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Biblical Scholarship and Reading Culture in Origen's Psalm Homilies from the Codex Monacensis Graecus 314

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Biblical Scholarship and Reading Culture in Origen's Psalm Homilies from the Codex Monacensis Graecus 314 The Word in the City: Biblical Scholarship and Reading Culture in Origen's Psalm Homilies from the Codex monacensis Graecus 314 By John Solheid A Doctoral Thesis submitted to the University of St. Michael’s College and the Graduate Centre for Theological Studies of the Toronto School of Theology. In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theological Studies awarded by the University of St. Michael’s College and the University of Toronto © Copyright by John Solheid 2020 The Word in the City: Biblical Scholarship and Reading Culture in Origen’s Psalm Homilies from the Codex monacensis Graecus 314 John Solheid Doctor of Philosophy in Theological Studies The University of St. Michael’s College And the University of Toronto 2020 Abstract Origen of Alexandria’s biblical exegesis has been the subject of substantial scholarly attention. However, it has been only recently that scholars have begun to pay attention to the broader intellectual and socio-cultural context in which he conducted his exegesis. In this dissertation, I explore Origen’s biblical exegesis in a recently discovered collection of homilies he preached on the Psalms to his Christian community in Caesarea Maritima. I am concerning less with questions of philology and grammar as such as I am with discerning certain reading practices revealed in the homilies, particularly against the backdrop of broader reading practices in Late Antique learning circles. I argue that in these homilies, Origen was attempting to cultivate learned reading practices in his Christian community by bringing his scholarly reading habits to his preaching activity. Largely following the exegetical procedure of a grammarian, Origen was doing more than explaining the meaning of the text for his audience. He was guiding his listeners through the exegetical exercise giving them the requisite skills to be informed readers of the Bible. To make my argument, I will first analyze how learned groups of men and women organized themselves around shared reading practices in Late Antiquity. I will then take a closer look at ii the reading practices of Origen’s school in Caesarea, and tracks of those reading practices in the Psalm Homilies. Then I will provide a detailed analysis of two select homilies from this collection to follow Origen through his exegetical process. In the final chapter, I will look at how Origen positioned Bible-reading against the allurements and daily tensions of life in a Roman City, articulating a theological vision of Christian reading rooted in purity of heart. iii Acknowledgements I am deeply indebted to Lorenzo Perrone and Joseph W. Trigg for their assistance in both translation and insightful discussions about the contents of Origen’s Psalm Homilies. I must also note gratitude to Miriam DeCock with whom I had very many productive discussions about these homilies. My supervisor, Fr. T. Allan Smith at the Faculty of Theology, University of St. Michael’s College and the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies also deserves mention. It was his idea that I work on these homilies. I am especially for gracefully putting up with my constant questions and requests for meetings. I must also thank Arlin Nikolas for cultivating in me the love of learning. Most of all, however, I wish to express my eternal thanks to my parents, who supported me throughout this process. I left a stable job to pursue my doctoral studies and without their emotional and financial support, I would not have been able to accomplish this dream of mine. iv Table of Contents Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................ vii Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 Topic and Thesis ............................................................................................................................. 1 Literature Review ........................................................................................................................... 6 Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 13 Outline .......................................................................................................................................... 16 Aim ............................................................................................................................................... 19 The Psalm Homilies in the Codex ................................................................................................. 20 Monacensis Graecus 314 ............................................................................................................... 20 Chapter One: ................................................................................................................................... Reading Communities in Late Antiquity .................................................................................. 25 1.1 The Philosophical Schools ....................................................................................................... 25 1.2 Jewish Reading Communities ................................................................................................. 39 1.3 Early Christian Schools .......................................................................................................... 53 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 62 Chapter 2: ........................................................................................................................................ Reading Culture in Origen’s Caesarean School ...................................................................... 64 2.1 The School of Caesarea ........................................................................................................... 65 2.1.1 Location and Space .................................................................................................................................. 65 2.1.2 Daily Routine ............................................................................................................................................ 71 2.2 Textual Practices ..................................................................................................................... 74 2.2.1 Philology – Text Criticism and the Hexapla ............................................................................................. 74 2.2.2 Grammar .................................................................................................................................................. 78 2.2.3 Zetetic Reading ......................................................................................................................................... 88 2.3 Modelling a Christian Reader ............................................................................................... 101 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 107 Chapter 3: ........................................................................................................................................ Tracks of an Early Christian ......................................................................................................... Reading Culture in the Psalm Homilies .................................................................................. 109 3.1 Tracks of Origen’s Scholarly Works .................................................................................... 110 3.1.1 The Hexapla ........................................................................................................................................... 110 3.1.2 Tracks of the Commentaries and Treatises ............................................................................................ 116 3.1.3 Tracks of Zetetic Reading ....................................................................................................................... 124 3.2 Reading as a Spiritual Exercise ............................................................................................ 128 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 134 v Chapter Four: ................................................................................................................................. Forming a Literate Culture ..................................................................................................... 137 4.1 Literacy in Early Christianity ............................................................................................... 138 4.1.1 Origen’s Liturgical Audience ................................................................................................................. 140 4.2 Grammar and Literate Education in the Psalm Homilies ..................................................... 145 4.2.1 Hom. 1 in Ps. 36 ..................................................................................................................................... 154 4.2.2 Hom. 1 in Ps. 77 ....................................................................................................................................
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