Augustinianum

Volume 59, Issue 2, December 2019

Sul concetto di regula veritatis in Ireneo di Lione

This article proposes an interpretation of the use of the lemma ὁ κανὼν τὴς ἀληϑείας – regula veritatis in Irenaeus’ Adversus haereses. It is commonly interpreted as a compendium of the main items of Christian faith (more or less as a symbolum) or as indicating the wholeness of the faith (as synonym of veritas). These interpretations focuse themselves in terms of the “contents” of faith. We propose to understand it in a more formal way, as a lemma that indicates the formal structure of Christian truth (μορφή), the specific shape that keeps the objects of faith joined together.