Exegetical Work Research Articles

Finding Bede in the “Lindisfarne” Gospels: Aldred the Scribe and “beda ðe broema boecere”

Finding Bede in the “Lindisfarne” Gospels: Aldred the Scribe and “beda ðe broema boecere”

Библия в религиозно-философском творчестве Н. С. Арсеньева: мистический опыт

The article traces the formation of the mystical experience of Nikolai Sergeevich Arseniev (1888–1977) on the basis of the memoir book “Gifts and Encounters of the Life Path” (1974), and the stages of his consideration of biblical studies. The analysis of Arseniev’s exegetical work “The Religious Experience of the Apostle Paul” (1935) is proposed. He was one of the Russian thinkers in whose writings the Holy Scripture occupied a central place, and almost all of his religious ideas grew out of New Testament books, and biblical concepts. As an exegete, he studied the problem of the Logos in the Gospel of John the Evangelist and the mystical experience of the Epistles of the Apostle Paul. The cross-cutting theme of Arseniev’s works was mysticism in ancient cults, the poetry of the Middle Ages, the works of the desert fathers, the texts of Russian and Western European ascetics of piety, religious philosophers (A. S. Khomyakov, I. V. Kireevsky, S. N. Trubetskoy, S. L. Frank) and biblical scholars. He relied on the mystical experience of the Church, the unity of Christians. In the Epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul, Arseniev emphasized the mysticism of life in Christ, Christian realism, the realism of the Cross of the Lord, and the realism of Resurrection. In general, the mystical experience of Paul, his preaching and activity, according to Arseniev, differs from “our usual experience” and is more real, since the apostle is “subdued”, “captured” by Christ, His fullness, and the grace of God.

Fabricating the Fall of Satan: Revelation 12:7–9 and its Interpretation in Early Christianity

Abstract Some interpreters understand Rev. 12:7–9 as a depiction of (1) a primeval literal war between Michael and Satan that resulted in the subsequent expulsion of Satan from heaven or (2) Satan’s defeat (represented metaphorically as an expulsion) at Jesus’ death. Although these interpretations are common in contemporary exegetical works, early interpreters of Revelation explained these verses differently. This prompts the question of who were the innovative interpreters who first read the texts as we do today? Accordingly, tracing a history of interpretation of the passage, in this article I will argue that (1) Oecumenius was the first interpreter who understood Rev. 12:7–9 as a portrayal of a primeval war between Michael and Satan which resulted in the expulsion of the devil from heaven because of his pride and apostasy. (2) Oecumenius did not reach this conclusion by exegeting Rev. 12:7–9. Rather, he connected traditional patristic exegesis and reflection on Satan—condensed mainly from interpretations of texts like Ezek. 28:11–19, Isa. 14:12–15, and Luke 10:18—with Revelation 12. (3) Andrew of Caesarea not only replicated Oecumenius’ exegesis of the pericope but argued that this passage also portrayed Satan’s defeat at the cross of Jesus, due to the influence of the patristic exegesis of John 12:31. (4) Given that Andrew’s commentary was widely copied (whereas Oecumenius’ was not), Andrew is ultimately the catalyst for the dissemination of Oecumenius’ exegesis of this pericope as well as his own. (5) Therefore, Oecumenius and Andrew are the originators of the explanations of Rev. 12:7–9 present in many contemporary exegetical works.

Luther in Hungarian

This article documents the publications of Martin Luther's writings in the Hungarian language. Luther's publications first reached Hungary in 1521, but nothing was translated into Hungarian for another fifteen years. Six of Luther's hymns were his first works to appear in Hungarian in 1536, while the Small Catechism was translated in 1550. In 1562 a Hungarian Bible was printed that was greatly inspired by the Luther Bible. Six volumes of Luther's works in Hungarian were published in the early twentieth century. The text selected for translation were largely polemical works against Catholicism along with a few that attacked Luther's Protestant foes. After World War I, several of Luther's edifying and exegetical works began to be translated. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Hungary's Martin Luther Bund has created broad scholarly interest in Luther's works through a series of short translations, as well as conferences and reading retreats. This renewed interest has led to the twenty-first century's Luther válogatott művei (LVM), which is the first attempt to create a translation of Luther's Works in Hungarian with a robust and balanced choice of texts. This edition aims to uphold the highest scholarly standards.

Al-Bantānī and the Interpretation of Ṣifāt verses in Marāḥ Labīd

This article examines the stance held by a Meccan-Indonesian exegete in the 13 AH or 19 AD century, Muḥammad Nawawī al-Bantānī (d. 1230–1314 H/1813–1897 AD), in dealing with Ṣifāt verses in his exegetical work, Marāḥ Labīd li Kashf Ma’nā al-Qur’ān al-Majīd . As an established term, Ṣifāt verses refer to Quranic expressions that ostensibly ascribe anthropomorphic dimensions to God. Interpretation of such ambiguous verses has been bitterly contended since the 2/8th century and remains one of the most debated topics in the pre- and postmodern era. This study applies literature and document analysis focused on many of al-Bantānī’s works. The results show that al-Bantānī actively applied ta’wīl [figurative interpretation] in dealing with Ṣifāt verses without totally discarding amodality position [ tafwīḍ ]. Contribution: Although al-Bantānī never mentioned Wahhabism in any of his works, his interpretation of Ṣifat verses alludes to his indirect response to the Wahhabi’s literalism and anti- ta’wīl approach. In addition, by accepting both of ta’wīl and tafwīḍ solutions, al-Bantānī underpinned the wasaṭī [moderate] stand, which later became the most distinctive tradition in Malay–Islamic discourse.

Al-Bantānī and the Interpretation of Ṣifāt verses in Marāḥ Labīd

This article examines the stance held by a Meccan-Indonesian exegete in the 13 AH or 19 AD century, Muḥammad Nawawī al-Bantānī (d. 1230–1314 H/1813–1897 AD), in dealing with Ṣifāt verses in his exegetical work, Marāḥ Labīd li Kashf Ma’nā al-Qur’ān al-Majīd. As an established term, Ṣifāt verses refer to Quranic expressions that ostensibly ascribe anthropomorphic dimensions to God. Interpretation of such ambiguous verses has been bitterly contended since the 2/8th century and remains one of the most debated topics in the pre- and postmodern era. This study applies literature and document analysis focused on many of al-Bantānī’s works. The results show that al-Bantānī actively applied ta’wīl [figurative interpretation] in dealing with Ṣifāt verses without totally discarding amodality position [tafwīḍ].Contribution: Although al-Bantānī never mentioned Wahhabism in any of his works, his interpretation of Ṣifat verses alludes to his indirect response to the Wahhabi’s literalism and anti-ta’wīl approach. In addition, by accepting both of ta’wīl and tafwīḍ solutions, al-Bantānī underpinned the wasaṭī [moderate] stand, which later became the most distinctive tradition in Malay–Islamic discourse.

Holy war and Church reform: the case of Gerhoch of Reichersberg (1092/3–1169)

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the connection between holy war, crusading and Church reform in Gerhoch of Reichersberg’s Tractatus in psalmos and other exegetical works. For Gerhoch, the First and Second Crusade constituted a facet of Church reform. By exploring the forms and manifestations of spiritual and material warfare, this essay argues that both the physical fighting on the crusades and the spiritual fight against enemies within Christendom such as heretics, schismatics and simoniacs, were part of an eschatological battle for salvation at the End Times. It furthermore demonstrates how current events can influence exegesis and how exegetical mechanisms as well as Christian concepts of the End Times could legitimate and contribute to religiously motivated violence. During the 1159 Schism, Gerhoch re-materialised the spiritualised warfare of Old Testament rhetoric against schismatics in the face of the imminent End Times and raids on Reichersberg Abbey.

God and the World's Arrangement: Readings from Vedānta and Nyāya Philosophy of Religion by Nirmalya Guha, Matthew Dasti, and Stephen Phillips

Reviewed by: God and the World's Arrangement: Readings from Vedānta and Nyāya Philosophy of Religion by Nirmalya Guha, Matthew Dasti, and Stephen Phillips Swami Narasimhananda (bio) God and the World's Arrangement: Readings from Vedānta and Nyāya Philosophy of Religion. Translated, with Introduction and Explanatory Notes, by Nirmalya Guha, Matthew Dasti, and Stephen Phillips. Indianapolis: Hackett, 2021. Pp. xx + 91. Paperback $19.00, isbn 978-1-62466-957-6. The scarcity of accessible English translations of Sanskrit texts that retain the philosophical rigor of the original has been a great challenge in Indian philosophy. God and the World's Arrangement, a translation with introduction and explanatory notes by Nirmalya Guha, Matthew Dasti, and Stephen Phillips, is an example of how this scarcity could be addressed without straying away from present-day idioms and context. This book discusses the perspectives on God and the arrangement of the world according to Nyāya, Vedānta, Mīmāṃsā, and Buddhist philosophies. This book is divided into two parts, followed by two appendices, and a bibliography. Each part has study questions at the end and there is an impressive reading list. The first part is a translation and analysis of Śaṅkara's theistic argument in his commentary on the Brahma-sūtra 2.2.1–10. The translators also include the subcommentary by Vācaspati Miśra. The second part contains the translation and analysis of Vācaspati Miśra's theistic argument in his commentary on the Nyāya-sūtra 4.1.19–21. All translations are followed by explanations that elaborate the contexts of the arguments. The translations in this book are elegant and use modern English idioms. The seeds of this book were sown by a guest lecture by Nirmalya Guha to a philosophy course at the University of Texas at Austin. The other two authors joined hands with Guha and worked on texts from Sāṃkhya, Nyāya, Vedānta, and Buddhist schools of thought. Scholars around the world are now interested in having a pan-global view of philosophy. However, such an understanding requires an informed engagement with the various contexts and mores of thought. This deceptively slim volume addresses this problem by succinctly providing the required background context and clarifying many commonly held misconceptions about Indian philosophy, particularly Advaita Vedānta. For a long time, there have not been many serious readings of Advaita Vedānta texts. This book comes as a relief and explains the basic concepts of Advaita Vedānta with readings from relevant portions of texts like the Brahma-sūtra. This book is a step to fill the gap [End Page 1] of texts that properly voice the perspectives of scholars from within the traditions following Advaita Vedānta. It is heartening to read a contemporary text that acknowledges the unbiased masterly exegetical work of Vācaspati Miśra that earned him the epithet sarva-tantra-svatantra, "one who is equally proficient in all the disciplines of knowledge." The translators and editors of this book have a noble goal of "coupling Vācaspati's works on Vedānta and on Nyāya" to make "it possible for a wide swath of his work to be pondered, little of which is currently accessible despite Vācaspati's importance for the whole of classical Indian philosophical thought" (p. xi). The editors lose no time in clarifying the approach of the texts explained in the book from Vedānta and Nyāya philosophies. They explain in some detail one of the means of knowledge, pramāṇa s, used by the Indian philosophies that adhere to the Vedās, the means of anumāṇa or inference. An interesting aspect of this book is the contemporary examples that the translators give, like those of a politician and automobile manufacturers. For instance, the translators explain different ways in which arguments given through an example can fail. The translators explain the error of an example not having the property to be proved in this manner: Yet another type of failure occurs when the property to be proved is not actually present in the example. Should one argue that "People who purchase Japanese vehicles...

„Z łona jutrzenki jak rosę Cię zrodziłem” (Ps 110, 3)

The article “From the Womb of the morning” is an attempt to combine personal memories of Fr. prof. Stachowiak with an example of his scientific work. The difficult verse of Ps 110 is well suited to presenting the method that the Professor used in his exegetical work. Against the backdrop of subsequent editions of the Millennium Bible, the reader can learn not only about Professor’s extraordinary erudition, but also about his scientific honesty, which testifies to the constant improvement of the research workshop and respect for the inspired word.

Is Maternity Determined by Pregnancy and Delivery? Five Andalusī Interpretations of Qurʾān LVIII,2

Abstract This article focuses on the use of Qurʾān LVIII,2 by contemporary Muslim jurists in debates about surrogacy arrangements. As argued by Ayman Shabana in a rich article published in 2015, the majority of those jurists claim that Qurʾān LVIII,2 provides an unequivocal legal definition of maternity and establishes that pregnancy and delivery provide the decisive criteria to determine whether a woman is the mother of a child instead of her contribution to that child’s genetic constitution. Since I am not convinced that the verse in question says exactly that, I have turned to authoritative interpretations of Qurʾān LVIII,2. Being a scholar of Islamic law familiar with legal sources from the pre-modern Islamic West, I have selected the well-known Qurʾān commentaries by Ibn Barraǧān, Ibn ʿAṭiyya, Abū Bakr Ibn al-ʿArabī, Ibn al-Faras al-Andalusī, and al-Qurṭubī. My intention is not to advocate for or against surrogate maternity but to delve into Andalusī Qurʾānic exegesis and show its interest to explore issues such as the legal definition of maternity that have acquired greater relevance in the wake of modern medical technologies. After expanding the context of the examined exegetical works towards Arabic lexicography and pre-modern Islamic medical views on procreation and embryology, I show that Andalusī exegetes were aware of debates about women’s contribution to procreation, took a position in those debates and deemed the issue worthy of inclusion in their tafsīrs. Eventually I argue that none of the examined tafsīrs can be cited in support of the idea that Qurʾān LVIII,2 provides the textual basis of the Islamic legal definition of maternity let alone that legal maternity is determined by pregnancy and delivery to the exclusion of conception.

Il gusto dell’educazione: la tradizione indiana e l’esperienza dell’imitazione artistica

The notion of rasa in Indian aesthetic tradition refers to an experience whose outcome is both pleasure and education, as the foundational myth of performing arts in Nāṭyaśāstra’s first chapter maintains to be the object of the “fifth Veda”. Commentators on the treatise attributed to Bharata elaborated on rasa and its nature, often diverging in their interpretations, which Abhinavagupta (x-xi cent.) resumes and discusses in his exegetical work. The Kashmiri Shivaite polymath envisages the spectator’s experience as a sharing of the states of being displayed by the performer, whose acting “generalizes” them beyond any individual peculiarity, and allows a delighted “tasting” of emotions in their universal expression. Such kind of tasting is equated to a non-ordinary, non-wordly experience, the consciousness of the non-duality of the universe itself. The poet’s and the actor’s work is not to “imitate” reality in the current sense of the term, but to cleanse it from its occasional traits in order to attain the knowledge of things as they really are, which is the ultimate end of human education.

Понятие anagoge в экзегетических произведениях блж. Иеронима Стридонского (345–420 гг.) и последующей латинской экзегетической традиции

В настоящее время в отечественной научной и учебной литературе под термином латинской экзегезы anagoge, как правило, понимают эсхатологический смысл Священного Писания. Большое число древних латинских авторов, которые употребляют этот термин, действительно демонстрируют именно такое понимание. Это в некоторых случаях приводит к слишком широкому обобщению и создаёт впечатление, что все экзегеты употребляют этот термин именно в таком значении. Однако необходимо учитывать, что первым в латинской экзегетической литературе термин anagoge стал употреблять блж. Иероним на основании значения ἀναγωγή у греческих толкователей, которые часто этим словом обозначали любое духовное толкование. Так и у блж. Иеронима Стридонского этот термин обозначает все виды духовного смысла Писания. В последующей латинской традиции семантическое поле этого термина неоднократно менялось, как правило, в сторону более узкой спецификации значения. В рамках данной статьи предпринимается попытка определить основные значения anagoge в латинской экзегетической литературе, что будет способствовать более правильному и ясному пониманию как терминологии, так и герменевтических методов древних латинских толкователей. At present, in Russian scientific and educational literature, the term of Latin exegesis anagoge is usually understood as the eschatological meaning of Holy Scripture. A large number of ancient Latin authors who use the term do indeed demonstrate just such an understanding. This in some cases leads to too broad a generalization and gives the impression that all exegetes use the term in this sense. However, it must be borne in mind that in Latin exegetical literature st. Jerome was the first to use anagoge on the basis of the meaning of ἀναγωγή among Greek interpreters, who often used this word to denote any spiritual interpretation. So, St. Jerome denotes anagoge all kinds of spiritual sense of Scripture. In the subsequent Latin tradition, the semantic field of this term has repeatedly changed, as a rule, towards a narrower specification of meaning. Within the framework of this article, an attempt is made to determine the main meanings of anagoge in Latin exegetical literature, which will contribute to a more correct and clear understanding of both the terminology and the hermeneutic methods of the ancient Latin interpreters.

Kuran’a Göre Yöneticilerde Bulunması Gereken Özellikler

In this study, it is aimed to examine the characteristics that should be present in managers according to the Quran. The study is supported by prototype verses expressing the characteristics that should be present in managers, and with this method, it aims to reveal the characteristics that should be present in managers with verses. For this purpose, the contents of the texts and verses of the Quran intended for the transfer of information about the features that should be present in the administrators have been analyzed. In this study, the literature on the studies conducted on the characteristics that should be present in managers according to the Quran in order to base the theoretical framework was briefly reviewed. Subsequently, the verses that are considered relevant to the issue have been determined. In order to be able to interpret the verses of the Quran literally in relation to this issue, the reason for the arrival of each verse was examined and various exegetical works were examined in this minval. Keywords: The Quran, Verses, Management and Stewardship Key Words: Quran, Verses, Management and Stewardship

The Church as God’s agent in uniting immigrants and natives: A case from Ephesians 2:11–22

As the number of people migrating from many different countries to South Africa constantly increases, there is bound to be immense tension between the immigrants and the citizens for many and different reasons. Within this context, the South African Church is expected to play a critical role in bringing peace and unity between the immigrants and the natives. In responding to the proposed challenge, this article submits that the Church has a God-given role of uniting immigrants and native South Africans by utilising Ephesians 2:11–22. This conception arises from locating Ephesians 2:11–22 in the broader context of Scripture. In so doing, the article submits that the role of the Church entails both preaching and practising the social aspects of the vertical (God’s reconciliation with humans) and the horizontal (human to human reconciliation) reconciliation that were accomplished by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. That is to say, the Church should be perceived as the agent of God in uniting the immigrants and the native South Africans by proclaiming the doctrine of vertical and horizontal reconciliation to Christians and non-Christians in both word and deeds.Interdisciplinary implication: This is an interdisciplinary article that conducts a thorough exegetical work on Ephesians 2:11–22. Thereafter, the article alludes to relevant biblical passages to draw some ensuing social implications of Ephesians 2:11–22 in easing the existing tensions between immigrants and native South Africans. In bringing the aforesaid together, the former aspect of the article falls within biblical studies, while the latter falls within practical-missional theology.

Hamka’s Review of Economic Verses in Tafsir Al-Azhar Using the Ijtima‘i Methodological Approach

Tafsir al-Azhar is a well-known work of Indonesian exegete, Hamka. This study examines one of Hamka’s magnum opus exegetical works. The emphasis is on his discussion of economic matters, particularly capitalism, usury, and corruption, particularly in the selected text. This study employs a qualitative approach, analyzing chosen documents. This study revealed that Hamka’s techniques are unique due to to Indonesia's socio-cultural characteristics. Hamka employed the al-Ijtimā‘ī method in his writing, as do other exegetes. This method aimed to comprehend the Quran by carefully examining its terms and expanding their meanings beautifully and engagingly anguage within the context of the existing cultural system.

Citation of Han Fu in Shijing Exegetical Works

Abstract The various rhapsodies or poetic expositions of the Han dynasty known as Han fu are replete with passages from the classic Chinese poetry collection the Shijing, or Book of Poetry. The reverse is also true: Shijing scholarship has likewise cited Han fu in many of its exegetical works. As a result, the various editions of the Han fu are important sources in the study of the Confucian classics, a discipline commonly known in Chinese as jingxue. The classical citations of the Shijing throughout the Han fu can be placed into one of two categories: “language citation” and “meaning citation”, while the “ironic citation” of Han fu in exegeses of the Shijing that is prevalent in the interpretative system of the Confucian classics can be further broken down into three types: “meaning and principle”, “verification and justification” and “language and exposition”. In the meaning-based citations of the Shijing by the Han fu – especially those of “persuasive remonstrance” and “hymns and eulogies” – the conveyed messages were ironically cited by later generations of interpreters of Confucian classics, which helped form new meanings and principles. The main themes, subject matter, emotional expression and language style of Han fu are lifted heavily from the Shijing. Later generations of Confucian scholars then cited text from the Han fu, thereby constructing new forms of language and exposition. The unique characteristics of fu to “describe things and express themselves clearly” and reference a wide range of “names and things” were used by later Confucian scholars who sought to better understand a whole host of signifiers referred to in the classic texts, from herbs, trees and birds, to beasts, insects and fish. Meanwhile, the perception of fu as knowledge-laden texts inspired Confucian scholars to carry out textual research on them. Scholarly comparisons in premodern China between the Shijing as a Confucian classic, the Shijing as a literary corpus, and Han fu developed during a process of ordinary citation and ironic citation. This resulted in the practice of “complementary citations” of meaning and principle, verification and justification, and language and exposition. A scholarship cycle was thus formed in which the classics were used to revere the fu, then the classics were used to enrich the fu, and interpretations of the fu started to be used to transmit canonical messages. It was a cycle that was imbued with a cross-permeation of neo-Confucian, historical and literary dimensions, eventually resulting in the construction of a new interpretative system for premodern Chinese scholarship of classic texts.

La date du commentaire de Fortunatien d’Aquilée sur les évangiles à la lumière de ses prises de position trinitaires

According to Jerome, Fortunatian’s commentary on the Gospels was written during the reign of Constantius II (337-361). Like many exegetical works, it offers little evidence for dating, but a careful analysis of the elements which relate to the Trinitarian polemics allows us to relate various parts of the commentary to events or creeds of the 350s, suggesting that it was written between 353 and the terminus ad quem 360. The study of these elements also makes it possible to clarify Fortunatian’s theological position, which is faithful to Nicene conceptions while allowing for an accomodation to the Homean line promoted by Constantius and the bishops of his court.

Λόγος as an Anti-Psychologistic Conception of Meaning Heidegger’s Interpretation of the Aristotelian Notion of Language in the Light of Its First Courses (1921-1927)

The article attempts to clarify Heidegger’s interpretation of the Aristotelian concept of λόγος, often misunderstood as a mythical and obscure conception of language. As it is shown, Heidegger’s interpretation aims, first and foremost, to underline the potentiality of λόγος as a historical element against the psychologistic conception of meaning and language, common in the philosophical and philological context of the late nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. In this way, I try to grasp the significance of Heidegger’s interpretation of Greek philosophy, offering the basis for a re-evaluation of his exegetical work.

Rethinking Women’s Dress Prescriptions in the Qur’an: An Extratextual Reading of Zina

Women's dress in Islam remains a contentious issue. Despite various perspectives on dress prescriptions, rarely are they based solely on the Qur'ān. This is also the case with exegetical works as highlighted in the works of contemporary Muslim feminists. However, these authors also fail to underscore the Qur'ān's own prescriptions on dress, preferring instead a general focus on modesty that is not explicitly linked to the Qur'ān. Responding to this trend in secondary scholarship, this paper undertakes a synchronic intratextual reading of what is arguably the key term in the Qur'ān's prescription of dress, zīna (adornment). This article argues that the Qur'ānic text lends itself to a paradigm of women's dress prescriptions that values certain general principles, such as not being sexually alluring or tempting, invoking desire and drawing visual focus.

Telling a Different Story: Redeployment of the Narrative Alexander Tradition in a Medieval PersianDāstān

AbstractThis article explores theremaniementof three episodes current in the Perso-Arabic Alexander tradition—i.e., Eskandar's confrontation with the Indian king Fur; Eskandar's visit to Queen Qeydāfeh; and Eskandar's encounter with the Gymnosophists—in the anonymous PersianEskandarnāmeh, a medieval epic narrative in prose (dāstān;ca. 12th–14thc.). Through extensive comparative evidence from other genres, primarily narrative poetry (Ferdowsi'sShāhnāmeh, Nezāmi'sSharafnāmehandEqbālnāmeh), mirabilia (ʿajāyeb), and exegetical works (qesas al-anbeyāʾandtafsir), this study engages with how the modalities of thedāstāngenre, with its strong leaning towards traditional oral storytelling, affect the narrative choicesEskandarnāmeh's author makes in treating these themes. In so doing, this article attempts to develop a more informed assessment of the strategies and devices which, activated both on the production and reception planes, generate competing interpretations of well-known plots recast in different narrative modes.