Why Typology Matters: Catholic Homeschooling
Understanding Typology: Seeing Christ Foreshadowed in the Old Testament
If you’ve been around Catholicism for a while, you’ve probably heard the words type and typology. You might, for example, hear a priest refer to the sacrifice of Isaac as a “type” of Christ. Or a literature professor’s lecture may discuss how a certain author draws on the Old Testament “typology” in his work. Theologians speak of “types and shadows” found throughout the Bible, for example, the Virgin Mary as a type of the Church.
In this article, we will explore typology to help you understand what this term is and isn’t. We’ll also discover why it is an important tool in our Catholic homeschools and scripture studies.
More Than Just Allegory
It should be apparent from the context that typology is a sort of symbolism whereby one thing represents something else. When the priest says that Isaac is a “type” of Christ, he means that Isaac symbolizes or represents Christ in some way. When the theologian says that Mary typifies the Church, he suggests that Mary represents the Church. If we are talking about representation, then is not typology merely a fancy word for allegory? No.
To think thus would be an oversimplification. However, typology is far more than just allegory. In allegory, one person or object symbolizes another. For example, in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, the character “Christian” represents the believer seeking salvation in Christ, while the “City of Destruction” represents the world. Or in Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde, the schizophrenic duality of the characters represents the struggle between good and evil within a person. But typology is not mere symbolism. Instead, it refers to the unique way that God, in His providence, orchestrates events in salvation history to refer to and explain one another.
“What is Concealed in the Old is Revealed in the New”
Typology has to do with the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. The classical definition of typology can be found in the writings of St. Augustine, who explained that “what is concealed in the Old is revealed in the New.” In other words, Old Testament stories reveal truths about Jesus Christ and the Church. They are said to point to or “typify” truths that would not be revealed until the New Testament. Typology, then, is not simply about how one thing represents another. Instead, it is about how two events are tied together in God’s plan of salvation history.
In typology, an Old Testament episode does not merely represent some New Testament truth. It is only intelligible in light of that truth. To understand Isaac as a type of Christ is to do more than see Christ as analogous to Isaac in different situations where both are sacrificed by their father. Rather, it is to understand that Isaac, in a sense, prepares us for Christ. And that Christ’s sacrifice fulfills the one offered by Isaac. In typology, the two episodes mutually explain one another.
The Example of Jonah
Let us apply this principle to another biblical story, the tale of Jonah. As related in the Book of Jonah, the prophet is sent by God to Nineveh to preach to the Ninevites. Jonah, however, resists the call and attempts to flee by ship to Tarshish. God has other plans, however. A storm emerges, and the sailors toss Jonah overboard as an omen of bad luck. God causes a great fish to swallow Jonah alive. Jonah survives for three days in the belly of the beast before he is spit out on land, after which he makes his way to Nineveh to carry out God’s original command.
The story of Jonah is an excellent example of typology because our Lord Himself interprets it typologically. When the scribes and Pharisees ask Jesus to perform a sign, He says, “No sign will be given…except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt. 12:39-40). Why is this typological?
In the first place, we see that Jesus says that the three days Jonah spent in the belly of the whale signifies the three days Jesus would spend in the tomb. This obviously means that Jonah’s experience is intended to remind us of Jesus. Yet, it’s more than that—Jonah doesn’t just remind us of Jesus, but Jesus’s three days in the tomb help us make sense of Jonah’s experience as well. The two episodes mutually explain one another. Jesus’s three days in the tomb fulfill what was only hinted at in the experience of Jonah, casting the story of Jonah in a new light that was unintelligible until the revelation of Christ made it otherwise.
Biblical types and their fulfillments are thus much more interrelated than in allegory. The cord that binds them together is God’s providence, who is able to orchestrate historical events in such a way that they not only occur in reference to one another, but make one another mutually intelligible.
Why is Typology Important?
All of this is well and good, but why should the average Catholic learn about it?
Typology has always been a staple of Catholic scripture study. Understanding biblical typology is crucial for grasping the interconnectedness of the Old and New Testaments. Recognizing these typological connections enriches our appreciation for God’s redemptive plan. Some types—such as the Passover lamb foreshadowing Christ’s sacrifice in the Eucharist—can also deepen our spiritual lives. A solid grounding in typology demonstrates the Bible’s unity and coherence, showing how God progressively revealed Himself throughout history. Furthermore, it shows us how Christ is present throughout the entire Bible, not just the New Testament. Ultimately, studying typology enriches our interpretation of Scripture, unveiling layers of meaning that can strengthen our faith and grow our appreciation for divine revelation.
Helpful Resources
Homeschool Connections offers many courses that deal with Scripture and typology, including:
Understanding the Story of the Bible for Middle School Students with Dan Egan
Called to Covenant: How God Reveals Himself to Us (Old Testament Scripture) with Mike Creavey
Sacred Scripture Part 1 and Sacred Scripture Part 2 with Gary Michuta
Understanding Scripture (Didache) Part 1 with Holly Vaughan
The Eucharist in the Gospel of John with Holly Vaughan
To Humanity, Love Paul with Holly Vaughan
Additionally, Dr. Henry Russell often tackles typology in his high school literature courses.
What are your thoughts or questions on this topic? You can join me and other homeschooling parents at our Homeschool Connections Community or our Facebook group to continue the discussion!
