The Book of Revelation is a peculiar text whose special status in early Christianity is manifested by its manuscript attestation, transmission, literary references and discussions among early Church writers. This special status forms the nucleus of these collected essays and is highlighted from various perspectives. Nowadays of course, the Apocalypse has become a treasure trove of famous motifs for artists, composers, poets and novelists. On the other hand, however, it also appears to be something of a bon mot in that its manuscript tradition is rather sparse and highly distinctive. With the help of single phenomena that revolve around the extraordinary attestation and transmission of Revelation, the authors here are able to unveil how its peculiarity was perceived in early Christianity. Its manifestation in manuscripts and in the lively controversy about its value and orthodoxy thus resulted in it being treated as unique.

Born 1965; studied Catholic Theology and English in Regensburg and Sheffield; 1996-99 Assistant Professor in Regensburg; since 1999 Director of Studies at a Bavarian grammar school; 2000 PhD; since 2013 Teaching Assignments and Habilitation Project in Early Christianity at the Theological Seminary of the University of Zurich; since 2014 Research Fellow at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.