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History and Spirit: The Understanding of Scripture According to Origen
Origen (185-ca. 254), one of the most prolific and influential of the early Church Fathers, is best known to us for his Scripture exegesis. Henri de Lubac's History and Spirit is a landmark study of Origen's understanding of Scripture and his exegetical methods. In exploring Origen's efforts to interpret the four different senses of Scripture, de Lubac leads the reader through an immense and varied work to its Christ the Word. As Hans Urs von Balthasar said in discussing this seminal "The theory of the senses of Scripture is not a curiosity of the history of theology but an instrument for seeking out the most profound articulations of salvation history..." (From the book The Theology of Henri de Lubac .) What the reader finds on this journey is not only, then, a fascinating view of the mind and spirit of an important Father of the Church, but an essential key to a more profound understanding of the way in which Christ speaks to us through Scripture.
507 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1950
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About the author
Henri de Lubac
97 books100 followersHenri-Marie de Lubac, SJ (1896-1991) was a French Jesuit priest who became a Cardinal of the Catholic Church, and is considered to be one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century. His writings and doctrinal research played a key role in the shaping of the Second Vatican Council.
De Lubac became a faculty member at Catholic Faculties of Theology of Lyons, where he taught history of religions until 1961. His pupils included Jean Daniélou and Hans Urs von Balthasar. De Lubac was created cardinal deacon by Pope John Paul II on February 2, 1983 and received the red biretta and the deaconry of S. Maria in Domnica, February 2, 1983. He died on September 4, 1991, Paris and is buried in a tomb of the Society of Jesus at the Vaugirard cemetery in Paris.
De Lubac became a faculty member at Catholic Faculties of Theology of Lyons, where he taught history of religions until 1961. His pupils included Jean Daniélou and Hans Urs von Balthasar. De Lubac was created cardinal deacon by Pope John Paul II on February 2, 1983 and received the red biretta and the deaconry of S. Maria in Domnica, February 2, 1983. He died on September 4, 1991, Paris and is buried in a tomb of the Society of Jesus at the Vaugirard cemetery in Paris.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 31, 2016
“The Law is spiritual.” This one sentence allows Origen to seek “mystical” meanings beyond that of the literal text--and in de Lubac’s hands he does a fairly impressive job. In many ways this work can be seen as a case study of de Lubac’s Medieval Exegsis (3 vols). Henri de Lubac’s argument is that the spiritual sense justifies the literal sense (de Lubac 121). Furthermore, “allegory” (whatever that word means) always has metaphysical and epistemological overtones. What you say about allegory will reflect what you believe about the soul and how you know that. As de Lubac will conclude, allegory is a “symbolic transposition” (437). All thought is mediated and “positioned” by figures. Allegory, although often abused, is simply a logical outworking of this truth.
De Lubac’s Origen begins by noting correspondences between a trichotomous view of man and the 3-fold sense of Scripture. Man is body, soul, and spirit; not surprisingly, so Origen reads, so is Scripture. Up to a point, anyway. Scripture is unfolded as shadow, image, and truth (250). But we run into a small difficulty. The “three senses of Scripture” aren’t always locked in stone. Sometimes they can be “two senses.” When the mediating term is omitted, Scripture is elevated to the heavenly places. I think Origen paints himself into a corner here but we shouldn’t lose sight of his key epistemological insight: “Truth never appears to us completely free from figures” (253). If Scripture is mediated by figures, then there is nothing inherently wrong with allegory.
All of that is quite wonderful, but if the “mediating term” in Scripture is removed, does that mean the correspondence between Origen’s trichotomism (which I accept) and Scripture’s trichotomism breaks down? I think so. De Lubac leads to that conclusion but he refuses to draw it.
Origen doesn’t use the New Testament in exactly the same way as the Old Testament. There is a principle of New Testament operation: Christ’s actions are symbols of his spiritual operations (253). But “spiritual” doesn’t mean “not really real.” For Origen and Paul, “spiritual” mean eschatological newness (309). Jesus doesn’t explain the Old Testament; he transforms it (316).
De Lubac’s most fascinating chapter is on the relation between History and Spirit and the multiple modes of the Logos. In fact, that’s what the whole book should have been about. Origen’s Logos isn’t the same thing as Philo’s. De Lubac notes, “Philo’s Logos penetrates” into the multiplicity of matter, but Origen’s Logos speaks. He is “as much word as reason” (391).
And it is in this chapter where de Lubac most skillfully weaves together the logos of the soul with the Logos of Scripture. There is a “connaturality between Scripture and the soul” (397). The soul and Scripture “symbolize each other.” Origen applies this reasoning beyond the soul to the whole universe. Reality is an ordered hierarchy.
Conclusion
As wonderful as this book is, there are some negative points. It is about 100 pages too long (a problem with some of de Lubac’s writings). Further, de Lubac hasn’t fully escaped the prison cell of historical criticism, as he somewhat admits.
De Lubac’s Origen begins by noting correspondences between a trichotomous view of man and the 3-fold sense of Scripture. Man is body, soul, and spirit; not surprisingly, so Origen reads, so is Scripture. Up to a point, anyway. Scripture is unfolded as shadow, image, and truth (250). But we run into a small difficulty. The “three senses of Scripture” aren’t always locked in stone. Sometimes they can be “two senses.” When the mediating term is omitted, Scripture is elevated to the heavenly places. I think Origen paints himself into a corner here but we shouldn’t lose sight of his key epistemological insight: “Truth never appears to us completely free from figures” (253). If Scripture is mediated by figures, then there is nothing inherently wrong with allegory.
All of that is quite wonderful, but if the “mediating term” in Scripture is removed, does that mean the correspondence between Origen’s trichotomism (which I accept) and Scripture’s trichotomism breaks down? I think so. De Lubac leads to that conclusion but he refuses to draw it.
Origen doesn’t use the New Testament in exactly the same way as the Old Testament. There is a principle of New Testament operation: Christ’s actions are symbols of his spiritual operations (253). But “spiritual” doesn’t mean “not really real.” For Origen and Paul, “spiritual” mean eschatological newness (309). Jesus doesn’t explain the Old Testament; he transforms it (316).
De Lubac’s most fascinating chapter is on the relation between History and Spirit and the multiple modes of the Logos. In fact, that’s what the whole book should have been about. Origen’s Logos isn’t the same thing as Philo’s. De Lubac notes, “Philo’s Logos penetrates” into the multiplicity of matter, but Origen’s Logos speaks. He is “as much word as reason” (391).
And it is in this chapter where de Lubac most skillfully weaves together the logos of the soul with the Logos of Scripture. There is a “connaturality between Scripture and the soul” (397). The soul and Scripture “symbolize each other.” Origen applies this reasoning beyond the soul to the whole universe. Reality is an ordered hierarchy.
Conclusion
As wonderful as this book is, there are some negative points. It is about 100 pages too long (a problem with some of de Lubac’s writings). Further, de Lubac hasn’t fully escaped the prison cell of historical criticism, as he somewhat admits.
Read
July 28, 2011A bear to get through, but de Lubac presents a mediating argument to Origenean scholarship. While most point toward Origen's eccentricities, de Lubac gives a reminder that the core of Origen's work was orthodox and centered on solid exegesis of Scripture. However, de Lubac seems a bit more accepting of Origen's allegorical flights of fancy than orthodoxy would allow, but the focus on more central characteristics of Origen's exegetical style is much needed lest this early defender of orthodoxy and expositer of Scripture be made into a caricature by the contemporary scholar.
February 6, 2022
Here Lubec carefully discusses Spiritual Exegesis through Origen, working through what motivates Origen’s underlying logic and what his method says about his belief in History and the Bible in line with the Spirit.
Origen is motivated by a desire to see the Bible unified in the Christ Event. This does not mean discarding history , especially the OT, but seeking to read the OT as if the NT happened. Lubec contends Origen does not want to jettison the historical but not be bound by the letter. In fact, Origen can only interpret from a historical point, as Christ’s life, death and resurrection is a historical event.
I’m more interested in what Spiritual Exegesis says about the text. Origen can turn to Spiritual Exegesis because the Bible is of the Spirit. Ultimately the Bible is more than just a book of history, or of atomized verses. Rather the Bible is the inspired word of God that when read within the incorporations of the Logos, when the reader seeks to be changed by the Word’s word. Origen reads the Bible, in Lubec’s estimation more like it was intended then modernism’s historicism.
However, Lubec believes we should not follow Origen, or try to blanket reproduce his interpretation. To do so is folly. Instead, we should, in some ways come into a second naïveté, where we interpret through the larger Biblical symbolic universe with the intent to be changed while not forgetting history and exegesis.
At one point Lubec calls the Bible a “dialogue of love.”
Origen is motivated by a desire to see the Bible unified in the Christ Event. This does not mean discarding history , especially the OT, but seeking to read the OT as if the NT happened. Lubec contends Origen does not want to jettison the historical but not be bound by the letter. In fact, Origen can only interpret from a historical point, as Christ’s life, death and resurrection is a historical event.
I’m more interested in what Spiritual Exegesis says about the text. Origen can turn to Spiritual Exegesis because the Bible is of the Spirit. Ultimately the Bible is more than just a book of history, or of atomized verses. Rather the Bible is the inspired word of God that when read within the incorporations of the Logos, when the reader seeks to be changed by the Word’s word. Origen reads the Bible, in Lubec’s estimation more like it was intended then modernism’s historicism.
However, Lubec believes we should not follow Origen, or try to blanket reproduce his interpretation. To do so is folly. Instead, we should, in some ways come into a second naïveté, where we interpret through the larger Biblical symbolic universe with the intent to be changed while not forgetting history and exegesis.
At one point Lubec calls the Bible a “dialogue of love.”
May 13, 2017
"...our spiritual exegesis, supposing it is revived, will remain christological, purely christological--taking care now as always not to neglect any of the dimensions of Christ. Unlike an unintelligent science whose ravages have often been deplorable, it will strive always to be sensitive to that 'marvelous depth' of the divine words which inspired in Saint Augustine a love mixed with dread. But we will pay more strict attention to what that exegesis never seems to learn about the weaknesses of criticism...We will imitate [the ancients'] usual modesty more than their processes...And we will thus strive to unite our modern 'historical sense' to that profound 'sense of history' that their spiritual exegesis was able to bring out." from pp. 491-92
Christian scholars, stop not writing like this. Thoroughly scholarly but truly spiritual, de Lubac calls for (and almost prophetically anticipates) the revival of the most unlikely patristic practice--spiritual interpretation. He is realistic about the impossibility of reproducing the practice itself, but optimistic about the recovery of its distinctively Christian principles.
Christian scholars, stop not writing like this. Thoroughly scholarly but truly spiritual, de Lubac calls for (and almost prophetically anticipates) the revival of the most unlikely patristic practice--spiritual interpretation. He is realistic about the impossibility of reproducing the practice itself, but optimistic about the recovery of its distinctively Christian principles.
December 21, 2021
De Lubac was one of the 20th centuries leading scholars in Origenian works. This piece provides a detailed understanding of how Origen understood the Scriptures. By walking through his history of interpretation De Lubac is able to provide a valuable piece for centuries to come in what Origen believed about the word of God. At times he can be a bit wordy, but this seems to be done so that he is painting a narrative of Origen’s understanding. By doing this he makes Origen seem much more approachable and less daunting as an ancient theologian.
October 22, 2021
Hard to say much more other than this: magisterial.
It is an absolute must in order to understand Origen—and perhaps the best introduction to a sympathetic reading one could get.
It is an absolute must in order to understand Origen—and perhaps the best introduction to a sympathetic reading one could get.
August 5, 2020
A 500 page defense and rehabilitation of Origen’s legacy. The master and early pioneer of the allegorical method is given a fair hearing and is justified in all his essentials. Direct quotes from Origen are served up on every page as de Lubac sets out an all-you-can-eat buffet of source material and then comments on every dish’s exotic flavors. Contrary to popular opinion, Origen is not the mad allegorist smuggling Plato into the Scriptures to destroy the literal sense and substitute for it his own extravagant ravings. He was a man of the church, constantly overawed by the density and grandeur of the mysteries buried in the Bible and seeking to bring them out for the church’s admiration. Origen displays the freshness and enthusiasm of the early Christian thinkers who sought for Christ everywhere. The modern church needs to recover and reappropriate this method and free itself from the rational restraint of the historical-critical method. Thankfully this is happening.
September 6, 2016
De Lubac makes a compelling pitch against many diverse objections in this essay. It is long but most of it goes fairly quickly. Simply as a collection of magnificent texts from Origen and other Fathers, it's a book worth owning. Downsides: The Conclusion is unbearably boring for some reason, I could not make it through the last 20 pages or so without wanting to put the book down. Also, for a book this large to not have an index is criminal.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews