Seeing the Transfiguration through Patristic Eyes

Abstract

Dr Anthony provides a fascinating study of the reception of the synoptic transfiguration narratives, and particularly Luke, by patristic authors and in visual depictions up to the ninth century. The central thesis is that the early reception of the transfiguration narratives looks from a different perspective to modern historical-critical study. Specifically, he utilises the idea of a ‘scopic regime’, the particular social practice(s) of seeing—not simply what is seen, but (as we might say) the cultural lenses through which we look, including the value of vision over analysis, the filters which highlight some things rather than others, and our approach to describing what and how we see. Dr Anthony argues that the scopic regime of modernity focuses on the origin of the story, for the events described in the transfiguration accounts appear historically implausible and alien to many today. By contrast, ancient authors enter the story visually in order to learn from it what it means to encounter Christ in glory, in visions and dreams or through the church’s liturgy. Dr Anthony is not arguing that the ancients’ approach is better than historical-critical study; he proposes that these approaches are different, and that historical-critical scholarship has much to learn from this alternative approach. The ancients are not to be seen, therefore, as ‘pre-critical’ (as they are sometimes patronisingly identified), but differently critical, for they engage in thoughtful and creative reading of the story. The book is well written and clearly organised. After an introduction (ch. 1) explaining the project and setting up key hermeneutical themes, chapters follow on the content of the synoptic transfiguration narratives (ch. 2), and modern interpretation of those narratives (ch. 3). These prepare well for the considerable differences of approach found in 2 Peter, the Apocalypse of Peter, the Acts of Peter, and the Acts of John (ch. 4). Dr Anthony then studies how Tertullian and Origen, key figures in early biblical interpretation, read the story very differently from each other (ch. 5), before going on to consider interpretation in the Greek East after Origen (ch. 6) and in the Latin West after Tertullian (ch. 7). The longest chapter (ch. 8) then considers a number of visual depictions of the transfiguration in Sinai, Ravenna, Rome, Naples, the Utrecht Psalter, and an ivory plaque in London. This is a rich book with much to appreciate. In place after place Dr Anthony shows that how the apostles see (ecstasy? demonic vision? ‘mortal’ vision? like/unlike other vision and prophecy?), or whether sight is a metaphor for ascending to God, is a key question. Luke is particularly influential, notably his distinctive details about who enters the cloud, and his use of ‘glory’ and ‘exodus’ 1191322 EXT0010.1177/00145246231191322Book Reviews book-review2023