Peter J. Lucas

This book offers something new, a full-length study of printing Anglo-Saxon (Old English) from 1566 to 1705, combining analysis of content and form of production. It starts from the end-product and addresses the practical issues of providing for printing Anglo-Saxon authentically, and why this was done. The book tells a story that is largely Cambridge-orientated until Oxford made an impact, largely thanks to Franciscus Junius from Leiden. There is a catalogue of all books containing Anglo-Saxon, with full details of their use of manuscript or printed sources. This information allows us to see how knowledge of Anglo-Saxon grew and developed.

The Fourth Century was crucial to both the Christian Church and Judaism: it saw the formulation of Christian doctrine and the completion of the Palestinian Talmud. Christianity was now the favoured religion of the Roman Empire, but Judaism remained a vital force. In this meticulously researched study Leopold Lucas explores the arguments and attitudes of the Church Fathers from Basil to Augustine. A picture emerges of a strenuous intellectual struggle between Christians and Jews. Thanks to their political ascendancy, the Christians emerged victorious. But the same pressures that excluded the Jews from authority in the Christian State resulted in their preservation as a necessary and hence tolerated minority faith in Mediaeval Europe.