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The Doctrine of God and Exegesis in Irenaeus of Lyons
Garrett, Perry Glenn
Garrett, Perry Glenn
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Abstract
This work examines the relationship between the doctrine of God and exegesisin Irenaeus of Lyons. Considering the growing interest in premodern exegesis alongside increased focus regarding a consciously theological approach to interpreting Scripture, Irenaeus provides fertile soil for exploration and integration of these fields of research. By excavating the doctrine of God and the exegetical engagement represented in Irenaeus, I demonstrate that a Christian theological metaphysic provided Irenaeus the fundamental framework for proper exegesis, governing the various exegetical methods he employed when interpreting Scripture. While exegetical methods are present in Irenaeus, a proper understanding of God was more determinative of his interpretative conclusions. To substantiate this thesis, I begin by providing a summary of scholarship within the following three streams: (1) the study of Irenaeus the theologian and exegete, (2) the renewed interest in the nature and practice of pre-modern exegesis, and (3) the relationship between theology and exegesis. In chapter 2, I provide a synopsis of the gnostic doctrine of God and exegesis provided by Irenaeus. While debate exists regarding the reliability of Irenaeus as a source for gnostic theology, I contend that benefit for employing Irenaeus as a reliable source remains. In chapter 3, I investigate Irenaeus’s doctrine of God, insisting that Irenaeus was not merely a theologian of the divine economy but demonstrated the more fundamental concern of divine ontology. In chapter 4, I evaluate the intersection of Irenaeus’s doctrine of God and exegesis in which the fundamental theological-exegetical differences between Irenaeus and his opponents become apparent. I maintain that Irenaeus interpreted Scripture through the framework of a Christian doctrine of God while the gnostics interpreted Scripture through a doctrine of God alien to the biblical text. Although distinctions between Irenaeus and his opponents tenuously occur at the level of exegetical method, the more fundamental differences occur at the level of theological metaphysics. In chapter 5, I identify a couple of instantiations in which Irenaeus’s doctrine of God and exegesis surface. These include the relationship between “signs” and “things” and prosopological exegesis. Finally, in chapter 6, I bring the entirety of the argument together in recapitulatory fashion. While I affirm the necessity of exegetical methods and the apparent presence of methods in Irenaeus, this study increases awareness regarding the bedrock for Irenaeus’s biblical interpretation—a right understanding of God. This explains why the locus for Irenaeus’s disagreement with the gnostics occurred at the level of theological metaphysics rather than merely at the level of the divine economy or exegesis.
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Ph.D, Doctor of Philosophy, 2026
Date
2026-05
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Publisher
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary