The Metaphysics of Light in the Hexaemeral Literature: From Philo of Alexandria to Gregory of Nyssa

Isidoros C. Katsos challenges the traditional view of pre-modern optics by examining early Christian texts, which suggest that light was conceptualized as the explanatory principle of vision rather than subordinate to sight. Hexaemeral luminocentrism interprets Plato's Timaeus in the context of late antique cosmology, providing a missing ground of meaning for the early Christian language of light.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 16 March 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

This volume offers a critical re-examination of the prevailing understanding of light in ancient sources. Isidoros C. Katsos challenges the widely held notion in the history of optics that pre-modernity conceptualized light as subordinate to sight (oculocentrism). By delving into the contrary textual evidence found in early Christian texts, Katsos demonstrates that from Philo of Alexandria and Origen to Basil of Caesarea and Gregory of Nyssa, the Jewish-Christian commentary tradition on the hexaemeral literature (the biblical creation narrative) engaged in profound reflection on the nature and physicality of light in order to comprehend the structure and purpose of material creation. Through contemplation of nature, early Christian thinkers were able to conceive of light as the explanatory principle of vision rather than being subordinate to it.

Contrary to the prevailing view, the hexaemeral literature necessitates a luminocentric interpretation of Plato's Timaeus theory of light in its reception history within the context of late antique cosmology. Hexaemeral luminocentrism invites the reader of Scripture to grasp not only the sensible properties of light but also their causal principle as the first manifestation of the divine Logos in creation. The hexaemeral metaphysics thus provides the missing ground of meaning in the early Christian language of light.

In conclusion, this volume provides a fresh perspective on the nature of light in ancient sources, challenging the oculocentrism prevalent in the history of optics. It demonstrates that early Christian thinkers engaged in deep reflection on the nature and physicality of light, conceiving of it as the explanatory principle of vision and as the first manifestation of the divine Logos in creation. The hexaemeral metaphysics offers a valuable contribution to our understanding of the early Christian language of light and its significance in the broader context of late antique cosmology.

Weight: 524g
Dimension: 240 x 163 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192869197