Colloquia Maruliana ..., Vol. 15 , 2006.
Original scientific paper
Explanations of a Gospel Parable by Marko Marulić and by Erasmus of Rotterdam
Vinko Grubišić
Abstract
Both Marko Marulić and Erasmus of Rotterdam were partisans of the religious movement devotio moderna; both furthermore can be said to have considered theology the “queen of sciences”. Marulić’s main intention in his Evangelistary was to encourage the faithful, on the basis of Christ’s parables, to live a moral life. Jerry H. Bentley said that Erasmus “became almost homiletic at points, and he sometimes aimed frankly, not simply to explain and clarify the New Testament, but to employ his research in the cause of moral and religious renewal”. In this paper the author limits his research to the parable on the wicked tenants in the vineyard, from Matthew (21: 33-42), Mark (12: 1-11) and Luke (20: 9-18). In his Evangelistary, Marulić addresses priests, monks, nuns and laymen, inviting them to aim for spiritual perfection, while Erasmus’ Paraphrases on the New Testament can be considered the most important theological and hermeneutical contribution of his time to the explanation of the New Testament. As far as this Gospel parable is concerned, Marulić’s and Erasmus’ explanations are essentially congruous, and they are in accordance with the traditional clarification of the Gospel, which can be traced back to Origen in the third century. The author points out that the explanation of this parable cannot be taken as typical of either Marulić’s or Erasmus’ attitudes to the Old Testament, or to the Jews, because these attitudes are quite complex and contradictory.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
2946
URI
Publication date:
22.4.2006.
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