John Paul II is often misread as more of a philosopher than a theologian. But his Theology of the Body, rightly read, is in its entirety an exercise in exegesis. By focusing on the Bible, he gives a more fully theological account of his topic, one focused on the mystery of redemption by grace, rather than on merely human efforts.

En el artículo se aborda la exégesis bíblica agustiniana presente en los libros XV a XVII del De ciuitate Dei. Con relación al libro XV se analiza la autoridad que el Hiponense les confiere a las Escrituras. Posteriormente se destaca el tema de la inspiración de la Sagrada Escritura, como obra del Espíritu Santo. En vista de que en el libro XV del De ciuitate Dei san Agustín da una gran importancia a las diferentes versiones bíblicas, el artículo hace (...) una breve presentación de las versiones bíblicas mencionadas por san Agustín, para exponer la autoridad y validez que les confería a las mismas. Se expone la interpretación exegética de los nombres de los personajes del Antiguo Testamento. Se hace asimismo referencia a las consideraciones intratextuales que san Agustín hace dentro del libro XV, particularmente las relativas al Contra Faustum y sus implicaciones exegéticas. Con relación a los libros XVI y XVII se hace la presentación de los principales elementos exegéticos que el obispo de Hipona desarrolla dentro de los libros XVI y XVII del De ciuitate Dei- Se destacan, en primer lugar, los principios generales exegéticos que san Agustín ofrece en los dos libros anteriormente mencionados. Posteriormente el artículo presenta el vocabulario utilizado por el Obispo de Hipona para designar la labor exegética hecha por él, así como las diversas implicaciones y aplicaciones de la hermenéutica bíblica. En tercer lugar se ponen de manifiesto las diversas interpretaciones e implicaciones espirituales que tienen para san Agustín los nombres de personajes y lugares del Antiguo Testamento mencionados en estos dos libros. (shrink)

In the face of the dichotomy of biblical exegesis and theology, one of the main postulates of Biblical Thomism is the integration of both activities. In this sense, it is understandable why there are philosophical threads in exegesis, and why we find many scripture references in sacra doctrina. The article, first presenting modern attempts to separate exegesis from theology, analyzes the three aspects of studying Sacred Scripture in practicing theology according to Aquinas. For him, exegesis is the alphabet of theology, (...) but the requirement is that the extraction of the meanings of Scripture should be complemented by theological activity. (shrink)

The reputation and influence of Emmanuel Levinas has grown powerfully. Well known in France in his lifetime, he has since his death become widely regarded as a major European moral philosopher profoundly shaped by his Jewish background. A pupil of Husserl and Heidegger, Levinas pioneered new forms of exegesis with his post-modern readings of the Talmud, and as an ethicist brought together religious and non-religious, Jewish and non-Jewish traditions of contemporary thought. Richard A. Cohen has written a book which uses (...) Levinas' work as its base but goes on to explore broader questions of interpretation in the context of text-based ethical thinking. Levinas' reorientation of philosophy is considered in critical contrast to alternative contemporary approaches such as those found in modern science, psychology, Nietzsche, Freud, Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Derrida and Ricoeur. Cohen explores a manner of philosophizing which he terms 'ethical exegesis'. (shrink)

This essay examines the biblical discourse on animals in Job 38-41, as interpreted by Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas in their 13th-century biblical commentaries. In God’s first reply to Job twelve species of animals are introduced and realistically described, including accurate details of their behavior. Subsequently, chapters 40 and 41 introduce two more complex animals, Behemoth and Leviathan, in which realistic and symbolic features intertwine. This peculiarity of the book of Job – long sequences dedicated to descriptions of animals (...) – allows to investigate to what extent and how the availability of Aristotelian zoology, whose study was prescribed in the Dominican program promoted and practiced by Albert himself, became an instrument for a renewed biblical exegesis, different from the allegorical and theological moralizing hitherto prevailing in the Christian tradition of commentaries on Job. (shrink)

Systematically reading Jewish exegesis in light of Homeric scholarship, this book argues that more than 2000 years ago Alexandrian Jews developed critical and literary methods of Bible interpretation which are still extremely relevant today. Maren R. Niehoff provides a detailed analysis of Alexandrian Bible interpretation, from the second century BCE through newly discovered fragments to the exegetical work done by Philo. Niehoff shows that Alexandrian Jews responded in a great variety of ways to the Homeric scholarship developed at the Museum. (...) Some Jewish scholars used the methods of their Greek colleagues to investigate whether their Scripture contained myths shared by other nations, while others insisted that significant differences existed between Judaism and other cultures. This book is vital for any student of ancient Judaism, early Christianity and Hellenistic culture. (shrink)

The only study of de Lubac that interprets his theology through the categories of medieval exegesis, this volume shows that the principles of spiritual exegesis provided de Lubac with the intellectual tools for thinking about a theology of history, a theology of symbol and sacrament, and a theology of the church's relationship to Christ and the Eucharist.

Biblical Exegesis and Mystical Theology in the Venerable Bede brings together seventeen essays by Arthur Holder exploring the theology and spirituality found in Bede's biblical commentaries and homilies. The volume shows that Bede was both a masterful student of received tradition and a creative thinker concerned to address the needs and concerns of his audience of Christian pastors and teachers in the eighth-century Northumbrian church. Although Bede is best known as the author of The Ecclesiastical History of the English People, (...) the last half-century of scholarship has demonstrated the sophistication and vast influence of his work in the fields of grammar, biblical interpretation, hagiography, poetry, computus, natural science, and theology. The chapters in this volume show how Bede's exegesis was integrally connected with his work in all those genres and with the monumental artistic productions of his monastery such as the illuminated bible manuscript known as the Codex Amiatinus. The five parts of the book deal with Bede as teacher and biblical scholar, his interpretations of the tabernacle and the temple, his commentary on the Song of Songs, his attitudes toward philosophy and heresy, and his mystical theology. This book will be of interest to students of Christian theology, mysticism, the development of biblical interpretation, and the history of early medieval England. (shrink)

Christian Exegesis of the Qurʾān: A Critical Analysis of the Apologetic Use of the Qurʾān in Select Medieval and Contemporary Arabic Texts. By J. Scott Bridger. American Society of Missiology Monograph Series, vol. 23. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2015. Pp. xii + 188. $25.

The article is on the exegesis of the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25–35) and its relevance to the challenges that are being posed by COVID-19. Through the historical-critical approach, the article has concluded that the parable is relevant in troubleshooting the challenges that are caused by COVID-19, such as discrimination, stigma, hate and stereotypes. The article sees COVID-19 as teaching humanity the important lesson that no one can live in isolation, however powerful or economically strong they are. Therefore, (...) there is a need to take the opportunity of being a neighbour. Neighbourhood is understood as offering services to those in need and COVID-19 has presented a chance to the entire world to help someone with needs. A need-based world requires neighbours and this makes the parable relevant. Contribution: This article is a reflection of the challenges that are currently faced by people in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is within the scope of this theological journal that issues of identity, relationships, and theological reflection should be addressed, hence the article fits well within this scope. (shrink)

SummaryDogmatic debates in early Christianity shaped philosophical discourse just as Greek philosophy offered the conceptual tools to engage and, accordingly to crystalize early Christian practice, into a formal system of belief. Thus, in the recently-published The Rise of Christian Theology and the End of Ancient Metaphysics, Johannes Zachhuber notes that “Patristic thought as a whole can be identified as a Christian philosophy.” Following suit – though not without nuance – this paper suggests treating Patristic scriptural exegesis as an exercise of (...) speculative philosophy, as evidenced in Augustine’s interpretation of the figure of the cross at Eph 3.18, where the cross progressively becomes a simple yet compelling paradigm of divine manifestation. This paradigm can be framed according to Augustine’s mature articulation of the ‘ontological principle’ of manifestation in s. 165: “From the depth which you cannot see rises everything that you can see.” By engaging in scriptural exegesis, within a gestalt where Wisdom, sacred and profane alike, merge in the incarnate God manifest in Christ, Augustine articulates unprecedented philosophical principles. (shrink)

El artículo trata de las huellas que el agustinismo del siglo XVI dejó en la exégesis bíblica de la facultad de teología de Lovaina. Como un ejemplo de esto, se abordan las obras de Cornelio Jansenio de Gante, subrayando su doble propósito académico y pastoral-litúrgico. Se estudian también las obras de Thomas Stapleton, Promptuaria y Antidota, señalando su intención de contrarrestar las interpretaciones bíblicas de Calvino, Beza y otros reformadores.

We present how the theory of reasoning developed by Tadeusz Czeżowski, a Polish logician and a member of the Lvov-Warsaw School (LWS) can be applied to the mediaeval texts which interpret the Bible, which we collectively call as Biblical exegesis (BE). In the first part of the paper, we characterise Czeżowski's theory of reasoning with some modifications based on remarks of Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz. On these grounds, we discuss the nature of reasoning and its different types, as well as the problem (...) of textual representation of reasoning. In the second part, we describe the analytical nature of some BE at the end of twelfth century and in the thirteenth century by referring to the examples of Stephen Langton, Robert Grosseteste, Bonaventure, Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas. We argue that they represented an analytical approach in BE, characterised by advanced use of logic and specific methods, including reasoning reconstruction and logical analysis. In the third part, we present selected examples to show how Czeżowski's framework helps in identifying various types of reasoning. We indicate some universal problems with the textual representation of reasoning found in the BE of the authors in question. Lastly, we point out how Czeżowski's framework enables the understanding of phenomena such as ‘Special Biblical Inference’. Thanks to this experiment, we can see how a framework as advanced as that offered by LWS representatives can be put to the test using mediaeval Biblical commentaries, yielding interesting results. (shrink)

“Philosophy and Exegesis in the Enneads . The Wings of the Plotinean Soul in his reading of Plato’s Phaedrus ”. In the present paper, we examine the role exegesis plays in the philosophy of the Enneads and, in particular, the way in which Plotinus interprets Plato. With this purpose we analyze, in the first place, some revealing passages of Porphyrius’ Life of Plotinus in order to understand, on the one hand, how late Greek thinkers conceived the exegetic endeavour and, on (...) the other hand, the way in which plotinian philosophy was considered by his contemporaries. In the second section of this work, we examine the treatise IV 8 of the Enneads and try to show some peculiar aspects of Plotinus’ exegetic procedure as well as of his reading of Plato’s Phaedrus. (shrink)

En el artículo, el autor presenta la doble intención de Agustín en la explicación de la exégesis literal en sus obras. Posteriormente explica la manera de exponer de Agustín en "Gn.litt. imp.", para destacar la importancia de esta primera interpretación literal de Agustín.

In this paper, high school graduation exam around Marx's religious writing paper, the value of the text, which reflects the analysis of the ideological structure of the young author, also introduced and reviewed the domestic academic research for this article some of the new progress, the last of the Chinese translation of this article made ​​a number of questionable advice. The present writing consists of notes on Karl Marx's gymnasium examination paper interpreting John 15: 1-14. That exegetical work maintains the (...) value of its own, reflecting some traits in the young Marx's thinking. Some recent efforts made by Chinese scholars on this text have been reviewed and noted with comments. Critiques on the text's two translations available in Chinese against the German and English versions bring the writing to the conclusion. (shrink)

The article deals with some facets of the phenomenon of the underdetermination of meaning by (linguistic) data which are particularly relevant for textual exegesis in the historico-philological disciplines. The paper attempts to demonstrate that lack of relevant information is by no means the only important reason why certain issues of interpretation cannot be definitely settled by means of traditional philological methods but that the objective nonexistence of pertinent data is equally significant. It is claimed that the phenomenon of objective under-determination (...) possesses among others two major consequences: (1) A strict separation between the exploration of the history of (Indian) philosophy and philosophical criticism is theoretically incorrect. (2) Transference of indeterminacy and vagueness to the target langue in translations of textual sources is not only legitimate but sometimes most appropriate. Presumably the relevance of the discussed issues is not strictly confined to the area of Indian philosophy. (shrink)

The interpretation and appropriation of Romans 13:1–7 have been a challenge for generations because this text confuses Christians as to how they should relate and participate in the politics of the day. This article interprets the text in its historical and literary context before appropriating it to the Second Republic of Zimbabwe. The conclusion reached is that the text does not directly speak to church–state relations but rather should be understood in its context in Paul’s time. Appropriating the text to (...) the Second Republic requires us to delineate whether the governing authorities of the Second Republic are doing the will of God or whether they are terrorising people into obedience. The article concludes that the text does not forbid people from resisting illegitimate and brutal governments and does not demand passive citizenship.Contribution: The article is an interpretation and appropriation of Romans 13:1–7 to the Second Republic of Zimbabwe. Appropriating the text to the Second Republic requires one to delineate whether the governing authorities are doing the will of God or not. It is within the scope of this theological journal that issues of church-state relationships and theological reflection should be addressed, hence this article fits well within this scope. (shrink)

In Plotinus the myths are scattered throughout the Enneads‟ treatises. In contrast with Porphyry, Plotinus prefers to make allusions and fragmentary quotations of the myths rather than an exegesis of a comprehensive extract of a poem. Only one of Porphyry‟s works, dedicated to the allegorical exegesis of Homer, has come down to us in its integrity: The cave of the Nymphs in the Odyssey. In this work, which is studied here, Porphyry follows a complete extract of Homer in order to (...) find a hidden meaning beneath the letter of the text. Through an analysis of a small sample of the plotinian mythical kaleidoscope and then of Porphyry‟s above-mentioned work, this article intends to show the main characteristics of the mythical exegesis of the epical tradition in both authors.myth, exegesis, image, genealogy, allegory. (shrink)

Porphyry’s position in the ancient hermeneutic tradition should be considered separately from his place in the Platonic tradition. He shows considerable respect for allegorizing interpreters with links to Pythagoreanism, particularly Numenius and Cronius, prominent sources in On the Cave of the Nymphs. The language of Homer’s Cave passage is demonstrably distinctive, resembling the Shield passage in the Iliad, and such as to suggest an ecphrasis to early imperial readers. Ecphrasis in turn suggested deeper significance for the story. While largely content (...) to follow Numenian trends in interpreting Homer’s cave symbolically and in relation to multiple belief-systems, Porphyry shows occasionally signs of wanting to adhere more closely to Homeric evidence, resorting to symbolic interpretation mainly when no more straightforward truth is on offer. (shrink)

En el presente artículo se estudia cuál es, según Joseph Ratzinger, la especificidad de la exégesis histórico-crítica respecto de la exégesis dogmática. Desde mediados del siglo XX en el campo católico se está dando un debate muy intenso sobre este tema. Dicha discusión gira, en buena medida, en torno a Dei Verbum 12 y, más concretamente, sobre la naturaleza de las reglas hermenéuticas propuestas en los cuatro primeros párrafos. Ratzinger toma postura en el debate y considera que la (...) exégesis histórico-crítica y la exégesis dogmática son antagónicas tanto en lo que respecta a su objeto como en lo concerniente a su método. Esto no excluye la posibilidad de colaboración entre ambas formas de leer la Biblia. (shrink)

Against the background of the fact that speakers not seldom intend to convey imports which deviate from the linguistically expressed meanings of linguistic items, the present article addresses some consequences of this phenomenon which appear to still be neglected in textual studies. It is suggested that understanding behaviour is in some respect a primary objective of exegesis and that due attention must be attributed to the high diversity of behaviour-related criteria by which interpretations of linguistic items are to be evaluated. (...) Although we intimate in addition that individual (meaningful) sentences occurring either in oral conversations or in written documents generally exhibit a multiplicity of contents of diverse types and that the circumstance that sometimes only a content equalling the linguistic significance of a pertinent unit matters for purposes of interpretation is caused by a material coincidence of different varieties of content, the tenets advocated in the paper do not essentially depend on that view. On the other hand, the following assumptions are relevant in the present connection: (a) A number of deviances between imports conveyed by linguistic utterances and literal meanings of expressions occur due to maxims of linguistic behaviour that are quite independent of lexical and syntactic features of individual natural languages. (b) It is by no means an exceptional phenomenon that imports not derivable by grammatical rules of a particular language alone possess primary importance for interpretation and textual exegesis. In view of significant affinities between understanding of sentences and of texts it is argued that the consideration of diverse aspects of behaviour possesses relevance for textual exegesis at least in the following respects: (1) By delivering a heuristic device for discerning problems affecting adopted interpretations it encourages searches for alternatives. (2) It provides means for evaluating the degree of acceptability of particular textual exegeses and possibly rejecting them on a more rational basis than mere intuition. (3) It offers possibilities for critically assessing the validity of explicit arguments advanced in favour of or in opposition to some interpretation. (4) It furnishes a background for assessing certain disputes about translation. The dimension of linguistic behaviour also attains importance in connection with questions of exegesis which are not concerned with assessments of (propositional) contents intended to be communicated, such as the ascertainment of the function which some argument possesses in a context. For substantiating the thesis that omission of raising relevant questions concerning behaviour is not an isolated phenomenon two examples will be employed: (1) A discussion concerning the exegesis of a crucial passage of Dignāga’s Pramāṇasamuccaya and the Pramāṇasamuccayavṛtti, (2) a critical appraisal of a recent publication dealing with the interpretation of the second chapter of Nāgārjuna’s Mūlamadhyamakakārikā-s. (shrink)

Resumen El estudio del empleo de la palabra adelphos en el Nuevo Testamento en las últimas décadas ha tendido a un consenso donde se favorece la perspectiva literal en la cual se asocia a Jesús de Galilea “hermanos” carnales, según los testimonios de los textos griegos. Sin embargo, desde otra perspectiva como la antropología del parentesco y la historia social parental, los datos que atestigua el Nuevo Testamento no son unívocos y se interpelan a la luz de la estructura familiar (...) exogámica extendida -aspecto crucial- para señalar que los textos aportan datos e información, pero no son en sí la respuesta. A lo cual, se abre una perspectiva más rica en matices y aspectos del parentesco de Jesús y los lazos parentales en Galilea del siglo I d.C.The critical historical study of adelphos in recent decades has tended to a consensus thatfavors theperspective in which Jesus of Galilee is recogniged as “carnal brothers”, according to the testimonies of the Greek texts. However, from the parental anthropology and the social- parental history, the data attested by the new testament are not univocal and are addressed in the light of the extended exogamousfamily structure, a crucial aspect, to point out that the texts provide data and information, but they are not the answer in itself. To which, a richerperspective opens in nuances and aspects of the kinship of Jesus and the parental ties in Galilee of the 1st century AD. (shrink)

Name der Zeitschrift: Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie Jahrgang: 98 Heft: 2 Seiten: 113-143.

The Vida de Santa Oria is the most problematic of Gonzalo de Berceo's works. There is disagreement about its textual integrity, and important elements of its structure are imperfectly understood. The intent of this article is to demonstrate Berceo's use of literary and iconographic material prominent in the thirteenth-century monastic culture of San Millán de la Cogolla to construct a moral and eschatological definition of the contemplative life. The Vida de Santa Oria renders Christian eschatology through an elaborate symbolic structure, (...) circumscribed physically and spiritually by the cloister walls of San Millán, where Berceo, a secular priest, served as notary of one of the abbots. The economy of Berceo's communicative method is no small part of the excellence of his poem; his artistic self-cloistering mirrors the existential condition of his hagiographic subject. It derives from a conscious and complex choice, rather than from any limitation of his intellectual horizons. (shrink)

El artículo hace la presentación de las series de capitula bíblicos que se han conservado de los profetas mayores con clara inspiración donatista, para hacer en primer lugar, una presentación de dichos capitula, la forma en la que se han conservado y los especialistas que los han identificado como pertenecientes al donatismo. En un segundo momento se hace la presentación de las series de capitula y tituli correspondientes a cada uno de los profetas mayores. En cada una de las secciones (...) se destacan no solo los textos más significativos y que pueden guardar relación con los principales elementos de la polémica donatista, sino que también se hace al final un resumen para presentar los principales temas desarrollados, haciendo una comparación en cada uno de los casos con diversos escritores cristianos de la antigüedad tardía. (shrink)

Chapter One The Karaite Community of Jerusalem in the Tenth and Eleventh Centuries: Background and Development A time of intellectual change The eighth and ninth centuries were a time of great political and intellectual change for Jews ...