Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

Comparative Literature

First Advisor

Paul A. Miller

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on how Origen of Alexandria, through both homilies and exegetical commentary practice, presents Canticles as a piece of literature fittingly understood as Scripture. For Origen, Scripture is the source text by which Christians can engage with God and mold their lives upon Christ. This dissertation mimics Origen's own methodology by performing a line-by-line reading of his work, which allows the reader immediate access to Origen's work while also acting as a commentary of Origen's commentary. As of Fall 2025, there are no commentaries in English on any Church Father (only translations) which is concerning as the reading of Origen (and other Church Fathers) informs Biblical commentaries as well as general scholarship. Ideally, this dissertation will act as the beginning of scholarly commentaries focusing on Origen (and other Church Fathers) to understand how these thinkers shaped Christian identity.

Rights

© 2025, Annaline Bethany Cely

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