Eros and Allegory: Medieval Exegesis of the Song of Songs (Volume 156)

by Denys Turner

For centuries male celibates have described, expressed, and celebrated their love of God in the language of sex, most prolifically and characteristically in a thousand years' commentarial tradition on the Song of Songs. After analysing the tradition, its logic and its imagery, Turner provides translations of commentaries by Gregory the Great, Alcuin of York, Hugh of Saint Victor, William of Saint-Thierry, Alan of Lille, Thomas of Perseigne, Thomas Galus, Thomas Aquinas, Giles of Rome, Nicholas of Lyra, Denys the Carthusian, and John of the Cross.

472 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Denys Turner is the Horace Tracy Pitkin Professor of Historical Theology at Yale University, a position which he has held since 2005. He previously was the Norris-Hulse Professor of Divinity at Cambridge University. He received his B.A. and M.A. from University College, Dublin, and his D.Phil from the University of Oxford.

Turner's work covers several areas within the history of Christianity, with a special focus on mysticism and medieval thought. He has also published two works on Marx and the relationship between Marxism and Christianity.

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

How did the medievals interpret the Song of Solomon? What "multiple meanings" did they ascribe and how?

The first section of the book contains a detailed discussion of the background of love and eros, and then of allegory, imagery and the use and meaning of language. The second half takes a series of commentators and produces their comments on the opening verse of chapter one for comparison.

The following are addressed: What is a literal meaning? Is this primary? Are there multiple meanings? How does the spiritual meaning relate to the literal and historical? What is typology?

Gregory the Great
Alcuin of York
Hugh of St. Victor
William of St. Thierry
Alain of Lille
Thomas of Perseigne
Thomas Gallus
Thomas Aquinas
Giles of Rome
Nicholas of Lyra
Denys the Carthusian

If one compares the above with the handling of the text by puritan, Richard Sibbes (see Works vol 2:200ff.) on SS 1:2, the basic hermeneutical approach differs little in substance or overall interpretive stance.