Bede's Temple: An Image and its Interpretation (Oxford Theology and Religion Monographs)

This volume examines the use of the image of the Jewish temple in the writings of the Anglo-Saxon theologian and historian, Bede (d. 735). The various Jewish holy sites described in the Bible possessed multiple different meanings for Bede and therefore this imagery provides an excellent window into his thought. Bede's Temple: An Image and its Interpretation examines Bede's use of the temple to reveal his ideas of history, the universe, Christ, the Church, and the individual Christian. Across his wide body of writings Bede presented an image of unity, whether that be the unity of Jew and gentile in the universal Church, or the unity of human and divine in the incarnate Christ, and the temple-image provided a means of understanding and celebrating that unity. Conor O'Brien argues that Bede's understanding of the temple was part of the shared spirituality and communal discourse of his monastery at Wearmouth-Jarrow, in particular as revealed in the great illuminated Bible made there: the Codex Amiatinus. Studying the temple in Bede's works reveals not just an individual genius, but a monastic community engaged actively in scriptural interpretation and religious reflection. O'Brien makes an important contribution to our understanding of early Anglo-Saxon England's most important author, the world in which he lived, and the processes that inspired his work. Cover Bede ́s Temple: An Image and its Interpretation Copyright Dedication Acknowledgements Contents List of Illustrations Abbreviations Possible Chronology of the Works of Bede 1: Studying Bede ́s Temple Bede and The Temple Historiographical Overview Bede ́s World 2: Bede ́s Temple in its Intellectual Context The Intellectual Context at Wearmouth-Jarrow The Temple in the Christian Tradition Before Bede 3: Bede ́s Temple as History The House Made by Human Hands History and the Figural Interpretation of The Temple 4: Bede ́s Temple as Cosmos Bede ́s use of the Cosmic Interpretation The Anglo-Saxons ́ Place in the World The Codex Amiatinus 5: Bede ́s Temple as the Body of Christ The Temple as Christ The Priesthood of all Believers The Hierarchical Body of Christ 6: Bede ́s Temple as Church The Temple Versus the Tower The Temple as which Church? 7: Bede ́s Temple as Individual Morality Imitation 8: Building Bede ́s Temple Diachronic Overview A Monk and his Monastery Bibliography 1. Manuscripts 2. Primary Sources 3. Secondary Literature 4. Unpublished Theses Index This Is A Study Of The Use Of The Image Of The Temple In The Writings Of The Most Significant Theologian Of Pre-conquest England, The Venerable Bede. Using The Whole Of The Surviving Corpus Of Bede's Writings, Dr O'brien Examines Bede As A Historian And Considers His Exegetical Methods. Studying Bede's Temple -- Bede's Temple In Its Intellectual Context -- Bede's Temple As History -- Bede's Temple As Cosmos -- Bede's Temple As The Body Of Christ -- Bede's Temple As Church -- Bede's Temple As Individual -- Building Bede's Temple. Conor O'brien. Includes Bibliographical References (pages [205]-235) And Index.