Abstract
The biblical episode of the playing of Isaac and Rebecca, described in Genesis 26: 6-9, holds a special place in the exegetics of Bible. From the point of view of the judeo-hellenistic commentator Philo of Alexandria, it is much more than an episode of conjugal relations. It is very important that this happened with patriarch Isaac, whose name is translated as “laughter”. The relationship between laughter and playing was traced in the pagan mystery cults in such phenomena as the sacred play and the ritual laughter. These notions were implied by Philo to the explanation of the monotheistic relationship between transcendent God and the immanent creature. The early-Christian exegete Clement of Alexandria develops Philo’s concept of the sacred play to show the dialectic of the relationships between Christ and the Church. In Clement’s interpretation, the sacred play embraces the historical/empirical realm in which the presence of Jesus Christ as the eternal Word of God is realized.
Presenters
Maksim PrikhodkoResearch Assistant, Russian Christian Academy for the Humanities, Sankt-Peterburg, Russian Federation
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Sacred play, Laughter, Exegetics, Isaac, Rebecca, Philo, Clement of Alexandria
