We are being treated to sermons about the Song of Songs this summer at RCRC.The SoS has long been interpreted allegorically, first by Jewish, then by Christian readers.
Which may seem like a stretch. After all, it's one of the two books of the Bible which doesn't even mention God. In fact, there's nothing in it to suggest it is more than an intimate love song.
The problem with allegorizing is that, while you may illuminate a point of doctrine, you can't create new doctrine. After all, Scripture is inspired--not necessarily your allegory.
A good friend pointed out that the
re has long been a parallel drawn between experience of physical love and interaction with the divine, hence the connotations in "prophetic ecstasy".
This friend also pointed out a prime visualization of this, namely Bernini's statue The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, shown here.
This sculpture--or group of sculptures--is based on this following passage from St. Teresa's Autobiography:
I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the iron's point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it. The soul is satisfied now with nothing less than God. The pain is not bodily, but spiritual; though the body has its share in it. It is a caressing of love so sweet which now takes place between the soul and God, that I pray God of His goodness to make him experience it who may think that I am lying.
It is hard not to be entranced by this--and perhaps it makes the allegory of SoS a little more credible.
