Abstract
The book presents various facets of Ambrose of Milan's teaching, illustrated with numerous extracts from his work. Firstly, the important moments of the bishop's life and ministry are sketched.
Secondly, Ambrose's spiritual profile is outlined. Ambrose considers the ministry of the Word to be the core of his episcopal ministry.
The bishop is first and foremost an exegete and preacher; he nourishes his life with the reading of the Scripture that he shares with his assembly. For Ambrose, Origen's teaching of the spiritual senses of the Bible is crucial, and it helps him devise a theological method to bring his audience in touch with the mystery of Christ.
Thirdly, the theology of the mystery of Christ is presented, in which every moment of history is seen as a part of this mystery, that is God's ongoing salvation. This mystery is revealed through various visible sacraments, which enable the Christian believer to get involved in the mystery of God.
This is demonstrated in the preaching of Ambrose and in his mystagogical catecheses after baptism. In fact, Ambrose applies a very similar method to both commenting the Bible and explaining the meaning of the sacraments celebrated by the Church.
Lastly, this Ambrose's approach to the Scripture and the variety of styles of exegesis is exemplified using translations of longer passages from Ambrose's corpus. Each of these texts is commented on and introduced by a shorter study of the aspect of the mystery of Christ.
Five areas of the theology of mystery are covered: the Word and the ministry of the Word; the mystery of Christ's incarnation; mysteries of Christ's public life, starting with his baptism and ending with the institution of the Eucharist; mysteries of Christ's passion and death; and, finally, the mystery of Christ's resurrection, including his ascension and the gift of the Holy Spirit.