St Augustine’s conception of Scriptural hermeneutics and exegesis: seven rules of interpretation of Tyconius the African
- DOI
- 10.5922/2225-5346-2026-2-2
- Pages
- 40-57
Abstract
The Church Fathers, along with numerous ecclesiastical authors and theologians, consistently addressed the problem of interpreting the allegories of divine revelation and the divinely inspired narratives of the mysteries of divine wisdom contained in Holy Scripture. In their efforts to understand and explain scriptural narration, they identified fundamental interpretative patterns, formulated general principles and methods of exegesis, and, in many cases, developed comprehensive theories and coherent hermeneutical frameworks. Within the broader practice and cultural heritage of human oral and written linguistic activity, the problem of expressing the truth of being through either literal or allegorical meaning is universal and extends beyond divine realities and the sacred sphere alone. Holy Scripture, by revealing the history and meaning of divine creation, providence, and eternal salvation, conveys the truth of existence as a whole and of human spiritual life in particular. St. Augustine of Hippo, guided by his commitment to developing both the theory and practice of understanding and interpreting the allegories of Holy Scripture, turns to the seven rules of interpretation formulated by Tyconius the African. Through a critical and scholarly re-examination of the mystical significance of Tyconius’s seven rules, Augustine offers a refined reinterpretation of their meaning and application to the allegories of Scripture, incorporating them into his own hermeneutical conception.