The Influence of Augustine’s Totus Christus in Protestant Hermeneutics

This essay seeks to validate recent observations regarding premodern exegesis by further exploring Augustine’s notion of totus Christus (“the whole Christ”). Additionally, this essay will trace the influence of Totus Christus in select protestant biblical interpreters. The interpretive framework of Totus Christus is especially noticeable in Augustine’s interpretation of the Psalms, primarily contained within his Enarrationes en Psalmos. In these texts, Augustine weaved the pattern of the Totus Christus within his interpretation because to understand the Psalms rightly according to Augustine, one must read them with Christ and his body in view. In this way, the beauty of the biblical text is magnified and the meaning of the text is fully realized. For this essay I lean upon the established work of Michael Cameron in explicating Augustine’s hermeneutics, as well as the work of Reno and O’Keefe in understanding patristic interpretation in general. In doing so, I seek to validate the recent work of Craig Carter and Hans Boersma on premodern exegesis while providing some additional insight. First, I will summarize Augustine’s thought on totus Christus. Second, I will look at a short series of Psalms which exemplify this hermeneutical commitment. Last, I will connect the Totus Christus interpretation to select protestant interpreters of Scripture demonstrating their reliance upon Augustine. To conclude, I will propose how the Totus Christus is still a valid and valuable hermeneutic may help readers further understand the biblical text according to premodern exegetes.