Vergil and the Trinity: Appropriation, Revision, and Distortion of Rome's Greatest Poet

This volume reveals how some Christian authors used the poetry of Vergil to explain important aspects of the three persons of the trinity, shedding new light on the attitudes of early Christians towards non-Christian texts.

Readers gain insight into how Christians employed the work of Rome’s most famous poet in discussions about the trinity, which one might assume were only limited to the use of canonical scripture. The book explores why these authors relied upon Vergil in particular and which portions of his corpus interested them, before analysing several examples in order to accurately contextualise how Vergil’s work was cited and employed by the Latin Fathers in their own work. These Christian authors writing in Latin used Vergil for more substantive reasons than rhetorical ornamentation, and Dilbeck argues that they formed a textual community which included his works.

Written in accessible prose, Vergil and the Trinity is of interest to not only to those working in the field of patristics, but also to classical scholars, biblical scholars, readers interested in the history of biblical interpretation, and in the history of philosophy.

1147338969
Vergil and the Trinity: Appropriation, Revision, and Distortion of Rome's Greatest Poet

This volume reveals how some Christian authors used the poetry of Vergil to explain important aspects of the three persons of the trinity, shedding new light on the attitudes of early Christians towards non-Christian texts.

Readers gain insight into how Christians employed the work of Rome’s most famous poet in discussions about the trinity, which one might assume were only limited to the use of canonical scripture. The book explores why these authors relied upon Vergil in particular and which portions of his corpus interested them, before analysing several examples in order to accurately contextualise how Vergil’s work was cited and employed by the Latin Fathers in their own work. These Christian authors writing in Latin used Vergil for more substantive reasons than rhetorical ornamentation, and Dilbeck argues that they formed a textual community which included his works.

Written in accessible prose, Vergil and the Trinity is of interest to not only to those working in the field of patristics, but also to classical scholars, biblical scholars, readers interested in the history of biblical interpretation, and in the history of philosophy.

56.99 In Stock
Vergil and the Trinity: Appropriation, Revision, and Distortion of Rome's Greatest Poet

Vergil and the Trinity: Appropriation, Revision, and Distortion of Rome's Greatest Poet

by Thomas W. Dilbeck
Vergil and the Trinity: Appropriation, Revision, and Distortion of Rome's Greatest Poet

Vergil and the Trinity: Appropriation, Revision, and Distortion of Rome's Greatest Poet

by Thomas W. Dilbeck

eBook

$56.99 

Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
WANT A NOOK?  Explore Now

Related collections and offers


Overview

This volume reveals how some Christian authors used the poetry of Vergil to explain important aspects of the three persons of the trinity, shedding new light on the attitudes of early Christians towards non-Christian texts.

Readers gain insight into how Christians employed the work of Rome’s most famous poet in discussions about the trinity, which one might assume were only limited to the use of canonical scripture. The book explores why these authors relied upon Vergil in particular and which portions of his corpus interested them, before analysing several examples in order to accurately contextualise how Vergil’s work was cited and employed by the Latin Fathers in their own work. These Christian authors writing in Latin used Vergil for more substantive reasons than rhetorical ornamentation, and Dilbeck argues that they formed a textual community which included his works.

Written in accessible prose, Vergil and the Trinity is of interest to not only to those working in the field of patristics, but also to classical scholars, biblical scholars, readers interested in the history of biblical interpretation, and in the history of philosophy.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781040429747
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Publication date: 09/12/2025
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 160
File size: 987 KB

About the Author

Thomas W. Dilbeck is a professor in the Biblical Studies department at Florida College, USA. His recent publications include “The Speech of Anchises and Arguments for Monotheism in Minucius Felix and Lactantius” and “Prepositional Metaphysics and Vergil in Jerome’s Exegesis of Ephesians 4:6”.

Table of Contents

Introduction; 1. Vergil’s Aeneid: An Instant Classic Admired and Subverted; 2. Methodological Considerations; 3. Monotheistic Arguments in the Aeneid?; 4. The Birth of the Child: Eclogue 4 and Jesus; 5. The Spiritus of Vergil and the Holy Spirit; Conclusion.

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews