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Christian Reading shifts the assumption that study of the Bible must be about the content of the Bible or aimed at confessional projects of religious instruction. Blossom Stefaniw focuses on the lesson transcripts from the Tura papyri, which reveal verbatim oral classroom discourse, to show how biblical texts were used as an exhibition space for the traditional canon of general knowledge about the world. Stefaniw demonstrates that the work of Didymus the Blind in the lessons reflected in the Tura papyri was similar to that of other grammarians in late antiquity: articulating the students' place in time, their position in the world, and their connection to their heritage. But whereas other grammarians used revered texts like Homer and Menander, Didymus curated the cultural patrimony using biblical texts: namely, the Psalms and Ecclesiastes. By examining this routine epistemological and pedagogical work carried out through the Bible, Christian Reading generates a new model of the relationship of Christian scholarship to the pagan past.

Greek language --- Manuscripts, Greek (Papyri) --- Grammar --- History --- Didymus, --- Bible. --- Criticism, interpretation, etc. --- History. --- biblical texts. --- christ. --- christianity. --- church. --- confessional projects. --- connection to heritage. --- cultural patrimony. --- didymus the blind. --- ecclesiastes. --- exhibition space. --- general knowledge about the world. --- god. --- grammarians. --- homer. --- late antiquity. --- menander. --- oral classroom discourse. --- place and time. --- position in the world. --- psalms. --- religion. --- religious instruction. --- study of the bible. --- traditional canon. --- tura papyri.

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Uncovered in 1941 near Cairo, the Tura papyri brought to light numerous works attributed to Didymus the Blind, including commentaries and grammatical lessons on the Psalms and Ecclesiastes. Previously thought to reflect exercises in exegesis or instruction in virtue, the lessons include 300 authentic student questions, demonstrating that grammar in late antiquity was based not on Homer or Menander, but on the Old Testament. Blossom Stefaniew argues that these lessons constitute an unusual instance of non-confessional reading and study of the Bible, directed at conveying general knowledge of the linguistic, moral, physical and social orders to young people. Grammar was about knowledge of the general order of things, not only how to read and speak well, but how to behave properly and know what is appropriate. Didymus's work epitomizes this transformation of education and civic culture, raising a claim that language, comportment, and common sense were governed by a Christian order. By reanalyzing the paradigms of religion and pedagogy, Christian Reading intervenes in existing scholarship by focusing on the history of Christianity as part of the history of reading, study, and scholarship.

Greek language --- Manuscripts, Greek (Papyri) --- 276 =75 DIDYMUS CAECUS ALEXANDRINUS --- Classical languages --- Indo-European languages --- Classical philology --- Greek philology --- 276 =75 DIDYMUS CAECUS ALEXANDRINUS Griekse patrologie--DIDYMUS CAECUS ALEXANDRINUS --- 276 =75 DIDYMUS CAECUS ALEXANDRINUS Patrologie grecque--DIDYMUS CAECUS ALEXANDRINUS --- Griekse patrologie--DIDYMUS CAECUS ALEXANDRINUS --- Patrologie grecque--DIDYMUS CAECUS ALEXANDRINUS --- Grammar --- History --- Didymus, --- Didymus Alexandrinus --- Didymus Caecus Alexandrinus --- Didyme l'aveugle --- Didymus de Blinde --- Didymus van Alexandrie --- Didymus the Blind --- Dídimo, --- Didimo, --- Didyme, --- Didymos, --- Bible. --- Antico Testamento --- Hebrew Bible --- Hebrew Scriptures --- Kitve-ḳodesh --- Miḳra --- Old Testament --- Palaia Diathēkē --- Pentateuch, Prophets, and Hagiographa --- Sean-Tiomna --- Stary Testament --- Tanakh --- Tawrāt --- Torah, Neviʼim, Ketuvim --- Torah, Neviʼim u-Khetuvim --- Velho Testamento --- Criticism, interpretation, etc. --- History. --- Greek language - Grammar - History - To 1500. --- Manuscripts, Greek (Papyri) - Egypt. --- Didymus, - the Blind, - approximately 313-approximately 398. --- biblical texts. --- christ. --- christianity. --- church. --- confessional projects. --- connection to heritage. --- cultural patrimony. --- didymus the blind. --- ecclesiastes. --- exhibition space. --- general knowledge about the world. --- god. --- grammarians. --- homer. --- late antiquity. --- menander. --- oral classroom discourse. --- place and time. --- position in the world. --- psalms. --- religion. --- religious instruction. --- study of the bible. --- traditional canon. --- tura papyri.