A spiritual or mystical interpretation of a text, especially the Bible, that reveals hidden divine meanings beyond the literal words.
From Greek 'anagoge' meaning 'a leading up' or 'elevation,' formed from 'ana-' (up) + 'agogos' (leading). The term emerged in medieval Christian theology to describe the highest level of textual interpretation, elevating meaning from the physical to the spiritual realm.
Medieval scholars believed texts had four layers of meaning—the literal story, the moral lesson, the symbolic reference to Christ, and the anagoge that pointed directly to heaven. This framework shaped how people understood not just scripture but poetry and literature for over a thousand years.
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