The First Letter of Peter in Patristic Interpretation: Food for Thought Cover Image

La Prima lettera di Pietro nell’interpretazione patristica: spunti di riflessione
The First Letter of Peter in Patristic Interpretation: Food for Thought

Author(s): Emanuela Prinzivalli
Subject(s): History of Church(es), Biblical studies, Sociology of Religion, History of Religion
Published by: Szent Atanáz Görögkatolikus Hittudományi Főiskola
Keywords: First Letter of Peter; royal priesthood; patristic exegesis; descensus ad inferos; the first Christians in Rome;

Summary/Abstract: The First Letter of Peter has been highly regarded since the earliest centuries, yet it was rarely the subject of a complete commentary— likely because many of its themes also appear in Paul’s letters, while others, of an ethical nature, lend themselves easily to paraenetic use. Nonetheless, the epistle offers original elements that have enjoyed a long and varied exegetical reception: the royal priesthood of the faithful (1Pet 2:9) and Christ’s proclamation to the “spirits in prison” (1Pet 3:19-20), which raises the question of whether the passage attests to belief in the descensus ad inferos. The article concludes with a series of arguments supporting the Roman origin of the letter.

  • Issue Year: 11/2025
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 13-38
  • Page Count: 26
  • Language: Italian
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