Mose Ting

Sammanfattning: The aim of this essay is to apply the theories of metaphor from Conceptual Metaphor Theory on a work of allegorical interpretation of the Bible – more specifically, Gregory of Nyssa’s The Life of Moses – and discuss what theological questions and perspectives arises from that. My primary question is thus: how can Gregory of Nyssa’s way of interpreting, and giving meaning to, objects in The Life of Moses be understood through Conceptual Metaphor Theory? By analyzing nine physical objects, I show that Gregory throughout the work highlights aspects of sensory impressions, basic knowledge, and orientational factors, which governs how he accredits an object meaning symbolically. The study, firstly, argues that the relation between metaphor and experience in the allegorical interpretation can challenge a fixed division between ‘real’ and ‘symbolic’ and that symbols/metaphors enable a religious language which can speak about both the inner life, and the transcendent. Furthermore, I argue that the totality of the work of The Life of Moses is coherent in relation to itself regarding metaphorical structures, which is an argument that biblical symbols should not be interpreted merely subjectively but be anchored in the structure of the text(s). Lastly, I show that Christology, and the idea of an incarnational or sacramental world view, is paramount for Gregory in his allegorical exegesis, on the surface as well as in the deeper level of metaphorical structure.