the development of Christian thought.
In some ways, indeed, his writing suggests the midst of a summer dawn, heralding hut for a time obscuring the clarity to come. Fr. Musurillo's careful analyses and very full notes enable us to estimate for ourselves the value of the work. T. CORBISHLEY, S. J.