The Book of Rules

work by Tyconius

Also known as: “Liber regularum”

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Last updated

July 16, 2026

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The Book of Rules (Liber regularum) is a 4th-century work by Tyconius, a significant theologian in North African Latin Christianity. It serves as a handbook for interpreting Scripture, offering seven keys or rules to guide readers through biblical texts.1

Tyconius's rules address various interpretive challenges, such as the dual meanings of biblical figures like "the Lord" (referring to Christ or his church) and the concept of the church as a "mixed body" of both sinners and saints. Other rules explore ambiguities in scriptural descriptions of things, numbers, and time, emphasizing historical typologies over philosophical principles. One rule also addresses the theological compatibility of divine grace and human freedom.1

Tyconius's work influenced later theologians, notably St. Augustine, who incorporated his interpretive techniques and ideas about the church into his own writings.1

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Tyconius
382; The Book of Rules), his sole surviving work, is a handbook for interpreting Scripture, and In Apocalypsin (c. 385?) is a commentary on Revelation that applies the rules set out in the earlier handbook.
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382; The Book of Rules), his sole surviving work, is a handbook for interpreting Scripture, and In Apocalypsin (c. 385?) is a commentary on Revelation that applies the rules set out in the earlier handbook.
Read More