Book of Rules of Tyconius, The: Its Purpose and Inner Logic (ND Christianity & Judaism Anitqui) (Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity) - Softcover

Bright, Pamela

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0268022194 ISBN 13: 9780268022198

Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press, 1994

Synopsis

The Liber Regularum, written by Tyconius in the Fourth Century A.D., was the first system of biblical interpretation proposed by a Latin theologian. Augustine was very interested in this work and included an extraordinary summation of it in his De doctrina christiana. Although this treatment insured the preservation of the work and its lasting fame, Augustine's summary became better known than the original. Pamela Bright's The Book of Rules of Tyconius: Its Purpose and Inner Logic reintroduces this neglected classic of early church literature. Bright asserts that although Augustine was greatly influenced by the Liber Regularum, his philosophical differences caused him to misunderstand its meaning. Bright reexamines the meaning of “prophecy” and “rule” from Tyconius's perspective and reveals that the purpose of the book was not to provide a general guide to scriptural interpretation, but rather a way to interpret apocalyptic texts. She cites Tyconius's intense concern with evil in the church as the genesis of his interest in the apocalypse and subsequently the meaning of the scripture concerning it. Tyconius speaks of the “seven mystical rules” of scripture that with the grace of the Holy Spirit reveal the true meaning of prophecy. If an interpreter follows the “logic” of these rules, the nature of the church as composed by both good and evil membership is revealed. Bright argues that Tyconius was not illogical or incompetent in the work's composition as many critics have claimed but rather that he organized his material in a concentric pattern so that Rule Four, the center of the seven rules, is also the central development of his theory. Of interest to theologians, students of biblical interpretation and of Augustine, The Book of Rules of Tyconius focuses attention upon a work that had great influence on the understanding of the nature of the church, on interpreting scripture, and its meaning for the Church of its day.

About this title

About the Author

Pamela B right is chair of the theology department at Concordia College, Montreal.

Review

"Brett has crafted a meticulously researched study which he effectively situates within three streams of scholarly discourse: United States foreign mission history, African American Catholic history, and the history of women religious. Utilizing previously ignored archival documents as well as a substantial body of personal correspondence and interviews conducted with a broad, balanced spectrum of informants, he has produced a lucid study of an African American sisterhood’s evolving concept of mission during a century of service. The racial component of his work makes it especially compelling in that he analyzes in nuanced fashion how the common African descent of both the missionaries and their target population simultaneously facilitated and complicated their interactions. Scholarly works examining African American women religious remain exceedingly rare. This book adds to this worthwhile but extremely underserved area a unique focus on their missionary activities." (Diane Batts Morrow, University of Georgia)

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0268022194
• ISBN 13: 9780268022198
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208