{"product_id":"9782503577111","title":"Archetypal Narratives. Pattern and Parable in the Lives of Three Saints","description":"Saints' Lives have been read as documentary evidence for their particular historical periods, biographies of their heroic protagonists, folklore for the entertainment of monks, or propaganda in defense of a cult. None of these readings, however, address the problem of theologically interpreting narratives that were conceived and dispersed within a Christian monastic environment. Concentrating on the earliest extant Lives of Sts Brigit, Samson, and Cuthbert, the author adopts an interpretive approach that combines close textual analysis with a theological hermeneutic to uncover the deep biblical influences within the narratives, and poses the possibility that many of the stories within them are actually parables - stories intended to be both metaphorical and illustrative, but hardly factual. Building on this foundation, each narrative is then explored for its internal structural logic, a step which is seen to identify each hagiographer's unique skills, as well as literary and theological concerns. A theological interpretation of the narratives opens up a fresh appreciation of their religious impact, and the possibility of a widened 'horizon of meaning' for readers.","brand":"Brepols Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47052087099632,"sku":"9782503577111","price":81.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9782503577111_p0.jpg?v=1763695073","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9782503577111","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}