The Song of Songs and Christology in the Early Church

Born 1965; 1997 PhD, Cambridge University; Professor of Biblical and Historical Theology at the University of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland, and Professorial Fellow at Wycliffe College, Toronto, Canada.

• 1. IntroductionFigures and Images - The Song of Songs: early influences on its interpretation - Exegetical Styles - Setting the scene - The beginnings of Christological deliberation - The Christological Interpretation of the Song - The task ahead2. Establishing the Context of the Commentators on the Song of SongsHippolytus - Origen (Greek)Methodius - Dionysius of Alexandria - "Athanasius" - Apollinarius - Didymus - Philo of Carpasia - Jerome - Pacianus - Ambrose - Gregory of Elvira - Gregory of Nyssa - Epiphanius - Pseudo-Theophilus of Alexandria - Rufinus and his translation of Origen's Commentary on the Song of Songs (=Rufinus-Origen) - Augustine - Theodoret - Nilus of AncyraCyril of AlexandriaPseudo-Athanasius: Synopsis Scripturae - Apponius3. The GroomThe way the Song relates to the Incarnation. Cant 1:2 - Myrrh and the Groom's divine spirit. Cant 1:3-4 - The distillation of myrrh as fragrance and the availability of the mind of Christ. Cant 1:12-14; 2:13 - Mutual belonging. Cant 1:7, 10; 2:6, 16; 3:3-4 - The motif of "leaping" and the Incarnation as the Word's descent and ascent. Cant 2:8 - Coronation as the Word's triumphal passion. Cant 3:11 - The Groom's descent. Cant 4:16-5:1 - The Groom's "coming to the door" and manifestation. Cant 5:2-6 - "The body of God"? The Groom's body and the Word's potencies. Cant 5:10-16 - The Cosmic Groom transcendent. Cant 6:9f and beyond - The Cosmic Groom and nature imagery. Cant 8:14 et al4. The BrideThe Essence of the human Christ. Cant 1:3 - The Bride as a prepared Church-humanity. Cant 1:5-7 - The identity of the purified Bride ascending. Cant 3:6 (and doublet, 8:5) - The "bed" image. Cant 3:7f (with reference to Cant1:16) - The Bride as walled garden and spring. Cant 4:12 - The Bride as the imitator of the Groom. Cant 5:2 and 5:12,14 - The Bride's chosenness as new Jerusalem. Cant 6:4 - The Bride as the perfect human one. Cant 6:8-105. Conclusion