Includes bibliographical references (pages 247-265) and indexes.

Introduction to the history of biblical interpretation -- Part 1. Historical survey. Earliest Christian exegesis -- Later patristic exegesis -- Medieval exegesis -- Early modern exegesis -- The rise of historical-critical exegesis -- Part 2. Letter and spirit. (Ir)reconcilable differences? -- A way forward. 520 For the better part of fifteen centuries, Christians read Scripture on two complementary levels, the literal and the spiritual. In the modern period, the spiritual sense gradually became marginalized in favor of the literal sense. The Bible came to be read and interpreted like any other book. This brief, accessible introduction to the history of biblical interpretation examines key turning points and figures and argues for a retrieval of the premodern spiritual habits of reading Sripture.