Some years ago I had a desperate need for St. Cyril of Alexandria’s Commentary on John. It’s among his most frequently cited works, but it’s extremely hard to find. As far as I know, there’s been only one edition in English, published in the Oxford Library of the Fathers series in 1870s and ’80s. Few copies survive, and those that do are usually kept in the inaccessible, protected vaults of university and monastery libraries. But I finally finagled a copy through interlibrary loan — and it arrived with its pages still uncut! It’s spine was brittle and papers crumbling, but it had never been opened, never been read, in more than a century of life on a library shelf. It took an entire day, but I managed to cut the papers and photocopy both enormous volumes without destroying them. I read the commentary hungrily, and I still go back to it often. Cyril is an Alexandrian somewhat allergic to allegory, yet keen to examine the types of Christ in the Old Testament. His is a theological exegesis, and he pays special mind to the Trinity, the Incarnation, the sacraments, and the divinization of man.
I’m thrilled today to note that volume 2 of the Commentary is now available online at The Tertullian Project’s own library of the Early Church Fathers. TTP is a knockout of a site for the Tertullian-obsessed, but it is also home to transcriptions of rare editions of Origen, Eusebius, Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, Ambrose, and Pseudo-Dionysius, not to mention many lesser-known ecclesiastical writers — and the most notorious of the anti-Christian writers, like Porphyry and Julian. While there are countless online transcriptions of the famous Edinburgh edition of the Fathers — and in endless varieties of format — The Tertullian Project has turned its attention to the older series, the unusual series, and the odd translations and studies that were not part of any series.
Where I live, it’s a cold, gloomy, rainy day today — a perfect day to spend browsing The Tertullian Project. But even if you spend a sunny day on this site, it’ll be a day well spent.
The translation and publication of Cyril’s Commentary on John should be an absolute priority. I do not understand why this has not happened. Cleary it is a major patristic work.
Why has Cyril been so neglected?
I think it’s because Cyril is so politically incorrect. He broke all the rules of modern diplomatic churchmanship. He entered into controversy with Jews. He dared to call pagans pagans. He fought heresy. And it probably didn’t help his cause to be on the side that drove John Chrysostom to his death. Check out McGuckin’s new biography of Cyril. There we see Cyril’s greatness, but also what makes him a difficult fit for the establishment today. Wilken’s study of Cyril is also a must-read. Both scholars vindicate Cyril’s reputation, which suffered much in the 20th century.
I hope you checked with the library before cutting those pbages.
As a small time book collector I know that a 100 year old book, even one that is crumbling, that has uncut pages might have some financial value for the library.
At a minimum, they would have wanted to be involved in the decision to cut and if that was decided, they probably would have insisted on having a rare book restoration expert do the cutting.
A note for the future.
Thanks, Ray, for the fraternal correction. I should probably make a general confession. This is not the only book whose pages I’ve cut. My interests are so squirrely and antiquarian that I’ve found many, many fascinating library books with uncut pages. After a while one gets the impression that many century-old books were published for me and me alone.