Early Latin biblical interpretation emerged in the late second and early third centuries as Christian thinkers in North Africa and Rome aimed to articulate divine revelation in terms comprehensible to Hellenistic culture. Early Latin theologians like Tertullian drew upon rhetorical training and https://rutheniacatholica.ru/index.php?/topic/4863-вопросы-веры/ philosophical concepts to counteract idolatrous attacks and doctrinal deviations. Though sometimes polemical, his writings established the foundations of a uniquely Western hermeneutic that prioritized intelligibility and ethical transformation.

By the fourth century, figures such as Bishop Ambrose brought a heightened use of spiritual symbolism influenced by the mystical traditions of Alexandria but adapted to Latin sensibilities. He read Scripture as multi-tiered disclosures of divine mystery often using symbolic prefigurations linking Hebrew history to ecclesial reality. His approach was shaped by pastoral concern aiming to edify believers rather than engage in abstract speculation.

No one shaped Latin biblical interpretation more than Augustine of Hippo. His biblical commentaries wove together prior Latin and Greek insights and emphasized the unity of the Old and New Testaments under divine inspiration. The literal sense, for Augustine, was the indispensable starting point but that its deeper spiritual meanings revealed truths about God love and the soul’s journey. He also emphasized the role of charity as the guiding principle of interpretation claiming that Scripture’s true meaning always leads to love of God and neighbor.

At the turn of the fifth century, Jerome produced a landmark achievement through direct engagement with the Semitic and Hellenistic sources to produce the Latin Vulgate. His commentaries reflected deep textual scholarship and a unwavering pursuit of original intent. Even when leaning into symbolic readings, he also stressed the necessity of grasping the authors’ native tongue and world.

In the twilight of antiquity, Latin patristic exegesis was intrinsically tied to worship and instruction. Interpretation was not an academic exercise but a spiritual practice designed to draw the soul into mystical fellowship with Christ. Western exegesis prized structure, lucidity, and ethical transformation and it became the bedrock of later theological study. As theological approaches evolved over time, the insights of the Latin fathers endured as the authoritative lens through which Scripture was approached.