THE REACTUALIZATION OF TYPOLOGICAL BIBLICAL EXEGESIS IN THE TREATISES OF JEAN DANIÉLOU
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31392/cult.alm.2023.4.5Keywords:
type, symbol, history, patristic thought, biblical interpretation, liturgyAbstract
The article contains an analysis of the central issue of Cardinal Jean Daniélou’s theological research, which was to draw the attention of the theological community to the need for a new normalization of the typological tradition of interpreting the Bible that had been dominant in the era of the creating of patristic texts. The research is based on a study of the fundamental thematic works by Daniélou, such as Origène (1948), Sacramentum futuri: Études sur les origines de la typologie biblique (1950), and Bible et liturgie: La Théologie biblique des sacrements et des fêtes d’après les Pères de l’Église (1951). In addition, the article takes into account the most meaningful reviews of the mentioned treatises, the authors of which are W. Le Saint, J. Sehorn, and G. Wainwright. Daniélou’s indisputable merit lies in his reminder of the apostolic kerygma’s typological essence, the theoretical frame of which was the concept of the typological fulfillment of ancient prophetic types in the person of Jesus Christ. By developing this preliminary conclusion based on the analysis of the liturgical texts of the ancient Church, Daniélou substantiated his vision of the sacramental history of the Church as a further and final realization of the implicit meaning of the essential Old Testament events. For Daniélou, the problematic nature of Philo’s and the entire Alexandrian school’s Biblical exegesis (from Clement to St. Gregory of Nyssa) consisted in their tendency to unjustifiably – from the perspective of the New Testament tradition – impose deep meanings on every small detail of the Old Testament texts, as well as in their excessive individualization, psychologization, and internalization of the Old Testament’s message. Moreover, Daniélou managed to remove from the theological agenda the historical-critical exegetical school’s encroachment on its alleged monopoly on the only historically correct interpretation of the Bible, as well as reasonably prove that the iconic Church Fathers possessed a profound historical vision and were much more correct interpreters of Old Testament events, acutely sensitive to God’s actions in human history.
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