Treatises on Noah and David (Fathers of the Church Patristic Series)

These sermons by Ambrose of Milan (340–397 AD) provide a window into the preaching and scriptural exegesis of the legendary bishop, whose exposition of the Old Testament was instrumental in the conversion of Augustine of Hippo and in the development of Latin theology. In his treatise On Noah and his two Defenses for David , Ambrose borrows from influential Greek theologians, including Philo of Alexandria, Origen, and Didymus the Blind, while developing his own commentary on the exemplary patriarchs. Ambrose's exegesis typifies both his attention to the letter of Scripture as well as his spiritual and allegorical reading of the holy figures or "saints" who lived before Christ. The first treatise presents Noah as a model just man, as Ambrose pairs the literal and the higher or spiritual meaning of the Genesis flood narrative to address topics ranging from the Genesis narrative to Stoic ethics to the Incarnation. In his defense of David to the emperor Theodosius, Ambrose ties David's sin and repentance to his own close reading of Psalm 51(50), David's plea for himself in his famous "Miserere." While the authenticity of the third treatise included in the volume, the Second Apology of David , has long been challenged, recent scholarship suggests that it transmits Ambrose's own preaching, which applies the lessons of David's life to the situation of gentile unbelievers, Jews, and the church; even if it is the work of a later imitator, the Second Apology is a compelling and systematic treatment of the David's sin and repentance as relevant to Christian morality and doctrine. The three treatises, previously unavailable in English translation, broaden our understanding of exegesis in the Latin West and our interpretation of Ambrose as preacher and exegete. "There are three treatises in this book: one on Noah and two on King David. St. Ambrose offers an interpretation of the story of Noah (Genesis 6:5 through 9:29) and two essays on the story of King David's adultery with Bathsheba and his order for her husband to be killed (2 Samuel 11:2 through 12:25). His exegesis of the narrative of Noah and the Flood is allegorical. With regard to David and Bathsheba, Ambrose includes his own commentary on Psalm 51 (50 in the Septuagint), which he interprets as David's heartfelt repentance. Ambrose's overall purpose in the two treatises on David is to defend him as a righteous man"-- Provided by publisher Contents Acknowledgments Abbreviations Select Bibliography Introduction Ambrose and the Three Treatises Ambrose on Scripture: Allegory and Catechesis On Noah Ambrose and Spiritual Interpretation in On Noah Date and Setting of On Noah The Defenses of David A Defense of the Prophet David to the Emperor Theodosius Date and Setting of the Defense of the Prophet David The Second Defense of David, Text and Translation, Treatises on Noah and David On Noah A Defense of the Prophet David to Theodosius Augustus The Second Defense of David Indicies General Index Index of Holy Scripture Maximos the Confessor's penetrating theological vision found expression in an unparalleled synthesis of biblical exegesis, ascetic spirituality, patristic theology, and Greek philosophy. On Difficulties in Sacred Scripture, presented here in a complete English translation, contains Maximos's theological interpretations of sixty-five difficult passages from the Old and New Testaments.