基督教預表論神學(typology),西元5世紀前由早期教父確立,為銜接希伯來舊約與耶穌誕生後新約聖經“最重要詮釋策略”(the most important interpretative strategy)。13世紀末簡明版圖解聖經《貧窮人聖經》(Biblia pauperum)為中古盛期三大預表論神學代表作之一,也是「中世紀第一本預表論神學教科書」(the first medieval textbook of typology)。本文以大英博物館藏編號C.9 d.2《貧窮人聖經》單印本(blockbook)首頁『聖告圖』(Annunciation)為討論案例,分析該首頁上7圖像9文本,16個視覺元素,如何透過預表論神學跨兩約詮釋理論,進行互圖文敘事與論述,也就是相關意義形構(signification)議題探討。全文分5個章節,運用圖像詮釋學(iconographical interpretation)、聖經詮釋學、歷史文獻分析法(historical document analysis)、文本分析(text analysis)、資料舉證法(proof of cases)等取向進行研究,目的期待打開《貧窮人聖經》該教科書首頁意義形成機制,提供預表論視覺可見化、中世紀盛期基督教視覺文化新視窗以及未來研發平台。
The Biblia pauperum, 13(superscript th) to 15(superscript th) century picture Bibles composed of a juxtaposition of texts and images, have been regarded as ”the first medieval textbook of typology” and were among the most popular books during the late Medieval period and the early Renaissance in Europe. Although centering on the Christian Heilsgeschichte and limited to less than 50 pages, the Biblia pauperum have an intricated and compressed pictorial structure with a didactic theological program. With an individual scene from the life of the Christ in the center each page and accompanied by 6 images and 6 texts from the Old Testament, the Biblia pauperum possess a unique pictorial narrative technique which not only encompasses a variety of fragmented and de-contextualized units from the OT, but also unites them into a coherent entity. The underlying operative principle is the Christian typology first developed by the Early Fathers of the Church. In this paper, I will examine the first page, centering on the Annunciation, of a block book in the British Library (C.9 d.2) and focus on the narrative mode of intertextuality of its texts and images by means of typology. Secondly, I will analyze the structure of the core message of the Annunciation page, i.e. the dogmas of the Virgin Mary as Theotokos and her perpetual Virginity, and the question how they are put together piece by piece and delivered to a community as a textbook of Christian Doctrines.