THE LETTER KILLS: ON SOME IMPLICATIONS OF 2 CORINTHIANS 3:6
Carlo Ginzburg
The paper focuses on an argument put forward by Augustine in his De doctrina Christiana: there are passages the Bible that need to be read a literal, contextual, and ultimately rhetorical perspective. This approach (usually overshadowed Augustine's own parallel emphasis importance of allegory) was needed deal with customs—for instance patriarchs' polygamy—that had evaluated, argued, according standards different from those prevailing present day. inspired utter some sharp remarks avoid (as we would say today) ethnocentric, anachronistic projections into Biblical text. long-term impact profound. letter played significant role exchanges between Christian Jewish medieval readings Bible, which affected Nicholas Lyra's influential commentary (Postilla). same tradition may have contributed Valla's Karlstadt's audacious hermeneutic canon, covertly or openly focused contradictions text, questioning Moses as author Deuteronomy. Traces discussions can detected Spinoza's Tractatus theologico-politicus. suggests contextual reading provided model for secular general. possible this aggressive encounter Europe alien cultures is matter speculation.
History and Theory