Symbolic Drama of Passage

Envisioning Scriptural Interpretation as a Symbolic Act with Origen of Alexandria

By (author) Kyeil Kwak

Book cover: Symbolic Drama of Passage

Extent: 158 pages

Publisher: Brill | Schöningh

Subjects: Ancient Egypt, Biblical Studies, Religious Studies

Series: Patristic Studies in Global Perspective

Series volume number: 3

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(March 2022)

ISBN: 9783506793423

6.1 x 9.25 inches

Price: $125.00

In stock

Origen envisioned scriptural interpretation as a symbolic drama of passage with the Logos-Christ, reuniting what is originally one. During the first three centuries C.E., (symbol) became a prominent term along with (enigma) and (allegory) in forming a cosmic formula popular across the Mediterrnean world: symbol encodes the divine mystery in enigmatic forms and allegory decodes them. Having considered Scripture as full of divine symbols, Origen envisioned and practiced allegorical interpretation of Scripture as a symbolic act of bringing, comparing, and matching its letters under the divine paideia of the Logos-Christ. In seeking three levels of scriptural meaning, Origen construed the cosmos as a tripartite reality and defined the essence of Christianity as a symbolic drama of passage. For Origen, the main actor of this drama is the Logos-Christ in the divine action of gradually leading his bride (i.e., the church) from the visible reality through the invisible reality to the divine reality.

  • By (author) Kyeil Kwak