Song of Songs

Arguably the biggest blockbuster love song ever composed, the Song of Songs holds a unique place in Jewish and Christian canons as the “holiest” book, in the minds of some readers, and the sexiest in its language and imagery. This commentary aims to interpret this vibrant Song in a contemporary feminist key, informed by close linguistic-literary and social-cultural analysis. Though finding much in the Song to celebrate for women (and men) in their embodied, passionate lives, this work also exposes tensions, vulnerabilities, and inequities between the sexes and among society at large—just what we would expect of a perceptive, poignant love ballad that still tops the charts.    

From the Wisdom Commentary series

Feminist biblical interpretation has reached a level of maturity that now makes possible a commentary series on every book of the Bible. It is our hope that Wisdom Commentary, by making the best of current feminist biblical scholarship available in an accessible format to ministers, preachers, teachers, scholars, and students, will aid all readers in their advancement toward God’s vision of dignity, equality, and justice for all.

The aim of this commentary is to provide feminist interpretation of Scripture in serious, scholarly engagement with the whole text, not only those texts that explicitly mention women. A central concern is the world in front of the text, that is, how the text is heard and appropriated by women. At the same time, this commentary aims to be faithful to the ancient text, to explicate the world behind the text, where appropriate, and not impose contemporary questions onto the ancient texts. The commentary addresses not only issues of gender (which are primary in this project) but also those of power, authority, ethnicity, racism, and classism, which all intersect.

Each volume incorporates diverse voices and differing interpretations from different parts of the world, showing the importance of social location in the process of interpretation and that there is no single definitive feminist interpretation of a text.
1123670939
Song of Songs

Arguably the biggest blockbuster love song ever composed, the Song of Songs holds a unique place in Jewish and Christian canons as the “holiest” book, in the minds of some readers, and the sexiest in its language and imagery. This commentary aims to interpret this vibrant Song in a contemporary feminist key, informed by close linguistic-literary and social-cultural analysis. Though finding much in the Song to celebrate for women (and men) in their embodied, passionate lives, this work also exposes tensions, vulnerabilities, and inequities between the sexes and among society at large—just what we would expect of a perceptive, poignant love ballad that still tops the charts.    

From the Wisdom Commentary series

Feminist biblical interpretation has reached a level of maturity that now makes possible a commentary series on every book of the Bible. It is our hope that Wisdom Commentary, by making the best of current feminist biblical scholarship available in an accessible format to ministers, preachers, teachers, scholars, and students, will aid all readers in their advancement toward God’s vision of dignity, equality, and justice for all.

The aim of this commentary is to provide feminist interpretation of Scripture in serious, scholarly engagement with the whole text, not only those texts that explicitly mention women. A central concern is the world in front of the text, that is, how the text is heard and appropriated by women. At the same time, this commentary aims to be faithful to the ancient text, to explicate the world behind the text, where appropriate, and not impose contemporary questions onto the ancient texts. The commentary addresses not only issues of gender (which are primary in this project) but also those of power, authority, ethnicity, racism, and classism, which all intersect.

Each volume incorporates diverse voices and differing interpretations from different parts of the world, showing the importance of social location in the process of interpretation and that there is no single definitive feminist interpretation of a text.
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Song of Songs

Song of Songs

by F. Scott Spencer
Song of Songs

Song of Songs

by F. Scott Spencer

Hardcover

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Overview


Arguably the biggest blockbuster love song ever composed, the Song of Songs holds a unique place in Jewish and Christian canons as the “holiest” book, in the minds of some readers, and the sexiest in its language and imagery. This commentary aims to interpret this vibrant Song in a contemporary feminist key, informed by close linguistic-literary and social-cultural analysis. Though finding much in the Song to celebrate for women (and men) in their embodied, passionate lives, this work also exposes tensions, vulnerabilities, and inequities between the sexes and among society at large—just what we would expect of a perceptive, poignant love ballad that still tops the charts.    

From the Wisdom Commentary series

Feminist biblical interpretation has reached a level of maturity that now makes possible a commentary series on every book of the Bible. It is our hope that Wisdom Commentary, by making the best of current feminist biblical scholarship available in an accessible format to ministers, preachers, teachers, scholars, and students, will aid all readers in their advancement toward God’s vision of dignity, equality, and justice for all.

The aim of this commentary is to provide feminist interpretation of Scripture in serious, scholarly engagement with the whole text, not only those texts that explicitly mention women. A central concern is the world in front of the text, that is, how the text is heard and appropriated by women. At the same time, this commentary aims to be faithful to the ancient text, to explicate the world behind the text, where appropriate, and not impose contemporary questions onto the ancient texts. The commentary addresses not only issues of gender (which are primary in this project) but also those of power, authority, ethnicity, racism, and classism, which all intersect.

Each volume incorporates diverse voices and differing interpretations from different parts of the world, showing the importance of social location in the process of interpretation and that there is no single definitive feminist interpretation of a text.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780814681244
Publisher: Liturgical Press, The
Publication date: 03/15/2017
Series: Wisdom Commentary Series
Pages: 318
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.06(d)

About the Author


F. Scott Spencer is professor of New Testament and biblical interpretation at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. He has also served as past president of the Southeastern Commission for the Study of Religion and current co-chair of the Bible and Emotion group for the Society of Biblical Literature. Spencer’s longtime interest in feminist biblical interpretation is evident in the monographs Dancing Girls, “Loose” Ladies, and Women of “the Cloth”: The Women in Jesus’ Life; and Salty Wives, Spirited Mothers, and Savvy Widows: Capable Women of Purpose and Persistence in Luke’s Gospel.    
 

Table of Contents

List of Abbreviations ix

List of Contributors xiii

Foreword "Tel/ It on the Mountain"-or, "And You Shall Tell Your Daughter [as Well]" Athalya Brermer-Idan xv

Editor's Introduction to Wisdom Commentary: "She Is a Breath of the Power of God" (Wis 7:25) Barbara E. Reid, OP xix

Acknowledgments xxxix

Author's Introduction: Playing the Song of Songs in a Feminist Key xli

Song of Songs 1:1 Heading 1

Song of Songs 1:2-8 Comfortable (Mostly) in Her Own Voice and Skin 5

Song of Songs 1:9-2:7 Looking at the Lovers' Nest- and Letting It Be 25

Song of Songs 2:8-17 Viewing, Cooing, and Wooing 41

Song of Songs 3:1-5 Seeking and Seizing Her Lover 59

Song of Songs 3:6-11 Look Who's Coming to Town 71

Song of Songs 4:1-7 Formidable Beauty and Fearful Symmetry 83

Song of Songs 4:8-5:1 The Precarious Path to Paradise 99

Song of Songs 5:2-8 Painful Pillow Talk 113

Song of Songs 5:9-6:3 Playful Girl Talk 133

Song of Songs 6:4-10 An Overwhelming Ode to Terrible Beauty 147

Song of Songs 6:11-13 A Flight of Fancy and a Campy Dance 157

Song of Songs 7:1-9a The Dynamic Delights of Statuesque Beauty 167

Song of Songs 7:9b-8:4 Desiring Old and New, Open and Safe Spaces for Love 193

Song of Songs 85-14 The love Song That Never Ends 207

Works Cited 233

Index of Scripture References and Other Ancient Writings 243

Index of Subjects 247

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