Allegory or Typology? On the Hermeneutic Method of the Hexaemeron of St. Anastasius of Sinai

This article questions the classification of the hermeneutic method of the Hexaemeron of St. Anastasius of Sinai as “allegorizing exegesis” (exegesis allégorisante), a revival of the Origenist tradition, accepted in modern patrology and based on the works of D. Zaganas. Is the method of the Sinai abbot truly allegorical in nature, or does this category distort his true intent? The purpose of the article is to demonstrate that this model is inadequate, and that St. Anastasius’s method represents a consistent and original “cosmic typology.” To this end, the author analyzes the vocabulary of the monument, revealing the overwhelming dominance of the term τύπος (prototype) over the term ἀλληγορία; examines the polemical context in which St. Anastasius directly condemns Origen for the destruction of history (ἱστορία) and counts himself among the anti-allegorical tradition of the Holy Fathers; examines practical exegetical techniques (aporias, θεωρία), showing that they serve not to abolish history, but to reveal its prophetic, Christocentric depth. Ultimately, the author concludes that Saint Anastasius was not a “lone allegorist,” but a distinctive representative of the mainstream of Orthodox exegesis, for whom the entire created cosmos is a prototype (τύπος) of Christ’s dispensation.