If some pseudo-orthodox thinks Patristic and Literal interpretation of Genesis are incompatible ...

1) Creation vs. Evolution : If some pseudo-orthodox thinks Patristic and Literal interpretation of Genesis are incompatible ..., 2) CMI on Allegorical Method - Answered, 3) Literal Sense vs Literalistic Approach, Allegoric Sense vs Figurative Approach, 4) Great Bishop of Geneva! : Congratulating Lita Cosner on agreeing basically with StThomas Aquinas, 5) Mark Shea's Understanding of Scripture, 6) HGL's F.B. writings : Neither Sungenis nor Palm is totally right on Psalm 18 (Sungenis is less off)

DL

So, a question: Which is preferable (or, 'more Orthodox')-- the Alexandrian school's 'allegorical' interpretation of Scripture, or the Antiochene school's 'literal' interpretation of Scripture?

Michael Venerates Saint Chrysostom

(that is already a "not his full name")

Hard to make a blanket statement on that since the Scriptures have all the above : literal, allegory, metaphor, and symbolism... It also contains an exoteric and esoteric meaning often.

JL

Both. But I love Alexandrian style.

DC

Neither. They're both legitimate schools of interpretation that should be utilized.

JN

I prefer a meeting place of the two.

RD

The Fathers used many styles of interpretation for our understanding...so should we...

In other words: it is never wrong to defend the literal sense of Scripture as true, as long as we do not reject the allegorical senses as if untrue.

The above dialogue was from a Traditional Orthodox forum.

Note that much Catholic and Orthodox Mariology comes from allegorical sense of OT. Note also that Christ taught the Apostles the allegorical and prophetic sense of OT during the forty days between Resurrection and Ascension.

Note also that allegoric sense does not mean OT was written as an allegory by merely human authors looking on NT and trying to express it, it was God who made events (rather than mere writings) the allegory of a NT yest to come./HGL

See further St Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Part I, Question I, Article 10.
Q 1 = The nature and extent of sacred doctrine : A 10 = Whether in Holy Scripture a word may have several senses?
http://www.newadvent.org/summa/1001.htm#article10