25 I Yaniv Fox (Bar Ilan), The limits of allegory: biblical exegesis and political commentary in Justus of Urgell and Caesarius of Arles

Abstract

This presentation analyzes the creative limits of allegorical biblical interpretation as both an exegetical methodology and a vehicle for societal commentary in the late antique and early medieval West. Using the bishops Justus of Urgell and Caesarius of Arles as case studies, it explores how allegorical readings of Scripture – specifically the Song of Songs – were deployed not just to uncover spiritual truths, but also to advance reformist agendas and weigh in on pressing religious controversies amidst a turbulent political landscape.