Philosophical Hermeneutics and the Study of Religion in Literature: Freedom, Faith, and Authority in Milton’s Paradise Lost

Abstract

          This article develops a Miltonic hermeneutic model for reading Paradise Lost through the lens of Hans-Georg Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics. Rather than treating Milton’s epic as a closed system of religious doctrine, the study interprets it as a dynamic dialogue in which freedom, faith, and authority are continually interacted. Gadamer’s notion of the hermeneutic circle illuminates how meaning arises through movement between parts and whole, past and present. Close readings reveal how Satan’s boast “The mind is its own place” (I.254) juxtaposed with Adam’s lament after the Fall “O miserable of happy! is this the end” (X.720) captures the tragic weight of freedom and responsibility. Similarly, Eve’s reasoning with Satan dramatizes belief as negotiation rather than passive obedience, recalling the ancient question, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’? (Gen. 3:1). These textual encounters confirm Gadamer’s insight that understanding emerges not in certainty but in the fusion of horizons. By situating Milton within his 17^th century theological and political milieu while engaging contemporary philosophical debates on autonomy, pluralism, and authority. The study demonstrates that Paradise Lost is neither static nor archaic. Instead, it remains a living dialogue whose resonance lies in its openness to reinterpretation. The Miltonic hermeneutic model proposed here integrates critique and tradition, plurality and responsibility. It is affirming that Milton’s poem continues to enforce philosophical reflection on freedom, faith, and the conditions of human understanding.

enforce philosophical reflection on freedom, faith, and the conditions of human understanding.