Abstract
Hans-Martin Schenke died in 2002. His academic pre-eminence in the areas of Nag Hammadi studies and Coptology were widely recognized, and his writings will continue to be consulted for their insightful perspectives for decades to come. The editors of this volume, Gesine Schenke Robinson, Gesa Schenke and Uwe-Karsten Plisch, have done an excellent job in assembling the volume. It is a fitting tribute to the scholarly achievements of Hans-Martin Schenke. While all the writings are already in the public domain, it is convenient to have them collected in this single volume.
However, one cannot review this volume without commenting on the price, €298.00/ $396.00. Given that all these articles are reprints it would be difficult for libraries to justify the exorbitant price, and an individual would have to be independently wealthy even to contemplate such a purchase. The second question to be raised is the practice of re-publishing book reviews. Given that more than 400 pages are devoted to book reviews (pp. 955-1376), this no doubt increased the price of this volume. More fundamentally though, surely book reviews (such as this one) should be the most ephemeral type of academic writing. While they remain available in the journals where they were initially published, does the discipline need to see them re-issued? This is becoming a practice that is on the increase, but the central question is whether the book that is being reviewed has stood the test of time – not the review. Admittedly, Schenke’s reviews are substantial, and they reveal an incisive academic mind at work. Yet that alone does not appear to justify re-printing them.
Again, the editors are to be commended for having done an excellent job. However, the cost of the volume will in all likelihood serious lessen the circulation of Schenke’s important articles – and that is a shame.