Verbum in principio et incarnatum Verbum in principio et incarnatum

The Incarnation of the Word is not only a significant statement in the Gospel of John, but also the central starting point for Augustine’s interpretation of this Gospel. What does it mean when God is understood as the Word? What system-forming implications does the Incarnation of this Word have for the philosophy of language, hermeneutics, the doctrine of principles, as well as the method and form of the Christian religion? Drawing on a broad selection of Augustinian works, this dissertation examines the philosophical context and the history of semantics and hermeneutics with the aim (Chapter B) of elucidating the philosophical framework and methods (Chapter A) through which Augustine interpreted the Fourth Gospel (Chapter C). The analysis of the *Tractatus in Ioannis Evangelium* itself is based on systematic core ideas such as the philosophy of the flesh, incarnational hermeneutics, and spiritual resurrection. The study concludes with the confirmed thesis that Augustine’s hermeneutics can be understood as metaphysics. Building on this, the author offers a perspective on the significance of philosophical hermeneutics according to Augustine for the present-day Christian religion and theology.