The Study of the Bible in the Middle Ages

by Beryl Smalley

The Bible is the most widely read book in the world. From the transcription of the Old Testament to Greek, to the collection of the Gospels, the Bible has always been in a state of literary and scholarly transition. In her classic work, The Study of the Bible in the Middle Ages, Beryl Smalley describes the changes in the organization, technique, and purpose of Bible studies in northwestern Europe from the Carolingian renaissance to about 1300. This was the period when the emergence of Aristotelian thought inspired medieval scholars to take a fresh look at the Scriptures. The large number of medieval commentaries on the Bible confirms that they did so and that they expressed their reactions in writing. Medieval historians and students of literature will find special value in this book: they will learn, in systematic fashion, what earlier scholars have accomplished in the field of exegesis; and they will be enabled to employ the history of biblical interpretation recounted here as a mirror for the social and cultural upheavals that were taking place simultaneously.

Genres: History, Medieval, Medieval History, Religion, Nonfiction, Theology, Biblical

448 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1964

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The topic tackled in Beryl Smalley's classic manages to be both too big and too small: by circumscribing her topic to address solely clerical / scholarly exegesis she misses out on some of the most exciting ways in which the Bible was used in the medieval period; by expanding it to cover over a thousand years it feels on occasion a bit thin. It's also somewhat frustrating that Smalley shows very little sympathy for the spiritual or allegorical exegesis that played such a big part in medieval interactions with the Bible. She's much more drawn to historical/linguistic studies of Scripture to the extent that she'll call that sort "serious" and the allegorical route "extravagant." It's not the end of the world - and it doesn't necessarily damage her book, since it's focused predominantly on the ups and downs of the historical exegesis of Scripture - but one can't help but get the feeling that she writes off allegorical exegesis simply because it's disfavored by modern theologians. And that's a bit of a bummer, as so much of medieval interaction with the Bible was intrinsically allegorical and somewhat fanciful to modern ears.

I don't want to be too harsh, though - it's still a great piece of scholarship, especially when it's doing some historical investigating. Smalley easily dismantles the old idea that the omnipresent medieval Glossa Ordinaria was the work of Walafrid Strabo and instead convincingly suggests it to be a group effort centered around Anselm of Laon. Her treatment of the Victorines is good, especially the full chapter on Andrew of St. Victor. I almost wish she had just studied the Victorines and their contribution to Biblical scholarship - it would have allowed her to focus the argument a bit more, and explore Andrew (who she clearly loves). There are also moments of brilliance that Smalley treats as simply par for the course: I particularly loved how she tied the philosophical doctrines of Thomas Aquinas on the relationship of the body and soul to the changing attitudes of exegetes to the relationship of Scripture's text and meaning. I think her general argument is convincing: she argues that medieval exegesis, so long dependent upon the Alexandrine school of allegorical interpretation, only moved on to more historical/textual exegesis within the mixed environment of St. Victor and then the increasingly scientificly-minded scholastic schools of the thirteenth century.

A must read for fans of biblical scholarship and textual criticism. For others, it's an interesting read as long as you don't expect a full account of what the Bible meant to and how it was used by a broad range of people in the medieval period.

[Sam Nesbitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewing this work is difficult. On the one hand, it is an incredible study on the history of biblical studies from the ninth to the thirteenth centuries. The reader should walk away with a greater understanding of the complexities of biblical interpretation and its relationship to pedagogy, whether it is found in the cloister or the classroom. From the Alexandrian school, to St. Thomas’s appropriation of Aristotle for the reconfiguration for the divine and human senses of the text, Smalley traces the contours of biblical studies through lectio divina, the Victorines, and more modes, places, and people that influenced the evolution of biblical interpretation throughout the Middle Ages. Significantly, Smalley subverts the typical picture of the Medieval period as filled with nothing but allegorical interpretation while the Reformation brought back the literal. Hundreds of years prior to Luther, many figures and groups were interested in the literal sense and attempted to work out its meaning, whether that means consulting Rabbis for Hebrew and Midrash, or relying upon Aristotle to reconfigure the understanding of Scripture in the first place.

On the other hand, reading this book is like mowing a lawn with scissors. In one sense, this is a great thing because it means it is highly researched. Smalley presents hard evidence for her points on every page. The drawback of this, however, is that it is highly specialized and filled with specific details that can bog the reader down. If you are particularly interested in the development of Bible study in the Medieval period, even to the extent of being curious about physical manuscripts, then this is the book for you. If you are wanting a basic gist of the historical development of biblical scholarship in the Medieval period, then this book will most likely be a slog to read. For the latter kind of reader, if there ever was an abridged version of this book that cuts out extraneous details, then it would probably be close to half the size and much more approachable to read and enjoy.

Overall, a very informative albeit dense book that is worth skimming if you are interested, and worth reading if you must.

[Izzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Precise and intentional survey of medieval exegesis from the patristic texts to the 13th century. Condenses material while retaining detail and significance.

[Mauberley]

There is no getting around reading this book if you are in any way interested in the topic at hand. It is a wonderful book, admirably free of jargon but with many untranslated passages in Latin - the fault is my ignorance, not the author's. Among the many insightful highlights were Smalley's concise distinction between the Antiochene and Alexandrine styles of interpretation as well as her penetrating work on Richard of St Victor and the Victorenes in general. The arc of the argument is the movement away from the 'allegorical' style of interpretation towards a more 'literal' one but the very meanings of those terms shift as Smalley's argument proceeds. On a personal note, it was remarkable to read of the role played by medieval Jewish interpreters.

[Christina Eastwood]

To read this piece of meticulous research is both amazing and terrifying. How could such brilliant minds with such a profound knowledge of Scripture and such an earnest desire to study it come to such weird conclusions about its meaning? David in Psalm 51 says "against thee only have I sinned" because he's a king and only God is above a king! Genesis 2:18 "it is not good for man to be alone" means that man was meant to express himself in government and politics!! In the story of Jael and Sisera (Judges 4) Jael signifies Mary Magdalene and just as the gentile Sisera took refuge in her tent so the sinner feels more assurance when entering a church dedicated to the Magdalene!!! This book chronicles in detail the layers of glosses and postills with which the Scripture was cluttered until it was almost invisible. Gratitude to God for the Reformation wells up on reading this. In the middle ages students did not even have a trustworthy text of the Vulgate never mind what ordinary people did not have in their own tongue. How thankful we should be to have the Bible!