A Companion to the Song of Songs in the History of Spirituality

Description

A survey of the history of one of the most important biblical texts in the history of Christian spirituality while exploring original pathways for research. Half Title Series Information Title Page Copyright Page Contents Acknowledgements Abbreviations List of Figures Notes on Contributors Introduction 1 The Song of Songs and Its History 2 Modern Resistance to the Allegorical Tradition 3 Renewed Appreciation for the Pre-modern Song of Songs 4 Companion to the Song of Songs in Christian Spirituality Chapter 1 Mystical Wounds: Eastern Patristic Authors on the Song of Songs 1 Introduction 2 Overview of Key Authors 3 Wounds of Love 4 Conclusion Chapter 2 “A Garden Enclosed, a Fountain Sealed”: The Song of Songs and Ritual Purity in Early Latin Christianity 1 Introduction 2 The Song of Songs and Ritual Purity in North Africa 3 The Song of Songs and Virginity in Italy 4 The Early Latin Commentary Tradition 5 Conclusion Chapter 3 The Song of Songs in the Early Middle Ages: From Gregory the Great to the Gregorian Reform 1 Introduction 2 Gregory the Great and the Venerable Bede 3 Alcuin and the Carolingians 4 The Song of Songs and the Gregorian Reform 5 Conclusion Chapter 4 The Cistercian Song: Reception of Bernard of Clairvaux’s Exegesis in Later Cistercian Interpretations of the Song of Songs 1 Introduction 2 Bernard of Clairvaux: Exemplary Abbot and Exegete 3 William of St. Thierry: Conversations with a Friend 4 Gilbert of Hoyland and John of Ford: Successors 5 Conclusion Chapter 5 The Song of Songs as a Call to Action: Scholastic Interpretation in the High Middle Ages Chapter 6 The Song of Songs in Aelred of Rievaulx’s Liturgical Preaching 1 Introduction 2 Aelred of Rievaulx’s Preaching “from” the Song of Songs 3 The Advent of the Lord (Sermons 1, 2, 80, 86) 4 The Nativity of the Lord (Sermons 3, 48, 81, 91) 5 The Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord (Sermons 50, 110) 6 The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and Purification of Holy Mary (Sermons 5, 32, 51, 101, 102) 7 The Annunciation of the Lord (Sermons 9, 57, 59, 60, 118, 119) 8 Palm Sunday (Sermons 10, 35) 9 Easter (Sermons 12, 121) 10 Ascension (Sermons 124, 125) 11 Pentecost (Sermons 67, 68, 128) 12 The Assumption of Holy Mary (Sermons 20, 45, 73, 74, 153, 154, 156, 157, 167, 168, 169) 13 Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Sermons 23, 75, 159, 162, 164, 166) 14 All Saints (Sermons 26, 76, 77) Chapter 7 The Beautiful Men of the Song of Songs?: Replacing and Erasing the Female Beloved in Ancient and Medieval Jewish Interpretation 1 Introduction: What Bothered Early Jewish Readers about Song of Songs? 2 Targum and Early Midrash 3 Song of Songs Rabbah 4 Real Men and Women and Song of Songs Rabbah 5 The Female Beloved and/as the Community of Israel 6 Breast Milk, Torah, and the Nourishing of Israel 7 The Male Beloved and/as God 8 Medieval Exegesis of the Song of Songs 8.1 The Northern French Peshat School 8.2 The Spanish School: Abraham Ibn Ezra 8.3 Karaite Exegesis 8.4 Philosophical Allegory 8.5 Early Kabbalah—Ezra ben Solomon of Gerona 9 Conclusion Chapter 8 Women Interpreting the Song of Songs: 1150–1700 1 Introduction 2 Women Mystics Read the Song of Songs: 1150–1550 3 Women Commenting on the Song of Songs: 1550–1700 Chapter 9 Abandonment and Abundance in John of the Cross’s Spiritual Canticle: The Poet as the Writer of New Scripture 1 Introduction 2 Abandonment and Longing 3 A Poetics of Love 4 Abundance and the Impotence of Language 5 Penetrating beyond Explanations 6 A Poetics of the Silent Word Chapter 10 Visual Exegesis of the Song of Songs in European Art 1 Introduction 2 The Song of Songs and the Materiality of Religion 3 Literal Representations of the Song of Songs 4 Allusions to the Song of Songs in Devotional Art 5 Innovative Allegories 6 Conclusion Chapter 11 The Banquet of Love: The Song of Songs in Reformed Sacramental Piety: 1586–1729 1 Introduction 2 Varieties of Reformed Commentary on the Song of Songs 3 Themes in Eucharistic Piety 4 Conclusion Epilogue: Christian Reception of the Song of Songs since 1800 1 Historical-Critical Readings of the Song as a Celebration of Human Love 2 The Persistence of Allegorical Interpretation 3 Approaches Focusing on the Positionality of the Reader 4 Reading the Song in Interreligious Contexts 5 The Song in Literature, Art, Music, and Film 6 Liturgy and Worship 7 The Song’s Enduring Appeal Bibliography Ancient and Medieval Authors Modern Authors Musical Compositions Index