Learning the Language of Scripture: Origen, Wisdom, and the Logic of Interpretation

✍ Scribed by Mark Randall James

• Publisher: BRILL
• Year: 2021
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 353
• Series: Studies in Systematic Theology, vol. 24
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

In Learning the Language of Scripture, Mark Randall James offers a new account of theological interpretation as a sapiential practice of learning the language of Scripture, drawing on recently discovered Homilies on the Psalms by the influential early theologian Origen of Alexandria (2nd-3rd c. C.E). Widely regarded as one of the most arbitrary interpreters, James shows that Origen’s appearance of arbitrariness is a result of the modern tendency to neglect the role of wisdom in scriptural interpretation. James demonstrates that Origen offers a compelling model of a Christian pragmatism in which learning and correcting linguistic practice is a site of the transformative pedagogy of the divine Logos.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Introduction
1 The Problem of Hermeneutic Arbitrariness
1.1 The Return to Scripture
1.2 Theological Interpretation and Arbitrariness
2 Origen and Arbitrariness
2.1 Origen as Systematic Theologian
2.2 Origen as Man of the Church
2.3 Origen as Charismatic Intellectual
3 Method: Descriptive Logic
4 Learning the Language of Scripture
Chapter 1 Origen and Stoic Logic
1 Stoic Philosophy of Language
1.1 Logic
1.2 Meaning
1.3 The Correctness of Names
2 Origen on Language and Logic
2.1 The Correctness of Names
2.1.1 Natural Names
2.1.2 Effective Names
2.2 Meaning
2.3 Logic
3 Conclusion
Chapter 2 From Lexis to Logos
1 The Pedagogy of the Logos
1.1 Lexis and Logos
1.2 Torjesen and the Scriptural Pedagogy of the Logos
2 Elements of the Movement from Lexis to Logos
2.1 Lexis
2.2 Kata Lexin
2.3 Rules of Usage
2.4 Linguistic Intuitions
2.5 Logos
3 Conclusion
Chapter 3 The Pragmatics of Scriptural Utterances
1 Deixis
1.1 Ancient and Contemporary Theories of Deixis
1.2 Place Deixis
1.3 Person Deixis
2 Implicature
2.1 Ancient Implicature
2.2 Conversational Implicature
2.3 Scriptural Implicature
2.4 Allegory and the Maxim of Quality
2.5 Order (τάξις) and the Maxim of Manner
3 Conclusion
Chapter 4 The Grammar of Scriptural Language
1 Inquiry and Vagueness
1.1 Analogy and Inquiry
1.2 Vagueness and Wisdom
2 Habits of Scripture
2.1 The Logic of Scriptural Habits
2.2 Scripture, World, and Interpreter
2.2.1 Habits of the World
2.2.2 Habits of Inquiry
2.3 Implicit Habits of Scripture
3 Invention
3.1 Rhetorical Invention
3.2 Analogy and Invention
3.3 Invention of New Words
3.4 Invention of New Sentences
4 Conclusion
Chapter 5 The Deification of Discourse
1 Bold Speech
1.1 The Boldness of Scripture
1.2 Boldness in Uttering Scriptural Sentences
1.3 Boldness in Formulating New Sentences
2 Parrhesia and Deification
2.1 Parrhesia
2.2 Commanding God
2.3 Imitating Christ
3 Conclusion
Chapter 6 Origenism as Pragmatism: A Sketch of a Sapiential Hermeneutic
1 Wisdom
1.1 Wisdom and Pragmatism
1.2 Linguistic Rationality
1.3 Learning a Skill
1.4 Wisdom and Common Sense
2 Scripture and Philosophy
2.1 Tradition and Scripture
2.2 Learning the Language of Scripture
2.3 Interpretation and Crisis
3 Sapiential Interpretation
3.1 The Problem of Writing
3.2 Literal Interpretation (Kata Lexin)
3.3 Sapiential Interpretation
3.3.1 The Verbal Condition
3.3.2 Performative Interpretation
3.3.3 Explicative Interpretation
3.3.4 Logical Interpretation
4 Towards a Sapiential Theology of Scripture
Works Cited
Index of Citations
Index of Names and Subjects