Interpretation and Allegory: Antiquity to the Modern PeriodJon Whitman This is an unparalleled investigation of the theory and practice of interpretation. Concentrating on interpretive allegory, the volume simultaneously opens and organizes new approaches to over two thousand years of critical change. Its diverse topics extend from pagan, Jewish, Christian, and Islamic perspectives to postmodern inquiries. Its intersecting lines of analysis are drawn by scholars whose specialities range from ancient and modern literature to art history, comparative religion, and the history of philosophy. Framed by introductory essays assessing changes in scholarly research on allegory during the past century, the study has four principal parts: I) "Antique Interpretation of Formative Texts"; II) "Medieval Philosophic Designs"; III) "Late Medieval and Renaissance Sign Systems"; IV) "Eighteenth- to Twentieth-Century Theories of Allegory." This provocative, unique revaluation provides an indispensable framework for future research. Contributors include: Peter M. Daly, David Dawson, Charles Dempsey, Paula Fredriksen, Warren Zev Harvey, Marc Hirshman, Moshe Idel, Alfred L. Ivry, Robert Lamberton, Joseph Mali, Giuseppe F. Mazzotta, A.J. Minnis, Rainer Nagele, Azade Seyhan, Tobin Siebers, Gregg Stern, Winthrop Wetherbee, and Jon Whitman. "Interpretation and Allegory: Antiquity to the Modern Period" is the recipient of The Polonsky Foundation 2001 Award for Contributions to Interdisciplinary Study in the Humanities, praising its unparalleled design and the far-reaching breadth of its research, and the unique framework it provides for future study. This publication has also been published in paperback. |
Contents
Interpretation Allegory | 3 |
Antiquity to the Late Middle Ages | 33 |
Platos Soul and the Body of the Text in Philo | 89 |
Theology and Exegesis in Midrashic Literature | 109 |
Paul and Augustine | 125 |
The Utilization of Allegory in Islamic Philosophy | 153 |
Jewish approaches to philosophic allegory | 181 |
Philosophy Commentary and Mythic Narrative | 211 |
Allegory and Divine Names in Ecstatic Kabbalah | 317 |
The Mythographer of the City | 349 |
An Overview | 365 |
SixteenthCentury Emblems and Imprese as Indicators | 383 |
Vicos New Science of Mythology | 423 |
Registers | 437 |
Allegory and the Aesthetic Ideology | 469 |
Contributors | 487 |
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Common terms and phrases
Abba Mari Abulafia aesthetic aggada Akiva al-Ghazālī Alciato allegorical interpretation allegorical reading allegory ancient antiquity approach argued argument Augustine Averroes Avicenna Benjamin Bible biblical Boccaccio body Cambridge century chapter Christ cited commentary conception critical cultural discussion divine Dronke early emblem essay exegesis exegetical expression figures Genesis Gentiles Greek Hebrew hermeneutics hieroglyph Hoshen human Ibn Tufayl Idel inter ISBN 90 Islamic Israel Jewish Jews Judaism Kabbalah Kabbalistic Lamberton language late literal sense literary Literature logos Maimonides meaning medieval Meiri metaphor Middle Ages midrash Minnis Moses mystical myth mythology Nahmanides narrative nature Neoplatonic notion original passage Paul perspective Philo Philo of Alexandria philosophic Platonic Plotinus poetic poetry Princeton prior version Proclus Qur'an rabbinic reference Renaissance rhetorical Romantic Science signifying soul spiritual story symbol textual theology theory Thierry of Chartres tion Torah tradition trans translation typology Vico Whitman words writing