Ship of Fools: Allegorical interpretation of the Song of Songs

Thread: Allegorical interpretation of the Song of Songs Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Majorminor (# 17967) on :

I attended a Retreat Day yesterday which was focussed on the Song of Songs. The speaker had done a lot of work in presenting an allegorical hermeneutic. Everyone else raved about it, but I felt distinctly uncomfortable. Was I justified! Or am I just awkward?

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :

The book strikes me as a straightforward celebration of physical love. I think its presence in the Bible is very valuable for that reason.

Of course, sex can and frequently is misused, but as God created it, it is very good.

Moo

Posted by BroJames (# 9636) on :

I would have shared your view unreservedly, Moo, until I became aware of this work (PDF review). Sadly the book is out of my reach finically.

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :

I wouldn't have a problem with an allegorical reading of this book. Words have more than one meaning, I guess it depends on how it's done. But if this would be a prudish attempt to hide the physical love aspects of the book behind the closet, I'd find it rather lame.

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :

It's always been read both ways I suspect. Certainly there is a long historical tradition of reading it allegorically, and reading it literally is hardly possible to avoid (which I don't want to).

I'm using it for my devotional reading right now, and while I could not construct a rigid "everything in its place" type allegory from it, there are certainly many passages that fit Christ (or us, from his perspective!) very well.

Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :

I basically agree with Leroc and Lamb Chopped. Love is love is love. A sufficiently good depiction of one form of love (romantic, say) should inspire us to better appreciate other forms of love (including Christ's love for the church). I've always loved the line in the Litany of the Sacred Heart which refers to Jesus' heart as a burning furnace of charity. The Song can remind us that God's love is not disimpassioned.

Posted by Fr Weber (# 13472) on :

quote:
Originally posted by LeRoc:
I wouldn't have a problem with an allegorical reading of this book. Words have more than one meaning, I guess it depends on how it's done. But if this would be a prudish attempt to hide the physical love aspects of the book behind the closet, I'd find it rather lame.

I don't think anyone wants to hide those aspects of the book. But if they're all that's in it, then the question of why the book is in the canon arises.

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :

quote:
Fr Weber: I don't think anyone wants to hide those aspects of the book. But if they're all that's in it, then the question of why the book is in the canon arises.

(I don't think you understood my post.)

Posted by no prophet (# 15560) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Fr Weber:
I don't think anyone wants to hide those aspects of the book. But if they're all that's in it, then the question of why the book is in the canon arises.

The bible also contains lengthy accounts of conquest in war, family history, and all sorts of other not-really-seeming-allegorical stuff. I think people want to read it allegorically because discomfort with sex. Mostly ever since Paul I think, but there are other subsequent dead guys to blame too.

Posted by Trudy Scrumptious (# 5647) on :

Wasn't it also interpreted allegorically in much of Judaism too, as a picture of God's love for Israel?

Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :

quote:
Originally posted by LeRoc:
But if this would be a prudish attempt to hide the physical love aspects of the book behind the closet, I'd find it rather lame.

I think an allegorical reading does the opposite of this, as it says that the relationship between Christ and the church is like a sexual relationship.

I find the idea that Christ is as close to the Church as this comforting.

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Trudy Scrumptious:
Wasn't it also interpreted allegorically in much of Judaism too, as a picture of God's love for Israel?

Not sure about that and would love some evidence. Because in modern Judaism it is taken as a reference to marital love.

Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :

quote:
Originally posted by leo:

quote:
Originally posted by Trudy Scrumptious:
Wasn't it also interpreted allegorically in much of Judaism too, as a picture of God's love for Israel?
Not sure about that and would love some evidence. Because in modern Judaism it is taken as a reference to marital love.

The oldest interpretation we have of it, the Shir haShirim Rabbah, reads it allegorically, as do many modern Jews. See this article for starters. He makes the point that Origen, the first Christian writer to develop the allegorical reading (that we still have record of) cribbed heavily from the Rabbah.

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

Thank you - it was really interesting

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