Patmos in the Reception History of the Apocalypse

Abstract This monograph explores the significance accorded to St John’s island of Patmos (Rev. 1:9) within the wider reception history of the Apocalypse. In contrast to the relatively scant attention paid to John’s island in modern commentaries, this reception-historical survey reveals both the greater prominence accorded to Patmos by earlier interpreters, and the richer diversity of readings the text has provoked. These include interest in the physical character of Patmos and its significance as an island; the date and reason for John’s sojourn there; attempts to locate Patmos in a geography which is sometimes more mythical than literal; the meaning of the name ‘Patmos’ for a biblical book which treats other place names symbolically. This diversity is supported by a close reading of Rev. 1:9, which highlights the extent to which even its literal sense is highly ambiguous. This book brings together for the first time in a coherent narrative a wide range of interpretations of Patmos, reflecting different chronological periods, cultural contexts, and Christian traditions. It understands biblical interpretation broadly, to include interpretations in biographical traditions about John, sermons, liturgy, and visual art, as well as biblical commentaries. It also considers popular and marginal readings alongside magisterial and centrist ones, and draws analogies between similar hermeneutical strategies across the centuries. The final chapter explores the wider implications of this study for New Testament scholarship, advocating an approach which encourages use of the imagination and reader participation, and which works with a broader concept of ‘meaning’ than traditional historical criticism.