Bible Quote by Nathan P. Feldmeth
““allegorical interpretation. This was one of the most influential approaches to biblical interpretation until the Reformation of the sixteenth century. The roots of allegorical interpretation reach back to the Golden Age of Greece and, in early Jewish hermeneutics, to Philo Judeas. In the beginning centuries of the Christian church, allegorical interpretation was identified with the Alexandrian school and especially with its most famous scholar, *Origen. The key assumption in this hermeneutical approach is that the scriptural text contains several senses. The interpreter seeks to discover levels of meaning that lie beneath the literal sense of a text. The figure of Moses in the Exodus narrative, for example, can be interpreted allegorically as Jesus Christ, who comes to those enslaved in sin and leads them to salvation. Origen identified three primary senses: the literal, the moral and the spiritual. Later Latin fathers expanded the senses into four: the literal, the allegorical, the tropological (moral) and the anagogic (focusing on the end or the goal of the Christian life).””
About This Quote
Source Book: History of Biblical Interpretation, 2005
Describes allegorical interpretation as a method seeking deeper, non‑literal meanings in scripture, tracing its origins and development.
In simple terms: Finding hidden spiritual meanings beyond the literal text.
Explore multiple layers of meaning in sacred texts.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- academic study
- sermon preparation
- personal Bible study
- interfaith dialogue
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you discern valid allegorical insights?
- What role should literal meaning play?
May be criticized for imposing subjective meanings over literal intent.