The study examines the prefaces of the Greek biblical commentaries in Late Antiquity. It analyzes their formal position in the traditions of commenting and the theological interests of the Christian commentators. Special attention is paid both to re-examining the widespread opinion that these prefaces are dependent on the 'schemata isagogica' of the pagan schools of philosophy, and to the presentation of the theological identity of biblical commentators.
The three main chapters analyze the traditions of non-Christian proems, the commentaries of Origen and those of the exponents of Alexandrian and Antiochene exegesis.
The book provides interesting new insights into the formal aspects, motivation, relevance and hermeneutics of the commentaries as well as into the cultural transfer on which they are based.