Patristic Perspectives on Luke's Transfiguration - by Peter Anthony

About the Book

"Peter Anthony explores how visionary elements in Luke's Gospel had a particular influence on early interpretation of the Transfiguration, by exploring the rich hermeneutical traditions that emerged - particularly in the Latin West - as the Transfiguration was first depicted visually in art"--

Book Synopsis

Peter Anthony explores how visionary elements in Luke's Gospel had a particular influence on early interpretation of the Transfiguration, by examining the rich hermeneutical traditions that emerged - particularly in the Latin West - as the Transfiguration was first depicted visually in art.

Anthony begins by comparing the visual and visionary culture of antiquity with that of the present, and their differing interpretations of the Transfiguration. He then examines the Transfiguration texts in the synoptic gospels and their interpretation in modern scholarship, and the reception of the Transfiguration in 2 Peter, the Apocalypse of Peter and the Acts of Peter, Tertullian and Origen. Proceeding to look at interpretations found in the Greek East and the Latin West, Anthony finally discusses the earliest visual depictions of the Transfiguration from the sixth century onward, drawn from a wealth of different art forms. Anthony concludes that early commentators' and artists' understanding of how we see and visualise, and therefore, how the Transfiguration was apprehended, is closer to that of the writers of the New Testament than many modern interpreters' is.

Review Quotes

"[A] scholarly and engaging book ... There is much to ponder and enjoy here." --Church Times

"This monograph...offers an erudite and engaging analysis...[Anthony's] book is a useful contribution to the history of biblical interpretation and a valuable resource..." --The Expository Times

"This book helps bridge the gap between the modern critical study of the gospels and the ancient authors' and narratees' considerably greater sensitivity to the participatory element of the story, along with its metaphorical dimensions. It can be recommended to both academic and lay readers." --Religious Studies Review

About the Author

Peter Anthony is the Vicar of All Saints', Margaret Street, London, UK.