The Song of Songs and the Eros of God
Subtitle: a study in biblical intertextuality S
By: Edmée Kingsmill
Series: Oxford theological monographs
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2009
Place of publication: Oxford
Language: eng
Number of pages: 317
ISBN-13: 9780199577248
Subjects: Intertextualité; "Bible; "Bible. AT. Cantique des cantiques"; Mystique juive
Description: "Modern biblical scholarship interprets the Song as a collection of love lyrics. For Edmée Kingsmill, on the contrary, the essence of the Song is mystical. A principal concern of this study, however, is to uncover the relationship between the 117 verses of the Song and those biblical books to which they point. Beneath the metaphors a network of allusions is being woven, conveying a picture opposite to the one we find in the prophets who, confronted with the continual 'adultery' of Israel, poured forth their condemnations with unwearying passion. In dramatic contrast, the Song presents a paradisal picture (SoS 2:11-12). Thus, in presenting the ideal, the intention of the Song's author is shown to be encouragement. The inclusion of this poem in the biblical canon is understood, therefore, to be central to the purpose of the biblical literature: to bring all people to love the God of love. The book is in two parts. The first and longer part is concerned with themes, including the relationship of the Song to the early Jewish mystical literature. The second part is a short commentary intended for the reader interested in the text as much as in the related questions to which the text gives rise."--Publisher.