Song of Songs

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I had an odd question today … a protestant friend asked if I thought Song of Songs should be included in the Bible. It was part of her discussion at church one evening and she wanted to explain to them the Catholic view, if I could help her understand it.

I’ve been trying to research and I do see that it is one of the books some of the reformers wanted to exclude, but I really don’t see what their objection was to it.

She is a very sweet lady and doesn’t have any ulterior motive. I’m having a hard time responding since I’m not sure where she & her study group are coming from.

Can anyone help me? Thank you!
 
Have you ever read the book? 😊

I think if some of the reformers wanted it removed, it’s because it’s fairly racy.

However, it’s canonical in the Jewish, Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant scriptures.

So it’s not up to anyone whether it should – or even can – be removed.

When the canon of the Bible was decided, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Song of Songs was included. It’s the Word of the Lord.

The Holy Spirit has spoken: the case is closed! 👍
 
I have heard it called an allegory- it is representative in many ways of God’s love for His people.
 
It is a bit racy, and I view it as a beautiful allegory of God’s passionate love for His church.

I guess I’m really not sure what she is looking for; I kind of assume they were discussing the protestant Bible vs. the Catholic Bible and canon history.

Maybe some protestants today still have issues with its inclusion? 🤷
 
Citizen123 said:
It is a bit racy, and I view it as a beautiful allegory of God’s passionate love for His church.

I guess I’m really not sure what she is looking for; I kind of assume they were discussing the protestant Bible vs. the Catholic Bible and canon history.

Maybe some protestants today still have issues with its inclusion? 🤷
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Funny, they’re not bothered by all the smiting going on.

Violence OK, sexy stuff NO!! Kill who you want, just don’t canoodle.
 
it’s because the book doesn’t mention God outright. if read literally, it is simply an R rated story. but if read as it is supposed to be, it is a beautiful romance (a sacred romance) between God and us.

read bernard of clairvaux’s 86 sermons. he only gets through chapter 3 but it is good stuff.

incidentally, some of these same groups would think about getting rid of ruth and esther as well because God is not a central figure (if mentioned at all) in the story. that is actually a big reason maccabees isn’t included in the protestant canon.
 
The allegorical view, seeing the Song of Songs as an image of God’s love for us, has a long history in the tradition of the church, but I think it would be a mistake to say it’s “just” an allegory. I think it also serves to affirm the fundamental goodness of romantic love and the created world. There is joy and love and beauty, as God wanted there to be. It repudiates the ancient gnostic heresy that the spirit is good but the body and the material world are evil.

–Bill
 
Mot_Juste said:
I think it also serves to affirm the fundamental goodness of romantic love and the created world. There is joy and love and beauty, as God wanted there to be. It repudiates the ancient gnostic heresy that the spirit is good but the body and the material world are evil.
–Bill
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Love that – and fully agree. Thank you!
 
I guess you could say it’s an allegory about the Church and God, all right, sure, yeah. But, I mean…it’s really erotic. The purpose of the Song of Songs is to celebrate erotic love between a husband and wife, too. I mean, we’re supposed to have sex in marriage, and I think the Song of Songs affirms the beauty of sex. So, yeah, it’s got a purpose, and a good one, too.
 
It might be related to the Bride of the Lamb in the book of Revelation.

Actually, it is related or connected the the Bride of the Lamb in the book of Revelation, I am not sure how closely, but it is related.

My belief is that it is closely related to it.

Also, I believe it is related to the Wedding at Cana, but, again, I do not know how close.

In a difficult passage, Song of Songs 8: 6 the flash of fire or “Love is strog as death…a flame of Yahweh Himself” is related to the fires of Revelation. Again, how closely I do not know.

But God is a comsuming Fire. And God is Love.

They are joined, but how closely, I do not know.

Thus: How closely are the connected?
 
Well, we as Catholics have one thing that we can fully rely on, that is the authority of the Church. The Church defined what books of the Bible are inspired and what was not, and they obviously determined that Songs is inspired by God. But I know that that won’t fly with a Protestant, but it is confort to us when we may not all understand the fine details. Plus, it was considered by Pre-Christian Jews to be inspired, which is evident from the Hebrew canon and the Greek Septuagint.

But I am not an authority on the Song of Songs, but I do have 3 ancient commentaries to check out on my website. One is Origen’s commentary on it, and a Commentary on the Song of Songs by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, and also one by St. Hippolyutus. Here is the link. litteralchristianlibrary.wetpaint.com/page/Bible+Commentaries-Fathers+and+Doctors

I hope this helps.
 
COPLAND3

thanks!!!

I was hoping you would help us.

thanks, thanks, thanks!!!

I have studied all of Origen’s works on the Song of Songs.
WOW!!!
 
The holy rabbis tell us that the whole of creation is not worth the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel.
This is why all canons of scripture include this holy book about the sacredness of the love between man and woman. What would our theology of matrimony be without the evidence of the holy love between husband and wife?

Matthew
 
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