J. Christopher King
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199272181
- eISBN:
- 9780191603433
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199272182.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This book explores Origen’s interpretation of the Song of Songs in his Commentary and two Homilies on the Song of Songs. Origen portrays the Song under two complementary and inseparable aspects: ...
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This book explores Origen’s interpretation of the Song of Songs in his Commentary and two Homilies on the Song of Songs. Origen portrays the Song under two complementary and inseparable aspects: first, as the unique Scripture in which the eschatological nuptials of Christ and his Bride are really present as text; second, as the spirit of Scripture unveiled, laid bare, and fully manifest in all its erotic power to lure, inflame, and make the reader ‘one spirit’ with the Lord. The study proceeds in two parts. The first establishes some of the relevant principles of Origen’s hermeneutic, and clears away prior accounts of his Song exegesis that have obscured the actual foundations of the reading developed in the Commentary and Homilies. The second part shows that Origen’s actual exegetical procedure in the Commentary proves that his spiritual reading of the Song is rooted entirely in certain hermeneutical demands, not in psychological or ascetical compulsions. These hermeneutical demands lead Origen to make the greatest conceivable claims for the character of the Song, namely that the Song fully and intelligibly represents the eschatological mystery, manifesting the ‘spirit’ of Scripture in the plan form of a text.Less
This book explores Origen’s interpretation of the Song of Songs in his Commentary and two Homilies on the Song of Songs. Origen portrays the Song under two complementary and inseparable aspects: first, as the unique Scripture in which the eschatological nuptials of Christ and his Bride are really present as text; second, as the spirit of Scripture unveiled, laid bare, and fully manifest in all its erotic power to lure, inflame, and make the reader ‘one spirit’ with the Lord. The study proceeds in two parts. The first establishes some of the relevant principles of Origen’s hermeneutic, and clears away prior accounts of his Song exegesis that have obscured the actual foundations of the reading developed in the Commentary and Homilies. The second part shows that Origen’s actual exegetical procedure in the Commentary proves that his spiritual reading of the Song is rooted entirely in certain hermeneutical demands, not in psychological or ascetical compulsions. These hermeneutical demands lead Origen to make the greatest conceivable claims for the character of the Song, namely that the Song fully and intelligibly represents the eschatological mystery, manifesting the ‘spirit’ of Scripture in the plan form of a text.
David M. Carr
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199742608
- eISBN:
- 9780199918737
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199742608.003.0018
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
This brief chapter contrasts the picture of early monarchal textual developed here with the texts (actual and reconstructed) typically dated to the early monarchy in the earlier twentieth century. In ...
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This brief chapter contrasts the picture of early monarchal textual developed here with the texts (actual and reconstructed) typically dated to the early monarchy in the earlier twentieth century. In particular, this portion of the book has identified significant portions of the “writings” as among the earliest parts of the Hebrew Bible: (royal) psalms, Proverbs, and Song of Songs. In addition, I have suggested that certain sub-portions of the present Pentateuch may date (in some written form) to the ninth century, such as an early portion of the Jacob-Joseph section of Genesis and a form of the Moses story which is no longer reconstructable. Nevertheless, it was only over the scope of the Neo-Assyrian to Hellenistic periods that such early materials embedded in the Pentateuch were revised and made into the Torah foundation of the Hebrew Bible, while texts such as Proverbs and Song of Songs were comparatively marginalized.Less
This brief chapter contrasts the picture of early monarchal textual developed here with the texts (actual and reconstructed) typically dated to the early monarchy in the earlier twentieth century. In particular, this portion of the book has identified significant portions of the “writings” as among the earliest parts of the Hebrew Bible: (royal) psalms, Proverbs, and Song of Songs. In addition, I have suggested that certain sub-portions of the present Pentateuch may date (in some written form) to the ninth century, such as an early portion of the Jacob-Joseph section of Genesis and a form of the Moses story which is no longer reconstructable. Nevertheless, it was only over the scope of the Neo-Assyrian to Hellenistic periods that such early materials embedded in the Pentateuch were revised and made into the Torah foundation of the Hebrew Bible, while texts such as Proverbs and Song of Songs were comparatively marginalized.
J. Christopher King
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199272181
- eISBN:
- 9780191603433
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199272182.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter examines the status of the literal sense of the Commentary and Homilies on the Song, focusing on Origen’s hermeneutic, in order to place the ‘bodilessness’ of the Song in the context of ...
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This chapter examines the status of the literal sense of the Commentary and Homilies on the Song, focusing on Origen’s hermeneutic, in order to place the ‘bodilessness’ of the Song in the context of his whole doctrine of Scripture. It provides three main conclusions: that all ‘bodiless’ texts retain a vital connection with the sensibility and corporeality of the ‘letter’; that the ‘letter’ of ‘bodiless’ text has not simply disappeared but converged with and terminated in the ‘spirit’; and that the interconnected logoi of the ‘bodiless’ text make higher realities present in pure immediacy. These conclusions apply equally to all ‘bodiless’ texts, not exclusively to the Song.Less
This chapter examines the status of the literal sense of the Commentary and Homilies on the Song, focusing on Origen’s hermeneutic, in order to place the ‘bodilessness’ of the Song in the context of his whole doctrine of Scripture. It provides three main conclusions: that all ‘bodiless’ texts retain a vital connection with the sensibility and corporeality of the ‘letter’; that the ‘letter’ of ‘bodiless’ text has not simply disappeared but converged with and terminated in the ‘spirit’; and that the interconnected logoi of the ‘bodiless’ text make higher realities present in pure immediacy. These conclusions apply equally to all ‘bodiless’ texts, not exclusively to the Song.
Paul U. Unschuld
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520257658
- eISBN:
- 9780520944701
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520257658.003.0058
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Medical Anthropology
The Manchus were conquerors and foreign rulers, who were gradually able to adopt the refined lifestyle of the conquered. China had once again fallen victim to foreign invaders from the north after ...
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The Manchus were conquerors and foreign rulers, who were gradually able to adopt the refined lifestyle of the conquered. China had once again fallen victim to foreign invaders from the north after the Mongols and the Ming interlude. The country flourished in every respect during the reigns of Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong. The Song doctrines were the reason for the inability of the Chinese to rule their own empire. The political philosophers in the Song era did not possess the courage to articulate themselves and found expression in medical allegories. Healing for the state was expressed as healing for the organism. Everyone who cared about the well-being of the country felt a sense of responsibility. The structures had been constant for one and a half millennia but the spirit permeating these structures no longer fit.Less
The Manchus were conquerors and foreign rulers, who were gradually able to adopt the refined lifestyle of the conquered. China had once again fallen victim to foreign invaders from the north after the Mongols and the Ming interlude. The country flourished in every respect during the reigns of Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong. The Song doctrines were the reason for the inability of the Chinese to rule their own empire. The political philosophers in the Song era did not possess the courage to articulate themselves and found expression in medical allegories. Healing for the state was expressed as healing for the organism. Everyone who cared about the well-being of the country felt a sense of responsibility. The structures had been constant for one and a half millennia but the spirit permeating these structures no longer fit.
Jiang Wu, Lucille Chia, and Chen Zhichao
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780231171601
- eISBN:
- 9780231540193
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231171601.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
Chapter 5 provides a new account of the history of the Kaibao edition, the first printed canon, in association with Song printing culture in Chengdu and Kaifeng. It also offers a re-evaluation of ...
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Chapter 5 provides a new account of the history of the Kaibao edition, the first printed canon, in association with Song printing culture in Chengdu and Kaifeng. It also offers a re-evaluation of Kaibao Canon from the perspective of the Korean canon, which is based on the Kaibao edition.Less
Chapter 5 provides a new account of the history of the Kaibao edition, the first printed canon, in association with Song printing culture in Chengdu and Kaifeng. It also offers a re-evaluation of Kaibao Canon from the perspective of the Korean canon, which is based on the Kaibao edition.
David W. Kling
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195130089
- eISBN:
- 9780199835393
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195130081.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This book examines the dynamic interplay between scripture and society. Kling traces the story of how specific biblical texts have at different times emerged to be the inspiration of movements that ...
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This book examines the dynamic interplay between scripture and society. Kling traces the story of how specific biblical texts have at different times emerged to be the inspiration of movements that have changed the course of history. He selects eight specific texts (sometimes a single verse, other times a selection of verses or chapters, even books) and demonstrates how each shaped the direction of Christian history. These texts include the story of the rich young ruler (Matthew 19: 16–22) as an inspiration for Anthony and the beginnings of monasticism; the “Petrine text” (Matthew 16:18) as the basis for the papacy; the centrality of the Song of Songs in medieval Christendom, particularly as interpreted through the mystical leanings of Bernard of Clairvaux; Romans 1:17 and its influence upon Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation; Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, embraced by Anabaptists as a call to radical discipleship, including pacifism; the varied applications of the exodus motif and Moses figures in African-American history, from slavery to Martin Luther King to liberation theology; the Book of Acts with its references to the outpouring of the Spirit and speaking in tongues as the basis for the rise of modern Pentecostalism; and Galatians 3:28, which has been adopted by feminists as a rallying cry for women’s ordination. Kling’s study demonstrates that scripture has functioned in a dialectical interplay of influences; texts have shaped history and history has shaped the interpretation of texts. Specifically, texts have functioned in at least five ways: (1) as transforming agents to another way of thinking and acting, believing and behaving; (2) as recreated meaning, undergoing multiple interpretations and applications; (3) as comprehending sources, drawing other biblical texts into their thematic orbit; (4) as hermeneutical keys unlocking the essential meaning in or resolving tensions within scripture; and (5) as secondary justifications, legitimizing after the fact to support existing historical realities.Less
This book examines the dynamic interplay between scripture and society. Kling traces the story of how specific biblical texts have at different times emerged to be the inspiration of movements that have changed the course of history. He selects eight specific texts (sometimes a single verse, other times a selection of verses or chapters, even books) and demonstrates how each shaped the direction of Christian history. These texts include the story of the rich young ruler (Matthew 19: 16–22) as an inspiration for Anthony and the beginnings of monasticism; the “Petrine text” (Matthew 16:18) as the basis for the papacy; the centrality of the Song of Songs in medieval Christendom, particularly as interpreted through the mystical leanings of Bernard of Clairvaux; Romans 1:17 and its influence upon Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation; Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, embraced by Anabaptists as a call to radical discipleship, including pacifism; the varied applications of the exodus motif and Moses figures in African-American history, from slavery to Martin Luther King to liberation theology; the Book of Acts with its references to the outpouring of the Spirit and speaking in tongues as the basis for the rise of modern Pentecostalism; and Galatians 3:28, which has been adopted by feminists as a rallying cry for women’s ordination. Kling’s study demonstrates that scripture has functioned in a dialectical interplay of influences; texts have shaped history and history has shaped the interpretation of texts. Specifically, texts have functioned in at least five ways: (1) as transforming agents to another way of thinking and acting, believing and behaving; (2) as recreated meaning, undergoing multiple interpretations and applications; (3) as comprehending sources, drawing other biblical texts into their thematic orbit; (4) as hermeneutical keys unlocking the essential meaning in or resolving tensions within scripture; and (5) as secondary justifications, legitimizing after the fact to support existing historical realities.
Frank Graziano
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195136401
- eISBN:
- 9780199835164
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195136403.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
An in-depth study of St. Rose of Lima (1586–1617), canonized in 1671 as the first saint of the New World, serves to explore the meanings of female mysticism and the ways in which saints are products ...
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An in-depth study of St. Rose of Lima (1586–1617), canonized in 1671 as the first saint of the New World, serves to explore the meanings of female mysticism and the ways in which saints are products of their cultures. The opening chapter analyzes trends in scholarship on mysticism and the interrelations of sanctity and insanity. Rose and flower poetics are then pursued into the odor of sanctity, “deflowering,” edenic imagery, and the miracle by which Rose of Lima received her name. Two historical chapters analyze the politics of Rose of Lima’s canonization, exploring how mystical union bypasses sacramental and sacerdotal channels, poses an implicit threat to the bureaucratized church, and may be co-opted to integrate a competing claim into the Catholic canon. Virginity, austerity, mortification, eucharistic devotion, visions, expression of love through suffering, ecstasy, and mystical marriage are then studied both in themselves and in their relations to eroticism and to modern psychological disorders.Less
An in-depth study of St. Rose of Lima (1586–1617), canonized in 1671 as the first saint of the New World, serves to explore the meanings of female mysticism and the ways in which saints are products of their cultures. The opening chapter analyzes trends in scholarship on mysticism and the interrelations of sanctity and insanity. Rose and flower poetics are then pursued into the odor of sanctity, “deflowering,” edenic imagery, and the miracle by which Rose of Lima received her name. Two historical chapters analyze the politics of Rose of Lima’s canonization, exploring how mystical union bypasses sacramental and sacerdotal channels, poses an implicit threat to the bureaucratized church, and may be co-opted to integrate a competing claim into the Catholic canon. Virginity, austerity, mortification, eucharistic devotion, visions, expression of love through suffering, ecstasy, and mystical marriage are then studied both in themselves and in their relations to eroticism and to modern psychological disorders.
Bernard McGinn
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199206575
- eISBN:
- 9780191709678
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199206575.003.00017
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, Judaism
This chapter explores a neglected topic in the history of Christian reception of the Song of Songs — its interpretation for and by women. The reason for this lack of attention is not hard to find. ...
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This chapter explores a neglected topic in the history of Christian reception of the Song of Songs — its interpretation for and by women. The reason for this lack of attention is not hard to find. Although women began to make major contributions to theology, especially mystical theology, from the 13th century on, even educated women could not receive the formal training in scriptural interpretation that was under the control of male monks and schoolmen.Less
This chapter explores a neglected topic in the history of Christian reception of the Song of Songs — its interpretation for and by women. The reason for this lack of attention is not hard to find. Although women began to make major contributions to theology, especially mystical theology, from the 13th century on, even educated women could not receive the formal training in scriptural interpretation that was under the control of male monks and schoolmen.
Paul Mendes‐Flohr
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199206575
- eISBN:
- 9780191709678
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199206575.003.0019
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, Judaism
This chapter examines how Franz Rosenzweig read and responded to the Song of Songs' juxtaposition of love and death. Rosenzweig viewed the erotic imagery of the Song of Songs as the most eloquent ...
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This chapter examines how Franz Rosenzweig read and responded to the Song of Songs' juxtaposition of love and death. Rosenzweig viewed the erotic imagery of the Song of Songs as the most eloquent statement in the Hebrew Bible on the meaning of revelation, of the divine-human relation. Indeed, he refers to this love-song as the Kernbuch der Offenbarung, the focal-book of revelation. Yet God is not once mentioned, nor even alluded to, in this dialogue between a man and a woman, testifying to the physical delights and anguish of their mutual love.Less
This chapter examines how Franz Rosenzweig read and responded to the Song of Songs' juxtaposition of love and death. Rosenzweig viewed the erotic imagery of the Song of Songs as the most eloquent statement in the Hebrew Bible on the meaning of revelation, of the divine-human relation. Indeed, he refers to this love-song as the Kernbuch der Offenbarung, the focal-book of revelation. Yet God is not once mentioned, nor even alluded to, in this dialogue between a man and a woman, testifying to the physical delights and anguish of their mutual love.
Catherine Conybeare
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199240722
- eISBN:
- 9780191600494
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199240728.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
A continuation of Ch. 4, this offers two extended examples of Paulinus’ imagistic meditations. It includes observations about the representational art of the period, its preference for abbreviated ...
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A continuation of Ch. 4, this offers two extended examples of Paulinus’ imagistic meditations. It includes observations about the representational art of the period, its preference for abbreviated scenes, and the way in which they are linked – through biblical or parabiblical texts that are not necessarily alluded to explicitly. The passages discussed are both from Letter 23 of Paulinus: (1) links images of Christ as bridegroom and as Head of the Church – and the symbolism around his hair (deriving from the Song of Songs); (2) shows how these patterns of imagistic thought facilitate the association of Christ as man with Christ as word.Less
A continuation of Ch. 4, this offers two extended examples of Paulinus’ imagistic meditations. It includes observations about the representational art of the period, its preference for abbreviated scenes, and the way in which they are linked – through biblical or parabiblical texts that are not necessarily alluded to explicitly. The passages discussed are both from Letter 23 of Paulinus: (1) links images of Christ as bridegroom and as Head of the Church – and the symbolism around his hair (deriving from the Song of Songs); (2) shows how these patterns of imagistic thought facilitate the association of Christ as man with Christ as word.
Jiang Wu
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195333572
- eISBN:
- 9780199868872
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195333572.003.0016
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter identifies the legacies of 17th‐century Chan Buddhism as expansion of Chan influence in Chinese culture and society, integration of monastic practice, and intensive networking by dharma ...
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This chapter identifies the legacies of 17th‐century Chan Buddhism as expansion of Chan influence in Chinese culture and society, integration of monastic practice, and intensive networking by dharma transmission. The chapter argues that Chan Buddhism has a larger role in the history of Chinese Buddhism because it not only bridged the gap between Buddhism and Chinese culture and society and also unified the Buddhist world by systemizing monastic rituals and spreading dharma transmission. The reinvention of Chan also shows that there was a boundary within Chinese society to limit the growth of Buddhism and a general pattern of Buddhist revival can be discerned.Less
This chapter identifies the legacies of 17th‐century Chan Buddhism as expansion of Chan influence in Chinese culture and society, integration of monastic practice, and intensive networking by dharma transmission. The chapter argues that Chan Buddhism has a larger role in the history of Chinese Buddhism because it not only bridged the gap between Buddhism and Chinese culture and society and also unified the Buddhist world by systemizing monastic rituals and spreading dharma transmission. The reinvention of Chan also shows that there was a boundary within Chinese society to limit the growth of Buddhism and a general pattern of Buddhist revival can be discerned.
E. W. Heaton
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780198263623
- eISBN:
- 9780191601156
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198263627.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
An examination is made of the narrative skills of the Jerusalem school tradition in the stories of the Old Testament. The illustrations include the stories of Joseph, Daniel, Ruth, Rebecca, Adam and ...
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An examination is made of the narrative skills of the Jerusalem school tradition in the stories of the Old Testament. The illustrations include the stories of Joseph, Daniel, Ruth, Rebecca, Adam and Eve, David, and numerous other examples are also given. Comparisons are drawn with various earlier stories from Egyptian school-books. The last part of the chapter looks at the style of Solomon’s Song of Songs, which uses the literary genre to which the Arabic term wasf (meaning extravagant metaphorical language) has been ascribed.Less
An examination is made of the narrative skills of the Jerusalem school tradition in the stories of the Old Testament. The illustrations include the stories of Joseph, Daniel, Ruth, Rebecca, Adam and Eve, David, and numerous other examples are also given. Comparisons are drawn with various earlier stories from Egyptian school-books. The last part of the chapter looks at the style of Solomon’s Song of Songs, which uses the literary genre to which the Arabic term wasf (meaning extravagant metaphorical language) has been ascribed.
J. Christopher King
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199272181
- eISBN:
- 9780191603433
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199272182.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This introductory chapter discusses the writings of Origen of Alexandria (c.185-c.254), particularly the Commentary and Homilies on the Song. It argues that Origen approaches the Song of Songs ...
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This introductory chapter discusses the writings of Origen of Alexandria (c.185-c.254), particularly the Commentary and Homilies on the Song. It argues that Origen approaches the Song of Songs itself, in its manifest intelligibility, as the summit of the mystical life and the supreme textual point of contact and union between the Christian soul and her heavenly Bridegroom. An overview of the chapters in this volume is presented.Less
This introductory chapter discusses the writings of Origen of Alexandria (c.185-c.254), particularly the Commentary and Homilies on the Song. It argues that Origen approaches the Song of Songs itself, in its manifest intelligibility, as the summit of the mystical life and the supreme textual point of contact and union between the Christian soul and her heavenly Bridegroom. An overview of the chapters in this volume is presented.
J. Christopher King
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199272181
- eISBN:
- 9780191603433
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199272182.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter shows that Origen’s ‘bodiless’ reading cannot be explained simply on the grounds of an aversion to, or suspicion of embodied nuptial love or sexual love. It is argued that he not only ...
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This chapter shows that Origen’s ‘bodiless’ reading cannot be explained simply on the grounds of an aversion to, or suspicion of embodied nuptial love or sexual love. It is argued that he not only maintains the goodness of nuptial life in all its aspects — including the erotic and sexual — but also sees in it a typos of the heavenly nuptial mystery. Origen carries this analogy, and hence a hermeneutical ‘body’, over into every virtual reading of nuptial, erotic, and sexual episodes in the Scriptures, with the exception of the Song.Less
This chapter shows that Origen’s ‘bodiless’ reading cannot be explained simply on the grounds of an aversion to, or suspicion of embodied nuptial love or sexual love. It is argued that he not only maintains the goodness of nuptial life in all its aspects — including the erotic and sexual — but also sees in it a typos of the heavenly nuptial mystery. Origen carries this analogy, and hence a hermeneutical ‘body’, over into every virtual reading of nuptial, erotic, and sexual episodes in the Scriptures, with the exception of the Song.
J. Christopher King
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199272181
- eISBN:
- 9780191603433
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199272182.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter examines the hermeneutical rationale that Origen himself develops as the basis of his ‘bodiless’ interpretation of the Song of Songs. The discussion will develop in two stages. First, ...
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This chapter examines the hermeneutical rationale that Origen himself develops as the basis of his ‘bodiless’ interpretation of the Song of Songs. The discussion will develop in two stages. First, Origen’s analysis of the Song’s own self-definition is explored, which he seeks principally in the title of the text. Second, his reading of those hermeneutical markers in the Song — the textual skandala — that decisively proves it to be a ‘bodiless’ text is considered.Less
This chapter examines the hermeneutical rationale that Origen himself develops as the basis of his ‘bodiless’ interpretation of the Song of Songs. The discussion will develop in two stages. First, Origen’s analysis of the Song’s own self-definition is explored, which he seeks principally in the title of the text. Second, his reading of those hermeneutical markers in the Song — the textual skandala — that decisively proves it to be a ‘bodiless’ text is considered.
J. Christopher King
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199272181
- eISBN:
- 9780191603433
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199272182.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter examines the Song of Song’s ‘whole body’ — its character as a unitive text organized by a single logos. It is shown that Origen approaches every individual book of Scripture as a ...
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This chapter examines the Song of Song’s ‘whole body’ — its character as a unitive text organized by a single logos. It is shown that Origen approaches every individual book of Scripture as a discrete revelatory event. The prophet, Origen thinks, stands in the centre of this event. Through him, the surrounding context of corporeal place (topos) and historical time (kairos) conditions the logos of the whole book with a somatic character. This way, the book’s ‘body’ becomes the foundations for a spiritual reading.Less
This chapter examines the Song of Song’s ‘whole body’ — its character as a unitive text organized by a single logos. It is shown that Origen approaches every individual book of Scripture as a discrete revelatory event. The prophet, Origen thinks, stands in the centre of this event. Through him, the surrounding context of corporeal place (topos) and historical time (kairos) conditions the logos of the whole book with a somatic character. This way, the book’s ‘body’ becomes the foundations for a spiritual reading.
J. Christopher King
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199272181
- eISBN:
- 9780191603433
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199272182.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter shows that Origen situates the event in which the Song is sung as epithalamium (i.e., the upper register) in a topos that is not local, and a kairos that is not temporal. Hence, the ...
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This chapter shows that Origen situates the event in which the Song is sung as epithalamium (i.e., the upper register) in a topos that is not local, and a kairos that is not temporal. Hence, the contextual variables that root all other biblical books and their revelation in the soil of historical reality have, in the unique instance of the Song, been elevated to a spiritual, heavenly, and eschatological order. Thus, the Song’s eschatologically conditioned logos — while yet standing in the expected formative relation to all of the Song’s discursive elements — constitutes the ‘whole body’ of the text as ‘bodiless’ in the strictest sense, that is, as a purely spiritual and intelligible reality in which not the least trace of sensibility can be discerned.Less
This chapter shows that Origen situates the event in which the Song is sung as epithalamium (i.e., the upper register) in a topos that is not local, and a kairos that is not temporal. Hence, the contextual variables that root all other biblical books and their revelation in the soil of historical reality have, in the unique instance of the Song, been elevated to a spiritual, heavenly, and eschatological order. Thus, the Song’s eschatologically conditioned logos — while yet standing in the expected formative relation to all of the Song’s discursive elements — constitutes the ‘whole body’ of the text as ‘bodiless’ in the strictest sense, that is, as a purely spiritual and intelligible reality in which not the least trace of sensibility can be discerned.
Sarah Coakley
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199246120
- eISBN:
- 9780191600531
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199246122.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Sarah Coakley outlines the recent debate that analytic philosophers of religion have conducted in defence of the so‐called ‘social’ doctrine of the Trinity. Since appeal is characteristically made by ...
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Sarah Coakley outlines the recent debate that analytic philosophers of religion have conducted in defence of the so‐called ‘social’ doctrine of the Trinity. Since appeal is characteristically made by them to Gregory of Nyssa, and especially to his Ad Ablabium, she focuses on Gregory, and expounds what he says in the Ad Ablabium in the light of his other — somewhat fragmented — expositions of the three‐fold unity of the Godhead. Coakley holds it crucial for an expanding of the discussion to allow for the trinitarian insights that Gregory affords when not explicitly discussing the (supposedly) technical meanings of hypostasis or prosopon, but describing more loosely the soul's engagement with the Trinity at the ‘economic’ level of operation (as, for instance, in his Commentary on the Song of Songs). The notion of hypostasis (‘person’) that emerges from this analysis is far less tidy than the contemporary analytic discussions have supposed; and further, a covert smuggling of ‘modern’ notions of the ‘individual’ can be detected in some authors who purport to defend Gregory, resulting in a misleading account of Gregory's perception of intra‐divine relations. Finally, Coakley considers the implications of Gregory's profound apophaticism for the assessment of the status of his trinitarian language on the literal/analogical/metaphorical spectrum, as well as for the issues of gender, which interestingly intrude into Gregory's vision of incorporation into the divine life.Less
Sarah Coakley outlines the recent debate that analytic philosophers of religion have conducted in defence of the so‐called ‘social’ doctrine of the Trinity. Since appeal is characteristically made by them to Gregory of Nyssa, and especially to his Ad Ablabium, she focuses on Gregory, and expounds what he says in the Ad Ablabium in the light of his other — somewhat fragmented — expositions of the three‐fold unity of the Godhead. Coakley holds it crucial for an expanding of the discussion to allow for the trinitarian insights that Gregory affords when not explicitly discussing the (supposedly) technical meanings of hypostasis or prosopon, but describing more loosely the soul's engagement with the Trinity at the ‘economic’ level of operation (as, for instance, in his Commentary on the Song of Songs). The notion of hypostasis (‘person’) that emerges from this analysis is far less tidy than the contemporary analytic discussions have supposed; and further, a covert smuggling of ‘modern’ notions of the ‘individual’ can be detected in some authors who purport to defend Gregory, resulting in a misleading account of Gregory's perception of intra‐divine relations. Finally, Coakley considers the implications of Gregory's profound apophaticism for the assessment of the status of his trinitarian language on the literal/analogical/metaphorical spectrum, as well as for the issues of gender, which interestingly intrude into Gregory's vision of incorporation into the divine life.
Frank Graziano
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195136401
- eISBN:
- 9780199835164
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195136403.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
The Song of Songs, the sin in Eden, and Mary Magdalen are discussed as prelude to a fundamental paradox of mysticism: the love of God by female mystics vowed to virginity is represented as corporal ...
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The Song of Songs, the sin in Eden, and Mary Magdalen are discussed as prelude to a fundamental paradox of mysticism: the love of God by female mystics vowed to virginity is represented as corporal and erotic. In a section on “the return of the repressed,” an exploration of the visionary experiences of many medieval and early modern beatas, nuns, and saints illustrates how forbidden sexuality gains expression in relations with Christ, often as a child. The chapter concludes by surveying various arguments of why virginal mysticism is experienced and represented in corporal, erotic, and matrimonial tropes.Less
The Song of Songs, the sin in Eden, and Mary Magdalen are discussed as prelude to a fundamental paradox of mysticism: the love of God by female mystics vowed to virginity is represented as corporal and erotic. In a section on “the return of the repressed,” an exploration of the visionary experiences of many medieval and early modern beatas, nuns, and saints illustrates how forbidden sexuality gains expression in relations with Christ, often as a child. The chapter concludes by surveying various arguments of why virginal mysticism is experienced and represented in corporal, erotic, and matrimonial tropes.
Kenneth Baxter Wolf
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195158083
- eISBN:
- 9780199834877
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195158083.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
Francis's fascination with poverty as a spiritual discipline is nowhere better illustrated than in the allegory, the Sacred Commerce of St. Francis and Lady Poverty, which appears to have been ...
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Francis's fascination with poverty as a spiritual discipline is nowhere better illustrated than in the allegory, the Sacred Commerce of St. Francis and Lady Poverty, which appears to have been written about a decade after the saint's death. In the Sacred Commerce, Francis is depicted as a suitor to Lady Poverty, the personification of the perfect poverty that Francis spent his life pursuing. Borrowing tropes from the biblical books of the Song of Songs, Proverbs, and Wisdom, as well as from chivalric romance, the author used the courtship of Francis and Lady Poverty as a way of underscoring the threats posed to religious orders like the Franciscans by the enticements of Lady Poverty's rival, Greed.Less
Francis's fascination with poverty as a spiritual discipline is nowhere better illustrated than in the allegory, the Sacred Commerce of St. Francis and Lady Poverty, which appears to have been written about a decade after the saint's death. In the Sacred Commerce, Francis is depicted as a suitor to Lady Poverty, the personification of the perfect poverty that Francis spent his life pursuing. Borrowing tropes from the biblical books of the Song of Songs, Proverbs, and Wisdom, as well as from chivalric romance, the author used the courtship of Francis and Lady Poverty as a way of underscoring the threats posed to religious orders like the Franciscans by the enticements of Lady Poverty's rival, Greed.
