Thomas O'Loughlin is professor of historical theology in the University of Nottingham, UK. His research has focused on the theology of the early medieval period, and on the works of insular writers in particular.

• Chapter 1: Adomnán: a man and his work1. A Man of Many Parts1.a. Legislator1.b. Adomnán the Scholar1.c. A busy man2. The rationale for this book.2.a. The DLS and scholarly debates.2.a.1. Hiberno-Latin exegesis.2.a.2. The mainstream - fringe debate. 2.b. Topography and Exegesis.2.b.1. The topographical tradition.2.b.2. Adomnán's originality within this tradition.3. ConclusionChapter 2: A Manual of Sacred Topography1. The notion of sacred topography2. Locating De locis sanctis within a genre and a tradition2.a. Pilgrim literature2.b. Itineraria2.c. Topographical Resources2.c.1. The Role of Topography in Theology2.c.2. The Extent of the Tradition of Topography3. The notion of an exegetical manual3.a. Augustine's De doctrina christiana3.b. The Introductores to Scripture4. The De locis sanctis as a manual5. De locis sanctis: a product of its ageChapter 3: The Occasion of De locis sanctis1. Why did Adomnán write on the Holy Places?2. The inspirations to write2.a. Geographical Problems2.b. Eucherius of Lyons2.c. Paula/Jerome3. Aims in writing4. Arculf and Adomnán4.a. The state of the question4.b. Inadequacies of the Arculf Hypothesis4.c. Is Arculf the author of the DLS?4.d. Arculf as empirical witness4.e. Arculf's credibility in Adomnán's world5. Arculf: a literary device?6. Reading the De locis sanctis as Adomnán's book7. ConclusionChapter 4: The Scriptures on Iona1. ‘All scripture is inspired'2. The Language of the Scriptures2.a. Evidence for knowledge of Greek and Hebrew2.b. Implications for Adomnán's exegesis3. The Text of the Scriptures3.a. The Problem3.b. Surveying the evidence3.b.1.  Gen 3:193.b.2.  Gen 35:213.b.3 and 3.b.4 : Ps 44:8 and Ps 88:213.b.5. Ps 73:123.b.6. Ps 77:163.b.7. Is 33:16-173.c. Drawing the evidence together4. Adomnán's canon of scripture.4.a. The Origins of the Problem4.b. Method4.c. Establishing a coherent view5. Adomnán's appreciation of the scriptures.5.a. Method5.b. The christocentrism of exegesis6. ConclusionChapter 5: The Exegete at Work1. Working with Scripture2. Case 1: Hebron and its tomb2.a. The Problem2.b. The background2.b.1. Adam buried in Hebron2.b.2. Adam buried in Jerusalem2.b.3. Adam buried elsewhere2.c. Jerome2.d. In the aftermath of Jerome2.e. Adam's burial in the DLS2.f. The tradition after Adomnán2.g. Locating Adomnán as an exegete3. Case 2: Reconciling the Gospels3.a. DLS 1,25 and modern scholarship3.b. The Problem in the Scriptures3.c. Augustine's De consensu euangelistarum3.d. Adomnán's Approach4. Case 3: Alexandria and the text of Nahum4.a. The Problem4.b. Adomnán's Sources4.c. Working with the ‘facts' from the tradition4.d. The problem's significance for understanding Adomnán5. Extracting ‘Principles'6. ConclusionChapter 6: Adomnán as a Theologian1. Appropriate categories2. Case 1: The uestigia Dei2.a. The miraculous cleansing of Jerusalem2.b. The umbilicus terrae2.c. The wind on Ascension Thursday2.d. Characteristics in common3. Case 2: Christ as the Rock4. Case 3: Waiting for the Resurrection5. Case 4: The Gates of Hell5.a. Gregory the Great5.b. Isidore of Seville.5.c. Adomnán5.d. A Mosaic of Hell5.e. The history of method.6. Assessing Adomnán as a theologianChapter 7: Adomnán's World1. Focus, Viewpoints, and Method2. Adomnán's Mental Maps 1: The World of the DLS2.a. The Status of the Question2.b. Using Mental Maps with Mediaeval Texts2.c. Map 1: A T-O Map from Isidore's De natura rerum.2.d. Map 2: A Square-V Map of the Races of Man from Genesis 10 and its interpretation.2.e. Map 3: A Map of Concentric Circles from Luke/Acts2.f. Map 4: A Map of Scriptural Signs from the Scriptures and Patristic Commentators2.g. Map 5: An Eschatological Map from the Scriptures and Patristic Commentators3. Adomnán's Mental Maps 2: The World of Iona3.a. The Problem: Imagining one's own location3.b. The General ‘Picture'3.c. Adomnán's Sources3.d. Adomnán's Writings3.e. Verifying the Reconstruction4. Adomnán's Mental Maps 3: The Nations4.a. The Problem of Perceiving the DLS4.b. The Christians4.c. The Jews4.d. The Arabs4.3. Conclusion5. The DLS: its value and limitsChapter 8: The Impact of the DLS1. The blind sieve of time1.a. Ways of Measuring Impact1.b. The Survival of Manuscripts1.b.1. Surviving Manuscripts and influence1.b.2. Factors contribution to the survival of works1.c. Survival and Fame2. The Routes of Adomnán's Survival2.a. Adomnán's Gift2.b. Bede reads the DLS2.c. Information going further afield3. The Diffusion of Adomnán's DLS in the Mediaeval Period3.a. The state of the question3.a.1. Paul Geyer's work3.a.2. After Geyer3.a.3. Since the 1958 edition3.b. Catalogue References to the DLS3.c. The manuscript evidence for other routes of Adomnán's influence.3.d. The situation presented by this evidence4. Adomnán and Bede: Magister et Discipulus4.a. The context of the relationship4.a.1. Practical Links4.a.2. Intellectual links4.b. The epitome of the DLS4.b.1. Bede replaces Adomnán4.b.2. Bede produces an ‘Adomnán Reader'4.c. The two authors viewed together4.d. Comparing Adomnán with Bede5. Adomnán the Illustrious5.a. The Concept of ‘Illustrious'5.b. ‘Up-dates' of Jerome5.b.1. Bede, yet again5.b.2. Sigebert of Gembloux5.b.3. Honorius ‘of Autun'5.b.4. The Anonymus Mellicensis6. The afterlife of the DLSChapter 9: the DLS within Iona's Christian practice1. Introduction2. The martyria of Christ and the saints3. The DLS and the exegesis of Scripture4. The Holy Land and relics5. The Holy Places and the liturgy on Iona6. ConclusionAppendix 1: The Edition of Adomnán's DLSAppendix 2: The De situ Hierusolimae and Eucherius1. The dating of the De situ Hierusolimae2. Is the De situ Hierusolimae a work of Eucherius of Lyons?Appendix 3: Latin Lists of the Canonical Books Compared1. The Old Testament1.a. The Problem of references to ‘Two books of Esdras'2. The New TestamentAppendix 4: The Apocrypha on Iona1. Additional note 1: The ‘semi-cave'2. Additional note: The caenaculumAppendix 5: The Parallels in the Four Gospelsunderlying DLS 1,25 as presented using the Eusebian Apparatus1. Reading Matthew 24:1-27:1 as one's basic narrative2. Reading Mark 14:1-15:1b as one's basic narrative3. Reading Luke 21:5-23:1 as one's basic narrative4. Reading John 10:41-18:28 as one's basic narrative5. The implications of the method of comparisonAppendix 6: Books available to Adomnán on IonaAppendix 7: An Emendation of the Text of Gregory the Great, Dialogi IV, 31, 3Appendix 8: Manuscripts of Adomnán's De locis sanctis1. Consolidated list of extant or known manuscript copies of Adomnán's De locis sanctis2. List of manuscripts studied or used by Geyer in his edition of 1898Appendix 9: References to Arculf1. In Adomnán's DLS2. In Bede's DLS3. In Bede's Historia ecclesiastica gentis AnglorumBibliography:1. Ancient and Mediaeval Authors2. Modern AuthorsIndices:1. Manuscripts2. Biblical3. Ancient and Mediaeval Names4. Modern Names

"it is careful and thorough and will be a useful eye-opener to modern readers of the Bible who are newcomers to this crucial period of rescue and retrieval of late antique and early Christian learning, taking place at the further edges of Europe, with almost empty libraries. Above all, it strives with fair success to take the reader inside the intellectual and spiritual realities of the lives of the monks Adomnan expected to read this book and profit from it in their religious life" ANVIL Vol.25 No.2 2008