Historicizing Allegory: The Jew as Hagar in Medieval Christian Text and Image
Deeana Copeland Klepper
Over the course of thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, Christian thinkers turned rhetorically to biblical servant Hagar (Genesis 16 21) establish, or at least support, specific policies restricting Jewish interaction with Christians. Referencing St. Paul's allegorical interpretation Abraham, Sarah, her in his Epistle Galatians, they transformed a longstanding association old law, synagogue, vague “other” into figure representative Jews living their midst. The centrality allegory western liturgical exegetical traditions made it useful framework for thinking about contemporary Christian-Jewish relations. This article is consideration intertwining typology history; an examination way one particularly rich typological reading came give meaning relationships between real Christians medieval Europe. A proliferation imagery word image offered structure that moved beyond Augustine's insistence on toleration. haughty, disrespectful, ungrateful sent away by Abraham provided effective support increasingly harsh treatment society.
Church History