Exegesis and Spiritual Pedagogy in Maximus the Confessor - (Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity) by Paul M Blowers (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Maximus the Confessor (580-662) is recognized by historians of Christian thought for his contributions to philosophical theology in the Eastern Christian tradition. His second largest work, the Quaestiones ad Thalassium, is a collection of his responses to a wide variety of questions on problematic or obscure scriptural texts that his friend the Libyan monk Thalassius had posed to him. Earlier studies of Maximus's theology have used and cited the Quaestiones ad Thalassium as a source, but this book is the first specialized study of this comprehensive work in its own right. Paul M. Blowers examines Maximus's role as an expositor of scripture and spiritual father in the Byzantine monastic tradition, illuminating the relationship between Maximus the philosopher-theologian and Maximus the monastic pedagogue. The first two chapters break new ground in exploring the genre, history, and monastic context of the Quaestiones ad Thalassium. The book then outlines Maximus's hermeneutical theology and exegetical methodology as shaped within his larger system of thought. Translated excerpts from the Quaestiones ad Thalassium are interwoven into this study to give the reader greater access to Maximus's own discourses.

Review Quotes

"Not many will want to believe that a Byzantine monk has much to teach the late twentieth century, but those who read this book might find such an idea difficult altogether to ignore." --Journal of Theological Studies

"Paul Blowers is an established authority on St Maximus the Confessor and this tour de force of a book will only serve to cement his amply deserved reputation still further....there is no doubt that this book offers not only a splendid overview of Maximus in context and Maximus studies in general, but also offers up a wonderfully fresh re-reading and re-telling of Maximus by a seasoned master." --Journal of Ecclesiastical History

"This is a thorough technical study, an in-depth analysis of a book by a major figure. As such it will hold interest for students of Maximus, historians of spirituality, and, to a lesser extent, historians of exegesis." --Church History

"[F]ew studies exist which focus on the context and scope of the individual writings left by the seventh-century saint from Byzantium. Blowers' book . . . contributes notably towards filling this gap. . . . Blowers has provided a solid study that should be of benefit not only for students of Maximus, but also for students of biblical hermeneutics." --Journal of Early Christian Studies

About the Author

Paul M. Blowers is Dean E. Walker Professor of Church History at Emmanuel Christian Seminary in Tennessee. He is the editor of The Bible in Greek Christian Antiquity (University of Notre Dame Press, 1997) and Drama of the Divine Economy: Creator and Creation in Early Christian Theology and Piety (2012).