The Application of Typology in the Interpretation of Middle Age's Christian Art

Typology in Christian theology and Biblical exegesis is a doctrine or theory concerning the predictive relationship of the Old Testament to the New Testament. Events، persons or statements in the Old Testament are seen as types pre-figuring or superseded by antitypes، events or aspects of Christ or his revelation described in the New Testament. The elements of typological relations consist of types in Old Testament and antitypes in New Testament. In this system the unity of Old and New Testaments of utmost importance and the latter is seen and as the realization of the former. This method may also be used in Biblical exegesis especially in Book of Revelation as well as other religious Christian texts. Yet this method is not restricted to Bible and has been influential in interpretation and appreciation of works of art. This method enjoys such an importance that without fully understand it one cannot comprehend the narrative cycle and arrangement in some medieval church images and the reasons behind their juxtapositions on the walls. This article would discuss the way for applying such a method in interpretation of Christian medieval art and describes the principals of this interpretive method.