The Venerable Bede's Manuductive Hermeneutics: Lame Readers, Apostolic Teachers, and Temple Exegesis in His Commentary on Acts

Abstract

This essay examines Bede's portrayal of an Apostle as one who imitates Christ's example ofa "good teacher" by leading others by the hand, physically and spiritually, toward a better interpretation of their texts and their world. Central to the development of this exegesis is his recurring focus on the ascent with Christ in both knowledge and virtue, the journey to and from the heavenly Jerusalem, and the Temple as a richly layered image of Christ's body. In so far that Bede's commentary itself "builds up" the life offaith and leads its own readers into a deeper understanding of Christ's body and the heavenly kingdom, Bede is himselfmodeling the pattern ofa good teacher.