Exegetical Tradition Research Articles

The radical humility of Christ in the sixteenth century: Erasmus and Calvin on Philippians 2:6–7

AbstractThe christological hymn in Philippians 2, rich as it is in theological potential, has always been a fruitful locus in the history of biblical interpretation for engaging in a number of doctrinal disputes which revolve around questions of the nature of Christ. Thus, an analysis of any chapter in the history of interpretation of the hymn (or at least parts of it) is necessary for understanding the ways in which Paul's text has informed christological discourse or, vice versa, how certain ways of thinking about Christology inform interpretations of the passage. In the sixteenth century, the hymn also serves as a jumping-off point for discussions of the authority of scripture in matters of doctrine, for whether Paul provides sufficient doctrinal fodder to ground an orthodox doctrine of the Trinity (particularly of the consubstantiality of the Father and the Son) will be brought into question, in particular, by Erasmus. Erasmus’ understanding of the passage, as it appears in hisAnnotations, was criticised by numerous Catholics, and the ensuing debate (especially between Erasmus and Lefèvre) is fairly well known. The response Erasmus (and the surrounding debate) elicits from John Calvin, however, has scarcely been mentioned and, to my knowledge, never been examined in depth – this, despite the fact that Calvin's engagement with Erasmus on Philippians 2:6–7 departs from his usual method ofperspicua brevitasin commentary writing, and constitutes a significant digression on an array of christological and hermeneutical issues. These two verses, and their reception in the sixteenth century, provide a useful lens for analysing the christologies and the hermeneutical strategies of two biblical humanists who, perhaps, are not often enough considered alongside one another. A close reading of these two exegetes’ interpretations of Philippians 2:6–7 will be followed by a consideration of the significance of their emphasis on the radical humility of Christ, which emphasis serves as a departure from the bulk of the antecedent exegetical and theological tradition.

‘I Didn't Want to Write This’: The Social Embeddedness of Translating Moonsighting Verses of the Qur'an into Swahili

As a result of increasing globalisation the public sphere has expanded over the recent decades. Consequently Qur'an translations increasingly exhibit a highly pluralised concept of religious authority, demonstrating an eclectic use of sources as authors respond simultaneously to local and global discourses. This paper shows how the commentary in a popularising Swahili tafsīr by the preacher Said Moosa al-Kindy on two particular Qur'an verses, Q. 2:185 and Q. 2:189, cannot be understood as the outcome of theological and linguistic considerations only, but rather as a multi-epistemic, socially embedded product.Q. 2:185 and Q. 2:189 are often used to endorse particular viewpoints in East African moon sighting debates. This discourse revolves about the question of whether to accept a crescent sighting report from anywhere in the world to determine the beginning of the lunar month or to wait for a visible moon from a more restricted locality. This paper situates al-Kindy's translation within the wider field of Swahili Qur'an commentaries and compares his treatment of these verses to that in two scholarly products from outside the established genre of tafsīr. One is the polemical discourse on this subject by an Ibadi intellectual writing in Swahili and the second is the lunar calendar and website produced by a Tanzanian book trader. In all three of these works Qur'anic authority is paramount, but if we want to understand the diverse mediations of the Qur'anic message in a specific milieu we should not only look at the influence of exegetical traditions but also focus on social actors and their very personal, localised experiences.

Pedro Fernández de Villegas’ translation of the <em>Inferno</em>: the infl uence of the Castilian poetic tradition and medieval commentaries on Dante’s <em>Commedia</em>

At the turn of the sixteenth century, the archdeacon of Burgos cathedral Pedro Fernandez de Villegas undertook a translation of Dante’s Inferno in coplas de arte mayor . Commissioned by Juana de Aragon –Fernando el Catolico’s natural daughter–, this translation was printed in 1515 and was accompanied with a commentary. The article discusses the main features of the translation, which are analysed in the light of the Spanish poetic tradition (especially Juan de Mena) and of the medieval exegetical tradition of Dante’s work (Cristoforo Landino, L’Ottimo commento or Benvenuto da Imola). A portray of Juana de Aragon, mandator and recipient of the translation, is also provided.

Historicizing Allegory: The Jew as Hagar in Medieval Christian Text and Image

Over the course of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, Christian thinkers turned rhetorically to the biblical servant Hagar (Genesis 16 and 21) to establish, or at least support, specific policies restricting Jewish interaction with Christians. Referencing St. Paul's allegorical interpretation of Abraham, Sarah, and her servant Hagar in his Epistle to the Galatians, they transformed a longstanding association of Hagar with the old law, synagogue, or a vague Jewish “other” into a figure representative of Jews living in their midst. The centrality of St. Paul's allegory in western Christian liturgical and exegetical traditions made it a useful framework for thinking about contemporary Christian-Jewish relations. This article is a consideration of the intertwining of biblical typology and history; an examination of the way one particularly rich typological reading came to give meaning to relationships between real Christians and Jews in medieval Europe. A proliferation of Hagar imagery in word and image offered a structure for thinking about Jewish policies in a way that moved beyond Augustine's insistence on toleration. The association of living Jews with the haughty, disrespectful, ungrateful servant sent away by Abraham provided an effective support for increasingly harsh treatment of Jews in Christian society.

From mystical visions to gender equality aspirations: a hermeneutical journey of two biblical verses

Two biblical verses, ‘God made two great lights, the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night’ (Gen. 1:16) and ‘The Lord will create a new thing on earth – a woman will surround a man’ (Jer. 31:22), have generated a long exegetical tradition. For most of their exegetical history, these two verses were interpreted by almost all exegetes either as an allegorical description of the eschatological future or as a theosophical mystery. Neither of the two was understood as dealing with social reality in general, or with woman’s condition in particular. In recent years one can point to a shift of the traditional exegesis towards a gendered interpretation of both verses. The article deals with this transition as a sign of a growing sensitivity of Orthodox society towards women’s status in Judaism.

Beyond theology: Muʿtazilite scholars and their authority in al-Rummānī'stafsīr

AbstractMuʿtazilite exegetical tradition has been defined primarily by reference to the theological dimensions of thetafsīrworks authored by the Muʿtazila. This article is an attempt to go beyond this focus by exploring the significance of an exegete's affiliation to the tradition that is implicit in his selection of interpretations and his references to authorities. Focusing on thetafsīrof the tenth-century Muʿtazilite scholar ʿAlī ibn ʿĪsā al-Rummānī, the article analyses al-Rummānī's references to his three Muʿtazilite predecessors: Abū ʿAlī al-Jubbāʾī, Abū l-Qāsim al-Balkhī and Ibn al-Ikhshīd. The content of these references indicates that, for al-Rummānī, the authority of these Muʿtazilite scholars extended beyond their views on the theological implications of the Quranic verses. The context suggests that the scholars were part of a distinct exegetical tradition that allowed for certain differences of opinion.

Sufi Master and Qur’an Scholar

Over the past few years, an increasing number of academic publications havefocused on the life and work of the Sufi master and theologian Abū l-Qāsim‘Abd al-Karīm b. Hawāzim al-Qushayrī (d. 465/1072 in Nishapur). While thisincreased interest has filled in many gaps in our understanding of this man,an important figure for the Islamic mystical tradition, Nguyen’s monographrepresents the first in-depth inquiry into Qushayrī and his doctrine.Nguyen’s book, developed from his doctoral dissertation, concentrates onthe Laṭā’if al-Ishārāt (hereafter LI), typically considered a mystical exegeticaltreatise but which Nguyen shows should be seen in a broader and more nuancedlight. He analyzes the text through the concept of “tradition,” reading it as theresult of a network of different cultural and spiritual influences. Their unificationin this exegetical treatise can be considered Qushayrī’s main achievement. Assuch, Nguyen’s work represents a major contribution in the fields of Qur’anicand Sufi studies as well as the broader field of medieval intellectual history.The book’s nine chapters cover the following subjects: In the introductionthe author positions the LI vis-à-vis the different exegetical traditions (juridical,encyclopedic, and theological), arguing that it belongs to what Walid A.Saleh calls the “Nishapuri school” of exegesis. Thus, as Nguyen points out,Qushayrī’s Tafsīr is “located and contextualized onto a number of differentbut overlapping historical axes” (p. 16) ...

L'ignorance des cathares d'après Izarn

The debate between Izarn, a Dominican and inquisitor, and the Catharian repentant bishop Sicart de Figueiras raises the question of the so-called ignorance of the Catharians, especially in biblical studies. If the Interrogatio Iohannis, one of the Catharian sources and an apocryphal and gnostic gospel, appears during the debate, the exegetical tradition is also present in the myth of fallen angels. In one of his main accusations Izarn evokes the metempsychosis revealing the antiques doctrines influence on the Catharians. Therefore, the heretics expressed a large number of knowledge in the vernacular language receptive to the most humbles and the illiterates persons. This has been their strength face to the rational and scholarly theology acquired from books by the Catholic clergy.

The Historia Ekklesiastike kai Mystike Theoria: a symbolic understanding of the Byzantine church building

AbstractThis paper offers a close reading of the passages in the Historia Ekklesiastike kai Mystike Theoria, a liturgical commentary attributed to Germanos I, patriarch of Constantinople (d. 730), that pertain to the church building. The Historia’s interpretation is highly symbolic, steeped in scripture and dependent on earlier and contemporary theological thought. On occasion, the text sheds light on actual architectural developments, as in the case of the skeuophylakion. On the whole, however, the discussion of architecture is rather vague. I argue that the Historia is part of a long exegetical tradition on the liturgy that disregards the functional aspects of church buildings, a disconnect enabled by the adaptability of Byzantine liturgical rites.

The Role of the Eucharist in the making of an Ecclesiology according to Haimo of Auxerre’s Commentary on I Cor

Carolingian biblical exegesis presents itself as a synthesis of exegetical and theological patristic tradition in order to make it affordable to the Christians of that time. The result of that process are interpretations of biblical texts that can be considered new, though based on the texts of the Fathers. Among them it is possible to find images of the Church containing ideas about power or how to govern and to order society. This paper studies Haimo of Auxerre’s commentary on I Cor 12, 12 et seq in order to establish the author’s concept of ’body of Christ’, in the context of the Eucharistic controversy of the ninth century. It also studies the ideological consequences of his exegesis.

The Significance of the Gwamun Tradition on the Development of the Exegetical Tradition in East Asian Buddhism

The Significance of the Gwamun Tradition on the Development of the Exegetical Tradition in East Asian Buddhism

Reading and Re-Reading Scripture at Qumran. 2 volumes: Genesis and Its Interpretation; Law, Pesher and the History of Interpretation. By MOSHE J. BERNSTEIN.

This rich collection by one of the foremost scholars of biblical interpretation in the Dead Sea Scrolls contains thirty previously published essays, prefaced by Introductions to each volume that outline the essays they preface but also include further reflection on Bernstein's ongoing scholarly journey. The first and last essays present wide-ranging treatments on Pentateuchal and biblical interpretation in the Dead Sea Scrolls originally presented at two congresses in Jerusalem marking the 50th and 60th anniversary of the discoveries. In parallel with Second Temple interpreters, Bernstein devotes the bulk of his attention, and Vol. 1, to the Book of Genesis. The second essay is a plea to employ the label ‘rewritten Bible’, coined by the late Geza Vermes, in a more narrowly defined manner than is often the case and in particular to differentiate between the supposed exegetical processes it implies and the notion of a genre of literature referred to by the terminology. Bernstein offers an impassioned defence of the second element in ‘rewritten Bible’ in the Introduction to Vol. 1 (pp. 2–4; see also Vol. 2, pp. 700–1). For him the issue hinges on the existence of ‘something that we can call “Bible”’ (p. 700) in the Second Temple period. The debate seems to me to centre on the question—alongside what else this literature was then cherished and how? Granted Bernstein's suggestion that a Ben Sira and a Josephus would have known what is meant by terms such ‘holy books’, for instance (p. 3), each of them, and the imaginary contemporary scholar conversing with them, may well have included much that was the same but also included distinctive elements. The study on rewritten Bible is followed by an essay on Genesis interpretation at Qumran more broadly. The bulk of Vol. 1 is devoted to analyses of 4Q252 (Commentary on Genesis) in three essays and the Genesis Apocryphon in six essays. Bernstein devotes judicious discussions to questions such as scholarly nomenclature, unity, and genre relating to both works. His observations that the idea of genre ‘belongs largely to the students of ancient literature rather than to its authors’ and that ‘we classify for our scholarly benefit’ (p. 217) are characteristic of his scrupulous commitment to a fair presentation of the witness of the ancient authors. Bernstein's background as a Targum scholar and his intimate familiarity with the Qumran materials make his essay revisiting the relationship of the Genesis Apocryphon and the Aramaic Targumim ‘from both perspectives’ particularly authoritative. Vol. 1 concludes with a study of 4Q464 (Exposition on the Patriarchs) published by E. Eshel and M. E. Stone in DJD 19 and two rich thematic essays dealing with Noah and the flood and the motif of angels at the Aqedah. In the latter study Bernstein's learned discussion spans from Second Temple traditions via rabbinic midrash to mediaeval piyyutim, concluding that the motif of ‘jealous and accusing angels’ is most likely an exegetical tradition spanning pre-rabbinic and rabbinic literature.

Balance y perspectivas de la reforma constitucional penal en méxico a cinco años de su publicación

The criminal constitutional reform in Mexico means cultural and epistemological rupture directed and supported by the realism and the legal guarantism. After the publication of the criminal constitutional reform on June 18, 2008, more than four years have passed, however, less than the 30 percent of the 31 States of the Republic and a Federal District, observe and apply this reform in a comprehensive way. Unfortunately, the obstacles are identified in: reluctance to change legal paradigms, i.e., conservation of the formalistic legal exegetical tradition through the mixed inquisitional criminal system; Lack of infrastructure, human and material; Absence of harmonization of laws, proposes the creation of a unique code of criminal procedure to see how effective and efficient the procedural criminal accusatory system oral and alternative means for dispute resolution, which guarantees the principles: presumption of innocence, due process of law, immediacy, advertising, contradiction and equality.

The Pathways of Salvation: Spatiality and Devotion in the Bute Psalter

AbstractAs recent studies emphasize, the theological sophistication inherent in the pictorial programs of many luxury thirteenth- and fourteenth-century devotional manuscripts points to surprisingly ambitious intellectual and spiritual goals of elite lay patrons and recipients. The iconographic content of the late thirteenth-century Bute Psalter (Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum, MS 46), likely made for a northeastern French or Flemish noblewoman, speaks to such aspirations. The manuscript is one of only six “fully illustrated” French Psalters of the thirteenth century. The majority of subjects found in the decorated initials of these Psalters can be traced to established exegetical traditions. Yet unlike most of its peer manuscripts, the Bute Psalter lacks the important textual apparatus of the rubrics designating the subjects of the Psalms and canticles, an element arguably indispensable for the reader-viewer’s interpretation and appreciation of the manuscript’s more unusual pictorial subjects. Despite...

Making Men and Women

This paper focuses on several passages concerning the differences between men and women as represented in the Arabic commentaries on the Hippocratic Aphorisms, currently the subject of a research project at the University of Manchester. The gynaecological aphorisms and their commentaries, written by male authors, reflect centuries of ancient and medieval thought on women and their bodies. Ibn al-Quff (d. 1286), al-Kilānī (14th century) and other contributors to the Arabic exegetical tradition have plenty to say on the subject of the female body and its pathologies. They discuss, for example, the question of why women are never “ambidextrous” and the various ways that female bodies resemble or differ from male bodies. They also discuss the possible existence of female testicles and semen, as well as the manner in which a “manly woman” or “womanly man” may result from the manner of the in-between gendered person’s conception.The blending and separation of “male” and “female” in these Arabic debates resonate with the Greek medical tradition, and especially with the writings of the Greek physician Galen (d. c. 216 AD), elaborating on and sometimes challenging his influential­­ commentaries. The rift between Galen and Aristotle (d. 322 BC), centring on the nature of the male and female contribution to the formation of an embryo, elicits much commentary from the Arab authors. The physiology of menstruation and lactation likewise invite commentary and debate. We show that the study of such discussions is pertinent not only to the history of medicine, but to representations of manliness and womanliness in a wide range of contexts and genres.

Raymond B. Waddington Looking into Providences: Designs and Trials in Paradise LostLooking into Providences: Designs and Trials in Paradise Lost. Raymond B. Waddington. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2012. Pp. xiv+310.

<i>Raymond B. Waddington</i> Looking into Providences: Designs and Trials in <i>Paradise Lost</i><i>Looking into Providences: Designs and Trials in <i>Paradise Lost</i></i>. Raymond B. Waddington. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2012. Pp. xiv+310.

Divine Wisdom: The Christological Interpretation of Sapientia in Johannes von Tepl's Der Ackermann

In this essay, I explore the notion of wisdom in Johannes von Tepl's Der Ackermann (c. 1401). “Wisdom” is central to the text because it serves to justify God's concluding judgment in the dispute between man and Death: Death is awarded victory for having spoken weyßheyt. In previous interpretations, the term is tentatively explained as “divine wisdom.” The question remains open, however, what this “Gottesweisheit” might be. Drawing on medieval biblical exegesis, I argue that it refers to the Book of Proverbs and, in particular, the account of personified Sapientia. “Wisdom” as it is used in chapters 18 and 33 of the dialogue reflects the exegetical tradition of Prov. 8.22–31 and thus serves as a metonymic expression for the person of Christ. Furthermore, with this Christological interpretation of divine wisdom in the Ackermann, I challenge the widespread notion of a “Christological gap” in von Tepl's text.

Defining the Boundaries of Sacred Space: Unbelievers, Purity, and the Masjid al-Haram in Shi‘a Exegesis of Qur’an 9:28

This study examines how some of the most preeminent commentators of the Shi‘a exegetical tradition have interpreted Qur’an 9:28 to frame the relationship between shirk (associating others with God), impurity, and the confessional boundaries around Islamic sacred space, the Masjid al-Haram in particular. The paper revolves around three main questions: how do commentators define the boundaries of shirk ? What is the nature of the mushrik ’s (polytheist’s) impurity? And, what is the extent of the prohibition against entering the Masjid and why? The paper demonstrates that commentators tend towards highly precautionary interpretations of non-Muslim impurity, including that of ahl al-kitab , with contrary views appearing only in the modern period. Nevertheless, despite some variance of opinion, the exegetical tradition on Qur’an 9:28 is not unique to Shi‘a Islam but reflects an understanding of what counts as sacred space and how separation acts to make space sacred that is found in religion more generally.

The Challenge of Received Tradition: Dilemmas of Interpretation in Radak’s Biblical Commentaries by Naomi Grunhaus (review)

THE CHALLENGE OF RECEIVED TRADITION: DILEMMAS OF INTERPRETATION IN RADAK'S BIBLICAL COMMENTARIES By Naomi Grunhaus. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. 274 pp.Rabbi David Kimhi (Radak) (1160-1235) lived in Narbonne, Provence. His father, R. Joseph Kimhi, died while Radak was still a young child (approximately ten years old), and it was therefore his elder brother, R. Moses Kimhi, who was principally responsible for his religious education. Radak was a biblical commentator and a grammarian, and also engaged in polemics with Christians. His commentary, which covers most of the Bible, integrates the literalist approach to the text which he imbibed from the Jewish scholars in northern France; philological and philosophical exegesis which he adopted from the Spanish scholars; and midrashic (homiletical) interpretations which were popular in Provence. Over the course of many centuries, he has remained one of the most popular and widely quoted commentators in Jewish biblical scholarship.In recent years, Radak's teachings have become the subject of increased academic interest and many studies have addressed his commentary. Naomi Grunhaus's work joins this welcome trend. Her book focuses on Radak's attitude towards rabbinic midrashic literature. To this end she enlists all of Radak's known biblical exegesis, and undertakes a systematic comparison between his commentaries and his exegetical sources.The first chapter reviews Radak's statements of principles and methodology, scattered throughout his work, concerning midrashic teachings. Grunhaus concludes, on the basis of these statements, that Radak holds the homiletical exegetical tradition represented in the rabbinic sources in high esteem.In the second chapter the author examines the different ways in which Radak makes use of midrashic teachings as exegesis of the biblical text. She makes an important point in this regard, showing that in instances where Radak suffices with quoting the teaching, without offering an additional interpretation that addresses the plain meaning of the text, he views the rabbinic teaching as legitimate exegesis of the text. In so doing, Radak deviates from the path of the Spanish commentators who preceded him, who had denied any possibility that midrashic teachings could serve as legitimate interpretations. Another important observation she makes is that Radak perceives the biblical figures as conducting themselves in accordance with rabbinic law (even though the halakha would be written only many years after the events described in the Bible).The third chapter focuses on Radak's polarized comments, that is, instances where he proposes two alternative interpretations, one addressing the plain level of the text, the other citing a homiletical teaching. This is a most important chapter: Grunhaus shows, in contrast to the conventional scholarly view, that these polarized comments indicate that to Radak's view, midrashic teachings play a critical educational role. She also demonstrates that in many instances the midrashic portion of these polarized comments is closely and integrally bound up with the biblical text. Another important observation she makes is that in most instances where Radak starts with a midrashic teaching and only afterwards explains the plain meaning of the verse, the midrashic element has already been cited previously by Rashi. …

Holy Scripture and the Quest for Authority at the End of the Middle Ages

Holy Scripture and the Quest for Authority at the End of the Middle Ages