"Wading lambs and swimming elephants"

by W. François

The book's title alludes to Gregory the Great's famous metaphor in his 'Moralia in Job': The Bible is like a stream, broad and deep, shallow enough for the lamb to go wading, but deep enough for the elephant to swim. Gregory's intention was to show that the Bible contains several levels of instruction, so that it is fully accessible to both the lettered and the unlettered. This powerful metaphor has been applied and re-applied in various Christian traditions, and has been given expression in many and various ways. In this book, it is understood as a reference to the diverse biblical genres,...