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Book Cover for: The Four Senses of Scripture: Learning from Ancient Ways of Reading the Bible, Patrick Schreiner

The Four Senses of Scripture: Learning from Ancient Ways of Reading the Bible

Patrick Schreiner

In the modern era, biblical hermeneutics has been dominated by the grammatical-historical method. This represents a departure from the interpretive approach commonly used during the prior 1,700 years of the church, the four senses approach (or quadriga). Those four senses are literal (grammatical-historical), allegory (Christological), tropology (moral), and anagogy (eschatological).

Patrick Schreiner doesn't believe modern hermeneutics is wrong but believes that it is incomplete in ignoring these other aspects. Here he seeks to recover this ancient method by explaining it, defending it, and offering a coherent method for using it. With scholars, students, and pastors in view, he argues that this approach, with the senses in conversation with each other, better respects the nature, goal, and ecclesial setting of reading, interpreting, and applying the Bible.

Schreiner begins by giving a brief overview of the four senses and why early Christians used this method. He then examines each sense in detail, exploring the what, why, and how, along with providing examples. Finally, he addresses anticipated exegetical, historical, and allegorical objections to his proposal. The book includes a foreword by Jonathan T. Pennington.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Baker Academic
  • Publish Date: Aug 4th, 2026
  • Pages: 288
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 0.00in - 0.00in - 0.00in - 0.00lb
  • EAN: 9781540968791
  • Categories: Biblical Studies - Exegesis & HermeneuticsBiblical Criticism & Interpretation - General

About the Author

Schreiner, Patrick: - Patrick Schreiner (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is associate professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of numerous books, including Matthew, Disciple and Scribe, The Transfiguration of Christ, a commentary on Acts, The Ascension of Christ, The Mission of the Triune God, The Visual Word, Political Gospel, and The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross.