Between Adam, Death and Cause: The Patristic Exegesis of Romans 5:12 in Photius’ Letter 152
Abstract
The epistolary corpus of Photius, twice patriarch of Constantinople (858-867 and 877-886), represents a significant document in the history of letters for its volume and for its recipients and senders, which include important figures of his time as well as friends and family. Moreover, the contents are diverse as they range from personal, political to theological and religious topics. Among these letters there is the 152th, addressed to his brother Tarasius, in which Photius develops the topic of the interpretation that various Church Fathers have given to the phrase “ἐφ᾽ ᾧ” in Romans 5:12, both that he considered incomplete (due to “Adam” or “death” is supposed) and the most suitable for interpretation (“because”). However, because Photius does not openly specify his sources, many attempts have been made to locate and comment on them since the publication of the letter (1651). This paper aims to analyze those sources that have been located from a new perspective, and introduce an additional source that has not yet been considered.Downloads
References
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