On the Song of Songs

Publication Data: Trappist, KY/Collegeville, MN: Cistercian Publications/Liturgical Press, 2012
Format: softcover
Number of Pages: xviii + 326
Dimensions (l × w × h): 21.5 cm × 13.9 cm × 1.8 cm
ISBN: 978‒0‒87907‒244‒5

   
Gregory the Great
Translation and Introduction by Mark DelCogliano

Number Two Hundred Forty-Four of Cistercian Studies Series

“This volume includes all that Gregory had to say on the Song of Songs. It is intended as the major sourcebook for anyone with an interest in Gregory’s exegesis of this biblical book. Students of patristic and medieval scriptural exegesis will find in this volume the work of a master of the exegetical art whose interpretations are methodologically fascinating, theologically profound, and historically influential. This volume will also be of interest to students of patristic and medieval Christian thought more generally, for Gregory frequently uses the Song of Songs to expound upon some of the classic themes of patristic theology, and Gregory’s influence on medieval Christianity is all-encompassing. Those interested in monastic spirituality in general and in Cistercian spirituality in particular will find in this volume the source from which many monastic writers such as Bernard of Clairvaux and William of Saint Thierry developed their own interpretations of the Song of Songs and their own teachings on the spiritual life. Finally, this volume will be of particular interest to students of William of Saint Thierry since it contains a translation of one of the few parts of his corpus that has remained hitherto unavailable in English, thus enabling the evaluation of his thought with more accuracy and greater insight.”
—“PREFACE”

CONTENTS

Preface
List of Abbreviations
A Note on References to Primary Sources
Introduction
   I. The Life of Gregory the Great and His Writings
      A. Rome in Late Antiquity
      B. Gregory’s Early Years
      C. Deacon and Papal Apocrisiarius
      D. Gregory’s Papacy
      E. Gregory’s Writings
      F. Gregory’s Death and Legacy
   II. Gregory’s Writings on the Song of Songs
      A. Gregory’s Exposition on the Song of Songs
         1. The Question of Authenticity
         2. The Date and Circumstances of Composition
         3. The Scope of the Exposition
      B. The Excerpters of Gregory
         1. Paterius’s Book of Testimonies
         2. Bede’s Commentary on the Song of Songs
         3. William of Saint Thierry’s Excerpts from the Books of Blessed Gregory on the Song of Songs
   III. Gregory’s Exegesis of the Song of Songs
      A. Gregory in the History of Interpretation
      B. Gregory’s Method of Scriptural Exegesis
         1. Gregory’s Exegetical Motivation
         2. Grammatical Reading Techniques
         3. Gregory’s Figural Approach to the Song of Songs
         4. Gregory’s Exegetical Practice
   IV. Gregory’s Sources
      A. Origen
      B. Augustine
      C. Apponius
      D. Ambrose of Milan
      E. John Cassian
   V. Two Notes to the Reader
      A. Note on References to the Song of Songs
      B. Note on the Translations
Translations
   I. Gregory the Great’s Exposition on the Song of Songs
      Introduction
      Translation
   II. Excerpts from the Works of Gregory the Great on the Song of Songs Compiled by Paterius and Bede
      Introduction
      Bede’s Preface to Commentary on the Song of Songs VI
      Translation of the Compilations of Paterius and Bede
   III. William of Saint Thierry’s Excerpts from the Books of Blessed Gregory on the Song of Songs
      Introduction
      Translation
   IV. Supplemental Texts
      Introduction
      Translation
Appendices
   Appendix One: Gregory’s Citations of the Song of Songs
   Appendix Two: Table of Correspondences among Paterius, Bede, and William
   Appendix Three: Textual Notes on Gregory the Great’s Exposition on the Song of Songs
   Appendix Four: Textual Notes on the Compilations of Paterius and Bede
   Appendix Five: Textual Notes on William of Saint Thierry’s Excerpts from the Books of Blessed Gregory on the Song of Songs
Bibliography
Scriptural Index
General Index