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Patristics Seminar: Paper #3

Monday, November 10, 2008. 0 Comments:

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Moses as Exemplar Among Early Christian Readers
by Pak-Wah Lai, PhD research student at Durham University
6 November, 2008

Last week Mr. Pak-Wah Lai presented a paper on the use of Moses as an exemplar in early Christian writers. Lai opened by sharing some contemporary views of Moses. Drawing on popular book titles, Lai suggested that Moses is often interpreted according to the values and problems of a culture.

Lai then summarised the Jewish and Greek traditions that helped shape later Christian descriptions of Moses. One of the most interesting points here concerned ancient Greek biographies. In Greek biographical literature lives are often shaped according to the biographical paradigm of i) origins, ii) upbringing, iii) and deeds. In the Jewish tradition, Moses is often portrayed as the servant of God, the friend of God, a man of prayer, a follower of the Law, and as a prophet. One of the most common and important motifs is Moses as the faithful servant of God. Lai also noted that Moses is remembered in the OT according to his four offices: leader, and law-giver, prophet, and priest. In Second Temple literature, Moses was re-conceived as the archetypal figure or model for people to pattern their life after, and for certain vocations to model (e.g. prophets, leaders, philosopher kings). Moses also becomes the exemplary figure who embodies certain virtues.

After discussing Moses in Philo, Lai proceeded to discuss Moses in the New Testament and Apostolic era. Lai noted that the first Christians appear to have maintained the traditional motifs of Moses (e.g. as archetypal leader). But Moses was also transformed in light of the Christ event. Christ is now the superior of the two, and Moses is often recast as a Christian prophet and allegorically interpreted as a type of Christ. The Mosaic writings were also allegorically interpreted as witnesses anticipating Christ.

Next, Lai examined the images of Moses in Justin Matyr, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, the Cappadocian Fathers, and John Chrysostom. Justin Martyr portrays Moses as a prophet of Christ, the allegorist of Christ, and the philosopher par excellance. Clement of Alexandria envisions Moses as one who was instructed by Christ, and who instructs the Jews in preparation for Christ. Moses is the exemplary student of Christ. Origen assumes the portrait of Moses as allegorist and gives great weight to the spiritual meaning of Moses’ writings. Moses is also envisioned as an example of one who prays rightly.

In the fourth century the Cappadocian Fathers continued to use Moses as a Christian exemplar. Basil of Caesarea provides a biography of Moses’ life that is clearly drawn from earlier biographies of Moses, and which stresses Moses’ origins, upbringing, deeds. Like Clement of Alexandria, Moses leads a philosophic life and attains the vision of God so far as is possible. This vision of God is only possible because it has been granted by God. Moses is also a type of Christ: Moses like Christ is a mediator between God and man. For Gregory of Nazianzus, Moses is an example of how to do theological inquiry. Moses is also a measure against which Christian bishops can be compared, for he is the ideal leader. For Gregory of Nyssa, Moses is the exemplary Christian mystic.

Finally, Pak-Wah focused on the subject in John Chrysostom. Chrysostom largely adopts traditional views (e.g. Moses as a prophet of Christ). Chrysostom also compares Moses with Paul as a teacher of Christ, though Paul is greater than Moses. Chrysostom stresses Moses’ poor origins, though he inverts the usual paradigm. Moses had poor origins but still became faithful to God. Pak-Wah used these and other examples to demonstrate that Chrysostom presents Moses as the archetypal Christian and the exemplary man of prayer.

From this survey, Lai concluded that the early Chrisitans affirmed the Mosaic and biographical traditions which they had inherited, but that they also shaped the image of Moses into one which resembled themselves and their values. In this way, the early Christians appropriated these traditions for their contemporary issues, painting Moses an exemplary figure relevant to their own contexts.

In 60 minutes Lai managed to offer accurate analyses of a wide time period. His presentation was clear and his summaries insightful.

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