Biblical Hermeneutics and Exegesis in the Late Middle Ages

The history of theological education at the University of Vienna began in 1384. At that time, Duke Albrecht III summoned Henry of Langenstein, already a famous professor in Paris, to Vienna and entrusted him with the establishment of the theological faculty of the university, which had been founded only twenty years previously. Not only did Langenstein organize the theological study program; he also established the reputation of this program with his teaching. In the Middle Ages, to teach theology was to interpret the Bible. A distinctive feature of theological teaching in the Vienna of the Late Middle Ages was the production of lengthy commentaries on the biblical books. This trend was initiated by Langenstein. From 1385 until his death in 1397, he devoted himself to interpreting the Book of Genesis, reaching only the first three chapters, which concern the creation of the world and the fall of man. By the time of his death, the commentary had grown into a multi-volume work in which Langenstein discussed numerous theological, philosophical and scientific topics. Before treating the first chapter of Genesis, he had lectured for an entire academic year (1385/6) on the foundations of biblical interpretation. This introduction (the Introductio in sacram scripturam) is a lengthy prologue to the commentary. Neither Langensteins Commentary on Genesis nor his Introduction to Sacred Scripture has ever been printed. The fact that around one hundred manuscripts contain this text strongly suggests that it was extensively read in the Middle Ages, and that it exerted a strong influence on other theologians in Vienna and beyond. Our project, Biblical Hermeneutics and Exegesis in the Late Middle Ages: The Introductio in sacram scripturam of Henry of Langenstein (1397), intends to critically edit Langensteins Introduction to the Sacred Scripture and to examine the authors discussions of exegesis, the biblical text, and other diverse themes within. Since the Introductio is one of the longest essays on biblical interpretation written in its time, the project is expected to provide important insights into the developments seen in the biblical exegesis of the Late Middle Ages, a period which continues to suffer from the negative judgments of the Humanist and Reformation ages. Moreover, the project will examine the entire transmission history of the Commentary on Genesis. An examination of all known manuscripts will not only provide the criteria to determine which contain the oldest and best copies of the text, but also give data which can be used to assess the scope and influence of this prodigious work. This manuscript study will also make it possible to draw conclusions about the lecture program of the young University of Vienna at the end of the fourteenth century.

The project examined the voluminous Commentary on Genesis by Henry of Langenstein, one of the founding fathers of the University of Vienna in the Middle Ages. Because of its size, it has never been printed, despite the fact that it is Langenstein's most important and mature work. In a first step, data were collected on all existing manuscripts, more than 100. Our research revealed that the work consists of seven parts, each of which constitutes approximately one volume. From the existing autographs we could specify the time of composition: Langenstein worked on this commentary from 1385 to 1392; it was his main academic lecture during that period. Despite its length, the commentary covers only the first three chapters of the book of Genesis (Gen 1:1-3:19). In the first year of his teaching in Vienna (1385/86), Langenstein prepared for the commentary with a year-long lecture on the two "forewords" of the Bible. These are two texts by Jerome which served as prefaces in medieval Bible editions and in which Jerome discussed a number of exegetical problems, such as questions of translation, interpretation and the biblical canon. This "Introductio" by Langenstein (which he preferred to call the "Lectura super prologos") forms the first part of Langenstein's Commentary on Genesis. As part of the project, this "introductory lecture" by Langenstein was completely transcribed for the first time ever and prepared for a critical edition. For the edition, a "stemma codicum" was established on the basis of 44 manuscripts. The critical text itself relies on three representative text witnesses. Among the many sources of Langenstein's lecture, the editors were able to identify an important text which Langenstein himself did not mention: a commentary on the Bible prefaces of Jerome by William Brito (1338). Beyond the information gathered from this source, Langenstein treated many topics in his lecture-not only biblical exegesis but also fundamental questions of studying theology and student life. Besides laying the foundation for further research on Langenstein's Genesis commentary, the project provided access to a new and important text on theological pedagogy in the latter Middle Ages.