Theology, Philosophy, and Confessionalization

Abstract

Abstract This chapter analyzes three representative stations in the history of Eastern Orthodox approaches to the Bible after the Fall of Constantinople up to the late seventeenth century. It focuses on reflections about the Bible and its hermeneutics that occur in Eastern Orthodox “confessions” or decrees of this era. It aims to reconstruct the theoretical principles and historical contexts lying behind these texts by considering both source material and secondary literature. The analysis proves that eastern theologians manage to form their Orthodox identity in interaction with western theological and philosophical traditions in the era of confessionalization. Eastern Orthodox theologians developed diverse profiles after the fall of Constantinople both by favoring the interpretation of the Greek fathers and considering developments in Western scholarship.