Athanasius van Alexandrië en zijn uitleg van de Psalmen : een onderzoek naar de hermeneutik en theologie van een psalmverklaring uit de vroege kerk

Abstract

This study consists of an investigation into Athanasius of Alexandria’s only commentary handed down to us rather completely: Expositiones in Psalmos. On the basis of this commentary Athanasius’ hermeneutic pricniples, exegetic instruments and theological themes are brought forward. At the same time his exegesis is put into the framework of the preceding patristic tradition as well as the Graeco-Roman culture of those days. Moreover, by means of this method an attempt is made to bring forward ‘supra-personal’ lines in an exegetic study focussed on one person so that Athanasius’ position in the development of early-church (Psalm-)exegesis can be made clear too. The exegesis of the Psalter is rooted in Athanasius’ view of Holy Scripture as a whole. The Scripture consists of God’s own words in which He reveals Himself to man. This determines Athanasius’ hermeneutics: because the exposition of the Bible is bound by the reality of God’s Being on the one hand and God’s plan of salvation on the other, the reality the words refer to (God and his plan of salvation) determines how the words must be expounded. Athanasius uses four instruments in his exegesis: he looks for the right speaker or speakers (prosopology); he explains the symbol-words; he determines the genre: history, prophecy of religious life; he uses the psalm headings. In his commentary on the Psalms we see three central theological themes: Christ’s relation to mankind as a whole and Church respectively; the relation between the Church and Israel; the importance of asceticism for the christian life.