<i>The Old English Homily: Precedent, Practice and Appropriation</i> (review)
Claudia Di Sciacca
Reviewed by: The Old English Homily: Precedent, Practice and Appropriation Claudia Di Sciacca Appropriation. Edited by Aaron J Kleist. Studies in the Early Middle Ages, 17. Turnhout: Brepols, 2007. Pp. xiii + 532. €90. Homily is a fine, substantial collection, whose carefully selected sixteen items explore with both rigor freshness “the multifaceted creation that homily” (p. 12), drawing on an impressive range of scholarship as they do so. volume consists three parts, “Precedent,” “Practice,” “Appropriation,” which focus sources influences Anglo-Saxon homiletics, homilies themselves, their subsequent impact reuse respectively. Charles D. Wright opens section “Precedent” remarkably learned yet highly accessible introduction to volume, he offers accurate terminological methodological blueprint source comprehensive overview accomplishments so far achieved studies particular regard anonymous homilies. This valuable synopsis corroborated vast pertinent cases point, effectively illustrating contributions offered areas textual criticism, literary intellectual history, stylistic analysis. essay rests throughout command primary secondary literature (some unpublished), several languages, concludes useful bibliographical orientation surviving corpus relevant studies. essays Joyce Hill Nancy Thompson deal Carolingian homiletics. investigates version(s) Paul Deacon’s homiliary circulating England, trying ascertain form this collection was known Ælfric drawn his Catholic Homilies. While author concedes much “research remains be done” 94), her contribution certainly makes new important points about content structure Ælfric’s version homiliary. has also done admirable job establishing background interesting discussion densely intertextual traditions Biblical exegesis Deacon relied very [End Page 539] account still high degree variability liturgical system ninth tenth centuries. M. looks at capitula De festiuitatibus, list major feasts Church year when lay people were required rest from work attend Mass. A such reached England (albeit after being transformed ad populum text into monastic directive), considers possibility festiuitatibus could have “suggest[ed] inspiration for [compilation Blickling Book] explanation its somewhat limited scope” 119). hypothesis seems move along perhaps more speculative associative line argument, diverse context preaching within convincing. Rachel Anderson Testament translation commentary looking comparatively neglected translations historical books Bible, versions Kings Judges. study clearly highlights role “translator-author” methodology, word-for-word, “often prioritize clarity consistency over details source” 126). first Stephen J. Harris exploring specific little-studied category sources, namely texts, especially liturgy Rogation days influence Rogationtide wrote many nine them evidence put forward shows great detail composition method, chose abide precisely symbolism thematic coherence liturgy” 169). Samantha Zacher, opening second shifts little-practiced stylistic...
Journal of English and Germanic Philology