Patristic Exegesis as Contemplation: The Spiritual Sense of Scripture (October 8-10, 2026)
- Apr 21
- 1 min read
Join us on the campus of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA for an international conference on the patristic interpretation of Scripture.
Patristic Exegesis as Contemplation: The Spiritual Sense of Scripture will bring together a wide range of scholars and specialists in biblical studies and historical and systematic theology to examine the relationship between the Church Fathers and the spiritual reading of Scripture. It will explore the tradition of patristic exegesis as a form of contemplation or contemplative activity in which theoria, as both vision and interpretation, is applied to the inner meaning or spiritual depths of the biblical text.
Our speakers will explore the relationship in patristic literature between the reading of Scripture and such categories as mysticism, theophany, spirituality, ascetical theology, anagogy, and mystagogy. The contributions will attempt to move beyond the dichotomies associated with ‘allegory’ and other forms of interpretation to explore Early Christian and medieval understandings of exegesis as part of a broader life in the Spirit or spiritual activity as a form of beholding and encountering God through the medium of the biblical text.
Registration opens May 15, 2026.
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