On the Song of Songs

Mark DelCogliano earned a Ph.D. in patristic theology from Emory University in 2009 and currently teaches in the Department of Theology at University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. He has published several studies of the fourth-century Trinitarian controversy, including Basil of Caesarea's Anti-Eunomian Theory of Names, and has collaborated on translations of patristic and medieval texts, such as Works on the Spirit: Athanasius and Didymus, St. Basil of Caesarea: Against Eunomius, and For Your Own People: ’lred of Rievaulx's Pastoral Prayer.

This new translation, noteworthy for both its accuracy and its sympathy for Gregory’s endeavours, will make his thinking on The Song of Songs far better known. It is extremely welcome.John Moorhead McCaughey Professor of History, Emeritus, University of Queensland, Author of Gregory the Great

• ContentsPreface   xiList of Abbreviations   xvA Note on References to Primary Sources   xviiIntroduction   1I. The Life of Gregory the Great and His Writings   1A. Rome in Late Antiquity   1B. Gregory’s Early Years   5C. Deacon and Papal Apocrisiarius   10D. Gregory’s Papacy   15E. Gregory’s Writings   20F. Gregory’s Death and Legacy   24II. Gregory’s Writings on the Song of Songs   29A. Gregory’s Exposition on the Song of Songs   291. The Question of Authenticity   292. The Date and Circumstances of Composition   333. The Scope of the Exposition   43B. The Excerpters of Gregory   481. Paterius’s Book of Testimonies   502. Bede’s Commentary on the Song of Songs   523. William of Saint Thierry’s Excerpts from the Books of Blessed Gregory on the Song of Songs   54III. Gregory’s Exegesis of the Song of Songs   57A. Gregory in the History of Interpretation   57B. Gregory’s Method of Scriptural Exegesis   651. Gregory’s Exegetical Motivation   662. Grammatical Reading Techniques   673. Gregory’s Figural Approach to the Song of Songs   734. Gregory’s Exegetical Practice   79IV. Gregory’s Sources   84A. Origen   85B. Augustine   87C. Apponius   89D. Ambrose of Milan   92E. John Cassian   98V. Two Notes to the Reader   99A. Note on References to the Song of Songs   99B. Note on the Translations   101Translations   103I. Gregory the Great’s Exposition on the Song of Songs   105Introduction   107Translation   109II. Excerpts from the Works of Gregory the Great on the Song of Songs Compiled by Paterius and Bede   145Introduction   147Bede’s Preface to Commentary on the Song of Songs VI   149Translation of the Compilations of Paterius and Bede   150III. William of Saint Thierry’s Excerpts from the Books of Blessed Gregory on the Song of Songs   181Introduction   183Translation   186IV. Supplemental Texts   241Introduction   243Translation   244Appendices   249Appendix One: Gregory’s Citations of the Song of Songs   251Appendix Two: Table of Correspondences among Paterius, Bede, and William   257Appendix Three: Textual Notes on Gregory the Great’s Exposition on the Song of Songs   275Appendix Four: Textual Notes on the Compilations of Paterius and Bede   279Appendix Five: Textual Notes on William of Saint Thierry’s Excerpts from the Books of Blessed Gregory on the Song of Songs   287Bibliography   295Scriptural Index   309General Index   315