ABSTRACT
We saw in the last chapter that the poetic word in homiletic language operates in such a way that the language of the homily becomes a figure for the salvific Word of the Christian message. This chapter considers the deployment of the poetic word in three other genres, Old English law, charm, and riddle. These genres in particular highlight the unique poetic character of Old English and make clear its epistemological implications. The discourse of vernacular Old English represents an epistemology and an ontology vastly different from the theology of presence developed by St. Augustine and promulgated by the Latin Church.
