Medieval Exegesis: The Four Senses of Scripture Vol. 1 (Ressourcement: Retrieval & Renewal in Catholic Thought)

About this book

Originally published in French as Exgse mdivale Henri de Lubacs multivolume study of medieval exegesis and theology has remained one of the most significant works of modern biblical studies. Available now for the first time in English this long-sought-after volume is an essential addition to the library of those whose study leads them into the difficult field of biblical interpretation. The first volume in de Lubacs multivolume work begins his comprehensive historical and literary study of the way Scripture was interpreted by the church of the Latin Middle Ages. Examining the prominent commentators of the Middle Ages and their texts de Lubac discusses the medieval approach to biblical interpretation that sought "the four senses" of Scripture especially the dominant practice of attempting to uncover Scriptures allegorical meaning. Though Bible interpreters from the Enlightenment era on have criticized such allegorizing as part of the "naivete of the Middle Ages " de Lubac insists that a full understanding of this ancient Christian exegesis provides important insights for us today.