Chapter 4: The Rule of Faith and Irenaeus's Demonstration of the order and connection of the scriptures

Despite a recent resurgence of scholarly discussions, the rule of faith in Irenaeus's theology and exegesis remains a highly debated concept. One underdeveloped aspect of this conversation is the relationship (or lack there of) between Iraenaeus's hermaneutics and applied exegesis. Some scholars so closely identify the regula with the ordered exposition of the scriptures that the regula becomes a narratival construct, while other scholars separate the regula from the actual practice of exegesis in Irenaeus. This article endeavors to clarify these misconceptions through bridging the discussion of the regula in Irenaeus and his applied exegesis expressed in his shorter work, The Demonstration of Apostolic Preaching. Irenaeus's Demonstration displays a methodological concern for the order and connection of scriptures organized around the contents of the regula in Dem. 6. This analysis challenges any bifurcation of Irenaeus's theology and exegesis and develops our understanding of the function of the regula in Irenaeus's scriptural exposition