Allegorical Readers and Cultural Revision in Ancient Alexandria

Allegorical Readers and Cultural Revision in Ancient Alexandria

Author: David Dawson

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2023-04-28

Total Pages: 364

ISBN-13: 9780520910386

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Allegorical readings of literary or religious texts always begin as counterreadings, starting with denial or negation, challenging the literal sense: "You have read the text this way, but I will read it differently." David Dawson insists that ancient allegory is best understood not simply as a way of reading texts, but as a way of using non-literal readings to reinterpret culture and society. Here he describes how some ancient pagan, Jewish, and Christian interpreters used allegory to endorse, revise, and subvert competing Christian and pagan world views. This reassessment of allegorical reading emphasizes socio-cultural contexts rather than purely formal literary features, opening with an analysis of the pagan use of etymology and allegory in the Hellenistic world and pagan opposition to both techniques. The remainder of the book presents three Hellenistic religious writers who each typify distinctive models of allegorical interpretation: the Jewish exegete Philo, the Christian Gnostic Valentinus, and the Christian Platonist Clement. The study engages issues in the fields of classics, history of Christianity and Hellenistic Judaism, literary criticism and theory, and more broadly, critical theory and cultural criticism.


Book Synopsis Allegorical Readers and Cultural Revision in Ancient Alexandria by : David Dawson

Download or read book Allegorical Readers and Cultural Revision in Ancient Alexandria written by David Dawson and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2023-04-28 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Allegorical readings of literary or religious texts always begin as counterreadings, starting with denial or negation, challenging the literal sense: "You have read the text this way, but I will read it differently." David Dawson insists that ancient allegory is best understood not simply as a way of reading texts, but as a way of using non-literal readings to reinterpret culture and society. Here he describes how some ancient pagan, Jewish, and Christian interpreters used allegory to endorse, revise, and subvert competing Christian and pagan world views. This reassessment of allegorical reading emphasizes socio-cultural contexts rather than purely formal literary features, opening with an analysis of the pagan use of etymology and allegory in the Hellenistic world and pagan opposition to both techniques. The remainder of the book presents three Hellenistic religious writers who each typify distinctive models of allegorical interpretation: the Jewish exegete Philo, the Christian Gnostic Valentinus, and the Christian Platonist Clement. The study engages issues in the fields of classics, history of Christianity and Hellenistic Judaism, literary criticism and theory, and more broadly, critical theory and cultural criticism.

Allegorical Readers and Cultural Revision in Ancient Alexandria

Allegorical Readers and Cultural Revision in Ancient Alexandria

Author: David Dawson

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2023-04-28

Total Pages: 358

ISBN-13: 0520910389

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Allegorical readings of literary or religious texts always begin as counterreadings, starting with denial or negation, challenging the literal sense: "You have read the text this way, but I will read it differently." David Dawson insists that ancient allegory is best understood not simply as a way of reading texts, but as a way of using non-literal readings to reinterpret culture and society. Here he describes how some ancient pagan, Jewish, and Christian interpreters used allegory to endorse, revise, and subvert competing Christian and pagan world views. This reassessment of allegorical reading emphasizes socio-cultural contexts rather than purely formal literary features, opening with an analysis of the pagan use of etymology and allegory in the Hellenistic world and pagan opposition to both techniques. The remainder of the book presents three Hellenistic religious writers who each typify distinctive models of allegorical interpretation: the Jewish exegete Philo, the Christian Gnostic Valentinus, and the Christian Platonist Clement. The study engages issues in the fields of classics, history of Christianity and Hellenistic Judaism, literary criticism and theory, and more broadly, critical theory and cultural criticism.


Book Synopsis Allegorical Readers and Cultural Revision in Ancient Alexandria by : David Dawson

Download or read book Allegorical Readers and Cultural Revision in Ancient Alexandria written by David Dawson and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2023-04-28 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Allegorical readings of literary or religious texts always begin as counterreadings, starting with denial or negation, challenging the literal sense: "You have read the text this way, but I will read it differently." David Dawson insists that ancient allegory is best understood not simply as a way of reading texts, but as a way of using non-literal readings to reinterpret culture and society. Here he describes how some ancient pagan, Jewish, and Christian interpreters used allegory to endorse, revise, and subvert competing Christian and pagan world views. This reassessment of allegorical reading emphasizes socio-cultural contexts rather than purely formal literary features, opening with an analysis of the pagan use of etymology and allegory in the Hellenistic world and pagan opposition to both techniques. The remainder of the book presents three Hellenistic religious writers who each typify distinctive models of allegorical interpretation: the Jewish exegete Philo, the Christian Gnostic Valentinus, and the Christian Platonist Clement. The study engages issues in the fields of classics, history of Christianity and Hellenistic Judaism, literary criticism and theory, and more broadly, critical theory and cultural criticism.

Interpretation and Allegory

Interpretation and Allegory

Author: Whitman

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2022-03-28

Total Pages: 529

ISBN-13: 9004453598

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Western literary, philosophical, and religious traditions from Plato and Paul to Augustine and Avicenna have utilized, exploited, or been subjected to allegorical interpretation. Naturally developing a composite picture of interpretive allegory from such a large landscape faces numerous difficulties. As the editor puts it, “to imagine a ‘definitive’ account of the theory and practice of allegorical interpretation in the West would require something of an allegorical vision in its own right.” With that caveat in mind, however, the international team of contributors—from a variety of disciplines—offers a “historical and conceptual framework” for understanding interpretive allegory in the West, from antiquity through the early and late medieval and renaissance periods, and from the eighteenth through the twentieth centuries. This publication has also been published in hardback, please click here for details.


Book Synopsis Interpretation and Allegory by : Whitman

Download or read book Interpretation and Allegory written by Whitman and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2022-03-28 with total page 529 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Western literary, philosophical, and religious traditions from Plato and Paul to Augustine and Avicenna have utilized, exploited, or been subjected to allegorical interpretation. Naturally developing a composite picture of interpretive allegory from such a large landscape faces numerous difficulties. As the editor puts it, “to imagine a ‘definitive’ account of the theory and practice of allegorical interpretation in the West would require something of an allegorical vision in its own right.” With that caveat in mind, however, the international team of contributors—from a variety of disciplines—offers a “historical and conceptual framework” for understanding interpretive allegory in the West, from antiquity through the early and late medieval and renaissance periods, and from the eighteenth through the twentieth centuries. This publication has also been published in hardback, please click here for details.

Plutarch on Literature, Graeco-Roman Religion, Jews and Christians

Plutarch on Literature, Graeco-Roman Religion, Jews and Christians

Author: Frederick E. Brenk

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2023-05-08

Total Pages: 364

ISBN-13: 9004532471

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The present book includes sixteen studies by Professor Frederick E. Brenk on Plutarch on Literature, Graeco-Roman Religion, Jews and Christians. Of them, thirteen were published earlier in different venues and three appear here for the first time. Written between 2009 and 2022, these studies not only provide an excellent example of Professor Brenk’s incisiveness and deep knowledge of Plutarch; they also provide an excellent overview of Plutarchan studies of the last years on a variety of themes. Indeed, one of the most salient characteristics of Brenk’s scholarship is his constant interaction and conversation with the most recent scholarly literature.


Book Synopsis Plutarch on Literature, Graeco-Roman Religion, Jews and Christians by : Frederick E. Brenk

Download or read book Plutarch on Literature, Graeco-Roman Religion, Jews and Christians written by Frederick E. Brenk and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2023-05-08 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The present book includes sixteen studies by Professor Frederick E. Brenk on Plutarch on Literature, Graeco-Roman Religion, Jews and Christians. Of them, thirteen were published earlier in different venues and three appear here for the first time. Written between 2009 and 2022, these studies not only provide an excellent example of Professor Brenk’s incisiveness and deep knowledge of Plutarch; they also provide an excellent overview of Plutarchan studies of the last years on a variety of themes. Indeed, one of the most salient characteristics of Brenk’s scholarship is his constant interaction and conversation with the most recent scholarly literature.

The Clarity of Scripture

The Clarity of Scripture

Author: James Callahan

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2020-08-31

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 1725283654

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IS SCRIPTURE CLEAR? IF IT IS, WHY DO PORTIONS OF IT SEEM SO OBSCURE? IF IT ISN’T, WHY HAVE THEOLOGIANS SPENT SO MUCH TIME DEFENDING THE NOTION OF ITS CLARITY? AND MORE IMPORTANT, ARE CHRISTIANS ENGAGED IN A FUTILE EFFORT IN TRYING TO READ AND UNDERSTAND IT? JAMES CALLAHAN OFFERS VALUABLE INSIGHT INTO THE COMPLEX NOTION of biblical perspicuity. He sets the issues within the history of the church and traces how the Bible's clarity has been understood practically and theologically over time. With precision and care he clarifies the role of historical context, authorial intent and reader response in a constructive articulation of how we come to understand Scripture's meaning. Contemporary literary studies inform his discussion and suggest the importance of intertextuality and intratextuality in the reading of Scripture. Ultimately, Callahan argues, Scripture must be viewed as a privileged text within a privileged community. Nevertheless, it must be read, not arrogantly, but with humility under the searching glance of the God who caused it to be written.


Book Synopsis The Clarity of Scripture by : James Callahan

Download or read book The Clarity of Scripture written by James Callahan and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2020-08-31 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: IS SCRIPTURE CLEAR? IF IT IS, WHY DO PORTIONS OF IT SEEM SO OBSCURE? IF IT ISN’T, WHY HAVE THEOLOGIANS SPENT SO MUCH TIME DEFENDING THE NOTION OF ITS CLARITY? AND MORE IMPORTANT, ARE CHRISTIANS ENGAGED IN A FUTILE EFFORT IN TRYING TO READ AND UNDERSTAND IT? JAMES CALLAHAN OFFERS VALUABLE INSIGHT INTO THE COMPLEX NOTION of biblical perspicuity. He sets the issues within the history of the church and traces how the Bible's clarity has been understood practically and theologically over time. With precision and care he clarifies the role of historical context, authorial intent and reader response in a constructive articulation of how we come to understand Scripture's meaning. Contemporary literary studies inform his discussion and suggest the importance of intertextuality and intratextuality in the reading of Scripture. Ultimately, Callahan argues, Scripture must be viewed as a privileged text within a privileged community. Nevertheless, it must be read, not arrogantly, but with humility under the searching glance of the God who caused it to be written.

Homer's Ancient Readers

Homer's Ancient Readers

Author: Robert Lamberton

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2019-04-23

Total Pages: 222

ISBN-13: 0691604177

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Although the influence of Homer on Western literature has long commanded critical attention, little has been written on how various generations of readers have found menaing in his texts. These seven essays explore the ways in which the Illiad and the Odyssey have been read from the time of Homer through the Renaissance. By asking what questions early readers expected the texts to answer and looking at how these expectations changed over time, the authors clarify the position of the Illiad and the Odyssey in the intellectual world of antiqueity while offering historical insight into the nature of reading. The collection surveys the entire field of preserved ancient interpretations of Homer, beginning with the fictional audiences portrayed within the poems themselves, proceedings to readings by Aristotle, the Stoics, and Aristarchus and Crates, and culminating in the spritiualized allegorical reading current among Platonists of the fifth and sixth centuries C.E. The influence of these ancient interpretations is then examined in Byzantium and in the Latin West during the Renaissance. Contributors to this volume are Robert Browning, Anthony Grafton, Robert Lamberton, A.A. Long, James Porter, Nicholas Richardson, and Charles Segal. Robert Lamberton is Assistant Professor of Classics and John J. Keaney is Professor of Classics, both at Princeton University. Originally published in 1992. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.


Book Synopsis Homer's Ancient Readers by : Robert Lamberton

Download or read book Homer's Ancient Readers written by Robert Lamberton and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2019-04-23 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although the influence of Homer on Western literature has long commanded critical attention, little has been written on how various generations of readers have found menaing in his texts. These seven essays explore the ways in which the Illiad and the Odyssey have been read from the time of Homer through the Renaissance. By asking what questions early readers expected the texts to answer and looking at how these expectations changed over time, the authors clarify the position of the Illiad and the Odyssey in the intellectual world of antiqueity while offering historical insight into the nature of reading. The collection surveys the entire field of preserved ancient interpretations of Homer, beginning with the fictional audiences portrayed within the poems themselves, proceedings to readings by Aristotle, the Stoics, and Aristarchus and Crates, and culminating in the spritiualized allegorical reading current among Platonists of the fifth and sixth centuries C.E. The influence of these ancient interpretations is then examined in Byzantium and in the Latin West during the Renaissance. Contributors to this volume are Robert Browning, Anthony Grafton, Robert Lamberton, A.A. Long, James Porter, Nicholas Richardson, and Charles Segal. Robert Lamberton is Assistant Professor of Classics and John J. Keaney is Professor of Classics, both at Princeton University. Originally published in 1992. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Philo of Alexandria and the Construction of Jewishness in Early Christian Writings

Philo of Alexandria and the Construction of Jewishness in Early Christian Writings

Author: Jennifer Otto

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 0198820720

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Philo of Alexandria and the Construction of Jewishness in Early Christian Writings investigates portrayals of the first-century philosopher and exegete Philo of Alexandria, in the writings of Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Eusebius. It argues that early Christian invocations of Philo are best understood not as attempts simply to claim an illustrious Jew for the Christian fold, but as examples of ongoing efforts to define the continuities and distinctive features of Christian beliefs and practices in relation to those of the Jews. This study takes as its starting point the curious fact that none of the first three Christians to mention Philo refer to him unambiguously as a Jew. Clement, the first in the Christian tradition to openly cite Philo's works, refers to him twice as a Pythagorean. Origen, who mentions Philo by name only three times, makes far more frequent reference to him in the guise of an anonymous "one who came before us." Eusebius, who invokes Philo on many more occasions than does Clement or Origen, most often refers to Philo as a Hebrew. These epithets construct Philo as an alternative "near-other" to both Christians and Jews, through whom ideas and practices may be imported to the former from the latter, all the while establishing boundaries between the "Christian" and "Jewish" ways of life. The portraits of Philo offered by each author reveal ongoing processes of difference-making and difference-effacing that constituted not only the construction of the Jewish "other," but also the Christian "self."


Book Synopsis Philo of Alexandria and the Construction of Jewishness in Early Christian Writings by : Jennifer Otto

Download or read book Philo of Alexandria and the Construction of Jewishness in Early Christian Writings written by Jennifer Otto and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Philo of Alexandria and the Construction of Jewishness in Early Christian Writings investigates portrayals of the first-century philosopher and exegete Philo of Alexandria, in the writings of Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Eusebius. It argues that early Christian invocations of Philo are best understood not as attempts simply to claim an illustrious Jew for the Christian fold, but as examples of ongoing efforts to define the continuities and distinctive features of Christian beliefs and practices in relation to those of the Jews. This study takes as its starting point the curious fact that none of the first three Christians to mention Philo refer to him unambiguously as a Jew. Clement, the first in the Christian tradition to openly cite Philo's works, refers to him twice as a Pythagorean. Origen, who mentions Philo by name only three times, makes far more frequent reference to him in the guise of an anonymous "one who came before us." Eusebius, who invokes Philo on many more occasions than does Clement or Origen, most often refers to Philo as a Hebrew. These epithets construct Philo as an alternative "near-other" to both Christians and Jews, through whom ideas and practices may be imported to the former from the latter, all the while establishing boundaries between the "Christian" and "Jewish" ways of life. The portraits of Philo offered by each author reveal ongoing processes of difference-making and difference-effacing that constituted not only the construction of the Jewish "other," but also the Christian "self."

Dictionary of Biblical Criticism and Interpretation

Dictionary of Biblical Criticism and Interpretation

Author:

Publisher: Routledge

Published:

Total Pages: 419

ISBN-13: 1134635575

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Book Synopsis Dictionary of Biblical Criticism and Interpretation by :

Download or read book Dictionary of Biblical Criticism and Interpretation written by and published by Routledge. This book was released on with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Neotestamentica et Philonica

Neotestamentica et Philonica

Author: David Edward Aune

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2014-04-09

Total Pages: 476

ISBN-13: 9004268243

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Neotestamentica et Philonica is a collection of eighteen essays by an international group of scholars in honor of Peder Borgen. They treat aspects of the study of the historical Jesus, Paul and his Letters, the Gospel of John and Philo of Alexandria. These essays represent the cutting edge of New Testament and Philonic scholarship and will be important resources for students of these subject areas.


Book Synopsis Neotestamentica et Philonica by : David Edward Aune

Download or read book Neotestamentica et Philonica written by David Edward Aune and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2014-04-09 with total page 476 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Neotestamentica et Philonica is a collection of eighteen essays by an international group of scholars in honor of Peder Borgen. They treat aspects of the study of the historical Jesus, Paul and his Letters, the Gospel of John and Philo of Alexandria. These essays represent the cutting edge of New Testament and Philonic scholarship and will be important resources for students of these subject areas.

Crossing Boundaries in Early Judaism and Christianity

Crossing Boundaries in Early Judaism and Christianity

Author: Kimberley Stratton

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2016-10-11

Total Pages: 433

ISBN-13: 9004334491

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This volume is a memorial volume in honor of Alan F. Segal, featuring essays by renowned scholars of late ancient and Hellenistic Judaism, early Christianity, Gnosticism and Rabbinic Judaism.


Book Synopsis Crossing Boundaries in Early Judaism and Christianity by : Kimberley Stratton

Download or read book Crossing Boundaries in Early Judaism and Christianity written by Kimberley Stratton and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2016-10-11 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume is a memorial volume in honor of Alan F. Segal, featuring essays by renowned scholars of late ancient and Hellenistic Judaism, early Christianity, Gnosticism and Rabbinic Judaism.