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BOOK REVIEWS 755

thought. Finally, the chapter on the historical situation in Antioch seems to me to be of littleuse in analyzing Paul; it relies so much on Acts that it contributes mostly to understandingLuke's thought, not Paul's.

Nonetheless, this is a thorough and interesting analysis, written in lively, readableprose, free from the tortured syntax of much academic writing (especially dissertations).For those doing advanced work on Galatians, this will be a valuable contribution tounderstanding Paul's context as well as a novel interpretation of his message.

Kim Paffenroth, Iona College, New Rochelle, NY 10801

PETER EGGER, Verdienste vor Gott? Der Begriff zekhut im rabbinischen Genesis-

kommentar Bereshit Rabba (NTOA 43; Fribourg: Editions universitaires; Gttingen:Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, 2000). Pp. [viii] + 430. SFr 110,00.

[EDITOR'S NOTE:In the computer-assisted editing of the review of this book by LieveM. Teugels earlier in the current volume (CBQ 64 [Jan. 2002] 157-58), inattentive recourseto the journal's list of rabbinical abbreviations (60 [1998] 844) produced several anomalous references to Egger's subject as "Berakhot Rabbah" instead of Bereshit Rabbah.Careful readers might have recognized the error, but the editor apologizes for it, nonetheless, to one and all: reviewer, author, and readers. ]

PETER FRICK, Divine Providence in Philo of Alexandria (TSAJ 77; Tbingen: Mohr[Siebeck], 1999). Pp. xiii + 220. DM 148.

This work is based on the author's dissertation presented at McMaster University, towhich he has added additional studies on the notions of providence in Hellenistic Judaismand of providence and history in Philo's thought. As Frick notes in the introduction,although there have been many studies that treat some aspect of the subject (H. Wolfson,J. Drummond, E. R. Goodenough, E. Brhier, D. Winston, S. Sandmel), there has been nostudy until now that offers a comprehensive presentation of Philo's doctrine of divineprovidence. The previous studies by Paul Wendland (Philos Schrift ber die Vorsehung:Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der nacharistotelischen Philosophie [Berlin: Gaertner, 1892])and Mireille Hadas-Lebel ("De Providentia I et II. Introduction, Traduction et Notes," inLes Oeuvres de Philon d'Alexandrie, vol. 35 [ed. R. Arnaldez, J. Pouilloux, and C. Monde-sert; Paris: Cerf, 1973]) have been focused on the work De Providentia. F. takes as hisstarting point the passage De opificio mundi 170-72, in which Philo emphasizes five statements "that are fairest and best" of Mosaic doctrines, the last of which is that God ever

exercises providence for his creation. He concludes that providence must be considered a"pivotal assumption and indispensable aspect of Philonic theology" (p. 2).Th t d i id d b t i i l ti th t Phil i t i il

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756 THE CATHOLIC BIBLICAL QUARTERLY I 64, 2002

over another but rather that his theology derived from Scripture is essentially in agreementwith Greek thought. Therefore, it is a mistake to read Philo primarily as a philosopher.Philo's concept of God determines his notion of providence, which depends, in turn, onthe presuppositions of God's absolute transcendence and his immanence in the world.

Frick has organized his study into six chapters, which deal respectively with: DivineTranscendence and Providence, Divine Immanence and Providence, Providence in Philo'sTheory of Creation, Providence and Astral Fatalism, Theodicy and Providence, and finally,Providence and History. These are preceded by a summary presentation of providence inGreek philosophy and in Hellenistic Judaism. While the first five chapters treat the mannerin which Philo conceptualizes the notion of providence, in the final chapter F. shows howhe characterizes providence in the lives of individuals and in the history of his people.

The "overarching conclusion" reached by F. is that the conception of divine providence is central to Philo's theology as a whole, and that it is shaped by and in turn shapesmany aspects of Philo's thought, including his doctrine of the Logos and the divine powers,the theory of creation, the issue of physical and moral evil, the notion of the soul, and thetheory of ethics. He states: "It is no exaggeration to declare the doctrine of providence thestructural pillar which gives Philonic theology its coherence." The idea of providence is"the bridge between his understanding of the utter transcendence of God and the belief thatGod immanently cares for his creation and his creatures" (p. 193). According to F., Philosought to formulate a theology that paid sufficient attention to the truth of Scripture andto the tenets of Greek thought without compromising his personal faith. That personal faithis particularly evident in the introduction to the treatise Legano ad Gaium, where Philo"applies and makes intelligible the concept of providence he has thought about over alifetime as a source of encouragement and hope for his fellow believers in a time of political uncertainty" (p. 194).

The volume contains an ample bibliography and several indexes. This is a carefulstudy of a key aspect of Philonic thought that, surprisingly, has not received a comprehensive treatment until now. It is thus a welcome and useful addition to the ever-growing bodyof literature dedicated to an author whose influence on early Christian literature is immea

surable and who even became known in the catena literature as "Philo the bishop."Mark Sheridan, O.S.B., Pontificio Ateneo S. Anselmo, 00153 Rome, Italy

STEVENJ. FRIESEN, Imperial Cults and the Apocalypse of John: Reading Revelation inthe Ruins (New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001). Pp. xiii + 285. $49.95.

It is commonplace in the handbooks and commentaries to read that the Apocalypseof John was written at a time when John and other Christians suffered for refusing to

worship the Roman emperor. Evidence for emperor worship is drawn primarily fromsecond-century works authored in Rome by writers favoring the senatorial class, such asTacitus Pliny and Suetonius and secondarily from a few archaeological remains such as

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