The Song of Songs and the Fashioning of Identity in Early Latin ChristianityIn this work, Karl Shuve provides a new account of how the Song of Songs became one of the most popular biblical texts in medieval Western Christianity, through a close and detailed study of its interpretation by late antique Latin theologians. It has often been presumed that early Latin writers exercised little influence on the medieval interpretation of the poem, since there are so few extant commentaries from the period. But this is to overlook the hundreds of citations of and allusions to the Song in the writings of influential figures such as Cyprian, Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine as well as the lesser-known theologian Gregory of Elvira. Through a comprehensive analysis of these citations and allusions, Shuve argues that contrary to the expectations of many modern scholars, the Song of Songs was not a problematic text for early Christian theologians, but was a resource that they mined as they debated the nature of the church and of the virtuous life. The first part of the volume considers the use of the Song in the churches of Roman Africa and Spain, where bishops and theologians focused on images of enclosure and purity invoked in the poem. In the second part, the focus is late fourth-century Italy, where a new ascetic interpretation, concerned particularly with women's piety, began to emerge. This erotic poem gradually became embedded in the discursive traditions of Latin Late Antiquity, which were bequeathed to the Christian communities of early medieval Europe. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The Song of Songs in North Africa and Spain | 21 |
The Song of Songs in Italy | 107 |
Towards Medieval Exegesis | 209 |
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The Song of Songs and the Fashioning of Identity in Early Latin Christianity Karl Shuve Limited preview - 2016 |
Common terms and phrases
Africa and Spain Ambrose and Jerome Ambrose's anima Ann Matter argues ascetic asserts Athanasius Augustine Augustine's Bapt baptism biblical bishop body bride Cambridge Cant CCSL 3C chastity Christ Christian identity church claim commentary consecrated virgin CSEL 54 Cyprian Damasus discourse divine Donatist Early Christian ecclesiae ecclesiological Eustochium exegesis exegetical female flesh FOTC 65 garden Gregory of Elvira Gregory’s heretics Holy Spirit homilies human Hunter integritas interpretation Isaac Jerome Jerome’s Jovinian Jovinianist Controversy Julian Late Antiquity Latin letter marriage Mary medieval Milan mystical North Africa Novatian nuptial Optatus Origen Oxford University Press Pacian Parm poem Poetovio Psal Psalm purity Ramsey reading rebaptism Reticius Roman Rome sacramental SAEMO Schulz-Flügel scripture sealed sexual Shuve signifies Simpronian Song of Songs Song’s Songs in Italy Songs in North soul spiritual theology Tract Tractatus de Epithalamio tradition treatise Tyconius unity verse Victorinus Virg virginibus virginitate women writings