Literal Exegesis Research Articles

The Logic of Hatred: Pentecostal Normativity in Political Public Spheres in Zambia

This article draws upon Ubuntu philosophy to reframe and construct a pentecostal constructive theology of hatred. It critiques contemporary manifestations of public hatred within Pentecostalism in Zambia, particularly in relation to the Christian nation clause in the constitution. The article argues that constitutionalizing Christianity perpetuates pentecostal normativity in political public spheres, institutionalizing religious-based political hatred. The exclusive reliance on pentecostal literal exegesis of scriptures fosters hierarchical dynamics, enforces norms, and obstructs dissenting voices and religious pluralistic character of the nation. The article contends Ubuntu constructive spirituality of hatred is essential for developing functional, moral, prophetic leadership and a just democratic nation. It proposes a theology of mutually transformative constructive hatred of evil as a means of countering prevailing destructive hatred in public discourse.

Letter as Spirit in Cyril of Alexandria: Typology and the Christological Defense of Literal Exegesis

Cyril of Alexandria, often regarded as a mediating voice between Antiochene and Alexandrian exegetes, frequently cites his distinctively unitive Christology as warrant for literal interpretations of the Old Testament. That is, what scholars have regarded as rapprochement with Antiochene exegetes was partly motivated by a Christology with which they were at odds. For Cyril, christological interpretation underwrites the integrity of the literal sense, for he holds that a typological connection with the self-humbling of the Word is often good reason also to accept the truth of the ἱστορία. I consider several passages from Cyril's writings on the Old Testament, but special attention is given to a narrative that troubled many patristic commentators: the prophet Hosea's marriage to Gomer. Cyril maintained that it must be interpreted literally, precisely because Hosea's union with Gomer reflects the incarnate humility of Christ. To insist on the prophet's moral purity would, in Cyril's language, be to demand that Hosea be "holier than the all-holy God." This reading appears to be unique among patristic commentators, and I argue that this should be attributed specifically to Cyril's opposition to Antiochene dual-subject Christologies.

„Młody” Abramowski i kwestia kobieca. Część I: Historia kobiet. Rekonstrukcja

The subject of the series of articles is Edward Abramowski’s early thought as expressed in his collected works written up to 1896. It focuses on the following questions: Did Abramowski notice the asymmetry in the positions of men and women? Did he consider it necessary to maintain the gender status quo or to liberate women?The first article reconstructs, in the spirit of literal exegesis, what Abramowski wrote about the situation of women throughout history. The second article considers why Abramowski took this and not another position, and its interpretation is based on an analysis of the external determinants of Abramowski’s thought. The third article explains the meaning and function of Abramowski’s view in his time and distinguishes its supra-historical content.The following arguments support the legitimacy of separating reconstruction from interpretation. Reconstruction (Part I) provides a basis for verifying theses and reasons that appear in interpretations (Parts II and III). None of the interpretations ends (Parts II and III) with the same knowledge that initiates it (Part I). Besides, the results of the two interpretations (Parts II and III) do not coincide. It is also important that the issues discussed in the articles are controversial. Abramowski is a leading fi gure in the history of the Polish socialist movement, Polish philosophy, sociology and psychology. He polarises the world of science but outside it, some circles also perceive him as a positive fi gure, while others as a negative one. The same applies to attitudes to the exploitation and liberation of women. Additionally, ‘young’ Abramowski is surprising, while his story about inter-sex relations is not predictable or obvious.

Diodore of Tarsus, Theodore of Mopsuestia, and the Interpretation of the Messianic Psalms

Abstract For the majority of the patristic tradition, the Psalms are full of prophetic references to Christ, justified by New Testament citations and creative reading strategies. But for two writers from the so-called Antiochene school, Diodore of Tarsus and his student Theodore of Mopsuestia, this is not the case; New Testament use of the Old Testament is not prescriptive and allegory must be avoided at all costs. Diodore and Theodore only recognize four psalms as messianic: Ps 2, 8, 45, and 110. But not only do both theologians read Christ into these psalms, they do so in a manner that is unusual compared to how they approach the rest of the Psalter. This essay seeks to shed light on the reasons underlying these seeming exceptions. Pushing back against the now outdated paradigm of the Antiochene school as purely historical or literal exegesis, this essay will argue that both Diodore and Theodore are motivated not primarily by exegetical method, but more so by theological and textual concerns. More specifically, the readings of these four psalms are shaped by the Antiochene Christological vision found in Heb 1–2, which results in the prioritization of this text over the psalms in question.

Solus Verus Deus: Francis Cheynell and the Johannine Trinity

ABSTRACT Scholars have identified the crucial importance of Johannine theology in the early modern anti-Trinitarian and Trinitarian debates. This article investigates Francis Cheynell’s defence of a Trinitarian reading of John 17:3, a highly controversial text in these debates. Modern scholarship has left implicit the significance of John 17:3. Consequently, this article argues that, from Cheynell’s perspective, John 17:3 was the key text upon which Socinian rationalism found its compelling exegetical foothold and necessitated a Trinitarian response. This article demonstrates that Cheynell, in his exegesis of John 17:3, pursued a Nicene-Augustinian metaphysical line of literal exegesis to counter the unipersonal humanist thrust of Socinian exegesis. Indeed, this article advances the thesis that Johannine theology was at the forefront of the early modern polemics surrounding the Trinity. It also highlights the importance of the influence of Nicene-Augustinian thought upon the early modern Trinitarian reception of John’s Gospel.

The Objectivity of the Concept of Presumed State Aid and The Problem of Deficient Circumstantial Interpretation

In its judgment in Case T-791/16 Real Madrid Club de Fútbol v European Commission, the Court of Justice annulled the Commission Decision on aid measure SA.33754. The judgment allowed the rekindling, from the perspective of political science, of the discussions surrounding what represents the semantic definition of State aid, granted by the States or coming from State resources. The innovation brought by the European Commission was to establish a new subcategory for the term - presumed State aid. We discuss whether this type of aid can be fitted into the control by and decisional standards of the European Commission from a purely objective standpoint. The judgment leads us to reflect on the role played by the Commission regarding the evolution of the concept of State aid. However, this evolution, as an update of the directions of Article 107(1) TFEU, must take into consideration a methodology that necessarily goes through a path aimed at the market analysis based on the economic and social context of the State in question. The answer must be in accordance with the objectives and purposes of Community law and this does not represent a literal exegesis of the legal text. Keywords: Presumed State aid; Circumstantial interpretation; Objective and subjective concept of aid.

Rygoryzm i laksyzm moralny we wczesnochrześcijańskich ruchach heretyckich na podstawie Diversarum hereseon liber Filastriusza z Brescii

The objective of the article is to illustrate the two extremes represented by the broad assortment of movements: the ascetic rigorism and moral laxity. The primary source of text is the first Latin catalogue of heresies, written between 380 and 388 by the Bishop of Brescia, Philastrius. The source selection was dictated on twofold grounds. The treaty contains the most numerous descriptions of heretical groups, yet at the same time is the least known of its kind. The information enclosed in Philastrius' work, summarized in a comparative manner with the descriptions found in other patristic catalogues of heresy – by Epiphanius, Theodoret of Cyrus, John Damascene, Augustine and Isidore of Seville – lead to the following conclusions: 1) for the most part heretical movements followed the ascetic radicalism, motivated most habitually by an exaggerated literal exegesis of the biblical texts (eg. Gnostics, Encratites, Discalced); 2) the few of the laxative-approach movements operated on moral promiscuity (eg. Simonians, Carpocratians, Symmachians), the extent of which is difficult to assess due to the raised issues with the objectivity of Philastrius’ work – undermined by the use of invectives and the apologetic attitude of the author employed in order to defend the orthodox doctrine and morals; 3) paradoxically, there existed also groups that combined inconsistently promiscuity with the elements of asceticism (eg. Borborites, Adamites).

La exégesis bíblica de Agustín en De Genesi ad litteram líber unus imperfectus

In this article the author first examines Augustine’s bilateral commitment to the explanation of a literal exegesis in his works. Next he explores Augustine’s way of exposition in Gn. litt. imp., finally arguing the significance of his first literal interpretation.

Tradition and Innovation in Later Medieval English Manuscripts (review)

Tradition and Innovation in Later Medieval English Manuscripts. By Kathleen L. Scott. (London: The British Library. 2007. Pp. xiv, 194. $75.00. ISBN 978-0-712-34936-0.) This volume examines five little-studied English manuscripts of the later medieval period that contain rare or enigmatic decoration and iconography. Scott uses these examples to argue that although fifteenth-century manuscript illumination has often been derided as derivative and dull, these specific manuscripts not only contain strikingly inventive pictorial elements but also raise intriguing questions about the broader contours of English book production and the function of illustrations in late-medieval manuscripts. The first chapter concerns Bodleian Library MS Laud Misc. 156, an English modelbook for a work known as the Postilla litteralis super totam Bibliam, a widely used literal exegesis of the Bible composed by Nicholas of Lyra (d. 1349). Although this manuscript does not include the full text of the commentary, which typically ran from three to five volumes, it contains illustrations intended to accompany the text, including images that depict practical information about the Bible such as diagrams, plans, and illustrations of the Temple of Solomon, the Table of Shewbread, the Brazen Sea, the Altar of the Holocaust, and so on. She posits that the Bodleian manuscript was a kind of archetypal exemplar or modelbook that provided copyists with a repertoire of imagery for use in the numerous other copies of the work produced during the period.The second chapter considers All Souls Library, Oxford, MS 10, the only surviving copy of an illustrated French Bible written in England. The origins of this manuscript are especially mysterious, as the text was written in French at a time when Wycliffite Bibles were readily available, but produced in an English illuminating shop by a prolific and well-known artist who seems to have moved in the highest circles of noble book-commissioning patrons. Although the manuscript contains many of the standard features of English book art, some of its iconography was clearly influenced by French models; moreover, it prominently features miniatures of readers and books. Scott unravels some of the potential implications of this evidence for ownership and, intriguingly, proposes that the book may have been commissioned by a French patron in forced residence in England such as Charles d'Orleans. Scott then focuses on British Library, Stowe MS 39, the only surviving English manuscript of the Abbey of the Holy Ghost, a Middle English treatise of spiritual guidance that employs architectural motifs to depict aspects of interiority. …

La creazione dell’essere umano secondo la Prima Omelia di Origene al Libro della Genesi

The present essay analyzes the First Homily of Origen on the Book of Genesis, from the12th chapter to the end of the Homily in the 17th chapter, thus covering the section concerning the doctrine of the Great Alexandrine about the creation of the human being.The chapters present a typical feature of the origenian way of proceeding in exegesis: the alternation between the “historical” and the “spiritual” meaning of the events narrated, since he interprets the Biblical passages per allegoriam. The “dominion” over the waters (the heavenly waters) on earth is understood as that of the mens, the sensus spiritalis ruling over matter, over the “flesh”, namely over the sensus carnis.The dignity of the human being is widely stated since the human being is directly created by God, just as the fundamental cosmic realities (the heavens, the earth, the sun and the moon), and the notion of “image” shall be understood as referring not to the body, but rather to the “interior human being”, in clear opposititon to the widespread anthropological conceptions of his times. The image according to which the human being is created is the Christ-Logos; nevertheless, the human being created “at the image of God” has gained, through sin, the image of the devil, which he is called to abandon in order to assume the likeness of Christ.The literal sense is applied to the creation of the “male and the female” inasmuch as anticipation of the future creation of the woman, whereas according to the spiritual sense such creation indicates the interior human being, formed ex spiritu et anima. Origen presents and develops at this point the spousal symbology of the spiritual couple, Cf. Mt 7, 6.Origenes, Homilia Prima in Genesin 17, in: Origenis, Opera omnia quae graece vel latine tantum extant et eius nomine circumferuntu, 129: “[...] sensum Christi accipere, et scire ≪quae a Deo donata sunt nobis≫: et quae nobis ad escam data sunt, non faciamus escas porcorum, vel canum [...]” (traduzione italiana: M.I. Danieli (ed.), Origene, Omelie, 61). Cf. Gv 14, 23. Cf. 1 Cor 6, 19. Origenes, Homilia Prima in Genesin 17, in: Origenis, Opera omnia quae graece vel latine tantum extant et eius nomine circumferuntu, 129–130: “[...] quibus dignum sit suscipi in hospitio cordis nostri verbum ac filium Dei venientem cum patre suo, et volentem facere apud nos mansionem in Spiritu sancto, cuius prius templum per sanctitatem debemus existere” (traduzione italiana: M. I. Danieli (ed.), Origene, Omelie, 61–62). from whose harmony the dominion over the “earth” springs, meaning the dominion over the sensus carnis and the corporeae voluptates. Origen observes that “our interior man is made of spirit and soul: the spirit is said to be the male, and the soul can be called the female”. He indicates in the concordiaand the consensus–with an evident reference to the theme of between the spouses (see 1 Cor 7: 5)—the two elements of the necessary condition for the procreation of children, meaning of those good thoughts capable of populating the “earth”, identified with the subiectum sibi sensus carnis. Origen is the first author to introduce such idea and its specific language when widely explaining creation. The “interior human being” is conceived as dychotomic with reference to the corporeal, material human being and as following a totally opposite direction. The “image” – or, rather, the being made at the image – can be affirmed solely of the “interior human being” inasmuch as it identifies with the superior part of the soul, called “intellect” (mens, intellectus), which is the subject of reason.Origen is quite conscious of the problem of the dualism–in fact, the opposition– between the interior and the exterior human being, as found in St. Paul, whose doctrine resonates in Origen’s theological stress of the visible and the invisible. The opposition between the interior and the exterior human being, as well as their analogy, is extended also to the human functions, where two ways of the intellect are found, two forms of love, and two moral tasks.Origen’s way of arranging the discourse on the creation of the human being leads him to use the spousal symbology and the feminine character of the soul, considered as inferior with reference to the spiritus, since it is right the responsibility of the soul to push the human being towards corporeal and earthly passions, presented in terms of adultery. In conclusion, after having recalled–through a literal exegesis–the “dominion” over the animals carried out by the first couple, Origen presents–through a spiritual exegesis–their “dominion” over vices, both springing from the soul and from the body.

Exploring the Limits of Literal Exegesis: Augustine's Reading of Gen 1:26

The author aims to examine Augustine's understanding of the literal and figurative approaches to interpreting scripture, using a single verse, Gen 1:26, as a lens to view his changing understanding of what “literal” meant over the course of thirty years of commentaries on the book of Genesis. In his earlier commentaries, he seeks to redeem the verse from the Manichaean charge of anthropomorphism by giving it an allegorical reading. Some years later, now ordained and on the road to being made a bishop, Augustine attempts a literal reading in the Incomplete Commentary on Genesis. In the complete Literal Commentary on Genesis 3.19, he furnishes a Trinitarian reading of “Let us make humankind to our image and likeness”. By the completion of his great manual on exegesis, De doctrina christiana, he displays a more complex attitude towards the interpretation of scripture: the reader has to determine whether a verse is meant literally or figuratively (or both).

Walter of Châtillon: A twelfth-century poet's engagement with Jews

This article concerns one of the most eminent poets of the twelfth century, Walter of Châtillon, the author of the well-known Alexandreis. Walter of Châtillon is presented as a case study to show that twelfth-century poets as well as scholars were interested in the Christian-Jewish debate. Walter wrote a treatise against the Jews and referred to Jews and Judaism in many of his poems, especially in his hymns for Christmas. Whereas he concentrated on literal exegesis of biblical texts in his treatise, he favoured figurative biblical imagery in his hymns. A number of things are striking. The first is the central role that the Christian-Jewish debate played in his views on the origins and fate of mankind. The second is the need Walter evidently felt for anti-Jewish language in order to express his religious convictions. The third is the startling absence in Walter's work of the newest ideas about Jews and Judaism that were becoming more and more prevalent in scholarly circles in his lifetime. This latter point raises a fundamental question about the dissemination of Christian views about Jews in the twelfth century. Recent work on the Christian-Jewish debate has focussed on the development of novel ideas about Jews in the twelfth century and much work is being done to understand better how those views were spread beyond the narrow confines of scholarly circles. Walter's hymns in particular with all their hackneyed phrases signal the importance of not ignoring the continuing existence of traditional views about Jews. They also point to the need to include hymns in the study of the dissemination of anti-Jewish ideas.

L'esthétique de Hegel au carrefour de la parole et de l'action

AbstractThe following paper is not a literal exegesis of Hegel's æsthetics, but rather the attempt to encounter his æsthetics from a philosophical perspective which considers the æsthetic experience as intuition of finitude. From this perspective our purpose is to indicate the contemporary philosophical relevance of Hegel's æsthetics by underscoring some elements of it which can help us to rethink the relation between æsthetic experience and the subject in his interaction with his world. The question of this essay is: how can æsthetic experience be a substantial experience for the modern subject?

Ibn Rušd et lesPremiers Analytiquesd'Aristote: Aaperçu sur un problème de syllogistique modale

Ibn Rušd devoted a certain number of works to Aristotle'sPrior Analytics. In a series ofopusculeswritten over a period of twenty years and following upon hisMiddle Commentary on Aristotle's Prior Analytics, he faced a problem particular to the modal syllogism – that of the mood of the conclusion in mixed syllogisms.The problem can be stated as follows: At the beginning of thePrior Analytics, Aristotle established a formal deductive principle – that of universal attribution (Pr. An.I.1.24b26–30). Applied to the modal syllogism, this principle is inadequate as stated. It is too general to be applied in a univocal manner in all modal syllogisms. To preserve a sense of coherence in Aristotle's declarations, the commentators had to interpret it. Presenting the interpretations of the commentators, primarily al-Fārābī and Alexander, on the basis of al-Fārābī'sLarge Commentary on Aristotle's Prior Analytics, Averroes criticizes them. Applied according to Alexander's interpretation, the principle of universal attribution is valid only for modal syllogisms one of whose premises is necessary and the other assertoric; according to al-Fārābī's interpretation, it is verified only when the minor premise is possible. Averroes proposes two preliminary solutions. Either this formal deductive principle must be applied differently according to the modal differences of the minor premises in mixed syllogisms (first solution) or would be used in two ways, generally or in keeping with each mood (second solution). These solutions are not satisfactory, for they call into question the unity and universality of the principle of universal attribution as established by Aristotle. What is the utility, Averroes asks, of a principle which does not hold for all modalities or does not apply to all the premises when thePr. An.ought to furnish formal and universal principles of deduction? And why did Aristotle define the principle of universal attribution without distinguishing its application according to each of the three modal premises? Returning at the end of his career to a literal exegesis of Aristotle's propositions and without harkening back to the earlier solutions, he proposes a theory of making the terms modal (fourth solution) in order to save Aristotle's declarations with respect to the principle of universal attribution and the mood of the conclusion of mixed syllogisms (Pr. An.I. 9.30al5–20). Though formally inadequate, this solution, which had a continued history, proposes a new way of looking at the classification of modal propositions.

JEWISH EXEGESIS WITHIN CHRISTIAN BOUNDS

Summary Departing from the ambiguous attitude in medieval Christian literature towards Jewish exgesis, this article analyzes some motives at play in De Emmanuele, a dispute over Isaiah 7.14 between two pupils of Hugh of St.Victor, Richard and Andrew. The use of Jewish exegesis is demonstrated to be just one aspect of the problem of literal interpretation. This problem is elucidated on the basis of Hugh's teachings in the Didascalicon and De scripturis by a differentiation between sensus historiens as the foundation of the spiritual exposition, and lectio historica as preparatory study and exercise in humility. It becomes clear that in presenting the christological sensus historicus of the prophecy Richard stresses the coherence in exegesis, because in Andrew's specialistic literal exegesis the lectio historica seems to have lost its preparatory and humble character. The article concludes with locating the dispute in the twelfth century shift from monastic towards scholastic attitudes.

Pseudo-Jerome in the Commentary of Andrew of St. Victor on Samuel

The essential conservatism of medieval Biblical exegesis is well illustrated by the sources used by Andrew of St. Victor in his commentary on the books of Samuel. Despite his justified reputation as an exponent of literal exegesis, his originality and his freedom in his handling of his authorities, the overall appearance of his commentary is not all that different from the literal portions of the ninth-century commentaries of Rabanus Maurus and Angelomus of Luxeuil, despite the lapse of time and increasing sophistication of approach. Josephus, Jerome, Isidore, Bede, and Pseudo-Jerome continue to hold the field. In fact, in at least one respect there is a recession, as Rabanus and Angelomus knew how to distinguish between Jerome and Pseudo-Jerome (Hebraeus), whereas Andrew did not, and this in spite of his use of Rabanus and Angelomus, who had incorporated substantial chunks of Pseudo-Jerome into their commentaries.

Hugh of St. Victor and the Ark of Noah: A New Look

The treatise De area Noe morali by Hugh of St. Victor (d. 1141) contains a short but significant piece of literal exegesis concerning Noah's Ark. This seemingly slight example of Victorine exegesis is of considerable intrinsic merit for in it Hugh ventured to criticize an accepted exegetical “authority” and offered in its place his own interpretation of the passage. It is the purpose of this article to examine Hugh's criticism of the traditional exegesis and his positive contributions through the correlation of reason, auctoritas, and a fresh examination of the literal sense of Genesis VI.