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christian-scripture-revelationfeatured in 30 works

Allegorical Interpretation

Reading Scripture for a hidden meaning beneath the letter

Allegorical interpretation reads Scripture for a spiritual meaning beyond the plain words, often pointing to Christ; Paul uses such a reading in Galatians 4, and Origen and the Alexandrian school developed it. This approach stands in lasting tension with the Antiochene school, which favored the literal and historical sense. The two represent an enduring exegetical debate over how far meaning may move beyond the text's surface.

How it traveled

  1. Galatians
    Ephesus · 67
    explains
  2. Dialogue with Trypho
    Rome · 165
    applies
  3. Hortatory Address to the Greeks
    Rome · 165
    explains
  4. Against Heresies: Book I
    Lyons · 202
    applies
  5. Against Heresies: Book V
    Lyons · 202
    explains
  6. Against Heresies: Book IV
    Lyons · 202
    applies
  7. On the Resurrection of the Flesh.
    — · 220
    explains
  8. The Epistle of Barnabas
    Alexandria · 220
    applies
  9. On Modesty.
    — · 220
    explains
  10. The Church History of Eusebius
    Caesarea · 339
    explains
  11. Ephraim Syrus: The Pearl. Seven Hymns on the Faith
    Edessa · 373
    applies
  12. Answer to Eunomius' Second Book
    Nyssa · 395
    explains
  13. Exposition of the Christian Faith
    Milan · 397
    explains
  14. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  15. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  16. Homilies on First Corinthians
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  17. The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and Ephesians
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  18. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  19. Jerome's Apology for Himself Against the Books of Rufinus
    Aquileia · 411
    applies
  20. The Letters of St. Jerome
    Bethlehem · 420
    explains
  21. Jerome and Gennadius. Lives of Illustrious Men
    Bethlehem · 420
    explains
  22. Against Jovinianus
    Bethlehem · 420
    applies
  23. Expositions on the Book of Psalms
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  24. The Confessions
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  25. On Christian Doctrine
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  26. Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  27. Reply to Faustus the Manichæan
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  28. City of God
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  29. The Harmony of the Gospels
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  30. Letters of St. Augustin
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains

Key passages(20)

The Church History of Eusebius — Book VI — Circumstances Related of Origen. — part 5↗explains

The Church History of Eusebius · Eusebius of Caesarea

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City of God — The progress of the earthly and heavenly cities traced by the sacred history. — Of the Ark and the Deluge, and that We Cannot Agree with Those Who Receive the Bare History, But Reject the Allegorical Interpretation, Nor with Those Who Maintain the Figurative and Not the Historical Meaning.↗applies

City of God · Augustine of Hippo

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Commentary on Galatians — Galatians 4 — part 11↗explains

Commentary on Galatians · Martin Luther

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Expositions on the Book of Psalms — Psalm CIV — part 1↗applies

Expositions on the Book of Psalms · Augustine of Hippo

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Expositions on the Book of Psalms — Psalm CIV — part 2↗explains

Expositions on the Book of Psalms · Augustine of Hippo

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Expositions on the Book of Psalms — Psalm CIV — part 4↗applies

Expositions on the Book of Psalms · Augustine of Hippo

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Expositions on the Book of Psalms — Psalm LXXXIV — part 1↗applies

Expositions on the Book of Psalms · Augustine of Hippo

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Galatians 4:24↗explains

Galatians · Paul the Apostle

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Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John — Chapter II. 1–11. — part 1↗applies

Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John · Augustine of Hippo

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Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John — Chapter IV. 1–18. — part 2↗applies

Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John · Augustine of Hippo

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Melito, the Philosopher., From 'The Key.'↗explains

Melito, the Philosopher. · Remains of the Second and Third Centuries

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On Christian Doctrine — Book III — How We are to Discern Whether a Phrase is Figurative.↗explains

On Christian Doctrine · Augustine of Hippo

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On Christian Doctrine — Book III — Rule Regarding Passages of Scripture in Which Approval is Expressed of Actions Which are Now Condemned by Good Men.↗explains

On Christian Doctrine · Augustine of Hippo

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On the Profit of Believing — Section 8↗explains

On the Profit of Believing · Augustine of Hippo

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Reply to Faustus the Manichæan — Faustus denies that the prophets predicted Christ. Augustin proves such prediction from the New Testament, and expounds at length the principal types of Christ in the Old Testament. — part 3↗applies

Reply to Faustus the Manichæan · Augustine of Hippo

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Reply to Faustus the Manichæan — Faustus states his objections to the morality of the law and the prophets, and Augustin seeks by the application of the type and the allegory to explain away the moral difficulties of the Old Testament. — part 1↗applies

Reply to Faustus the Manichæan · Augustine of Hippo

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Reply to Faustus the Manichæan — Faustus states his objections to the morality of the law and the prophets, and Augustin seeks by the application of the type and the allegory to explain away the moral difficulties of the Old Testament. — part 17↗explains

Reply to Faustus the Manichæan · Augustine of Hippo

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The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the Great — Register of the Epistles of St. Gregory the Great. — Book III. — part 18↗applies

The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the Great · Gregory the Great

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The Confessions — Of the goodness of God explained in the creation of things, and of the Trinity as found in the first words of Genesis. The story concerning the origin of the world (Gen. I.) is allegorically explained, and he applies it to those things which God works for sanctified and blessed man. Finally, he makes an end of this work, having implored eternal rest from God. — Allegorical Explanation of the Firmament and Upper Works, Ver. 6.↗applies

The Confessions · Augustine of Hippo

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The Confessions — Of the goodness of God explained in the creation of things, and of the Trinity as found in the first words of Genesis. The story concerning the origin of the world (Gen. I.) is allegorically explained, and he applies it to those things which God works for sanctified and blessed man. Finally, he makes an end of this work, having implored eternal rest from God. — Allegorical Explanation of the Sea and the Fruit-Bearing Earth—Verses 9 and 11.↗applies

The Confessions · Augustine of Hippo

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