Index:
page 7 Presentation
9 Introduction
9 1.1 Patristic Exegesis
10 1.2. The Song of Songs
11 1.3. Methods of Interpretation
12 1.4. Jewish traditions of Interpretation
12 1.5. History of the Influence of the Text (Wirkungsgeschichte)
13 1.6. Contemporary Philosophical Hermeneutics and the Fathers
14 2. The Meaning of Inspired Scripture
15 2.1. The Literal Sense
15 2.2. The Spiritual Sense
17 2.3. The Fuller Sense (Sensus plenior)
17 2.4. Conclusion
18 2.5. Interpretation in the Tradition of the Church
The Patristic Period
23 1. Judeo-Christian Writings
26 2. Apostolic Fathers
26 2.1. Ignatius of Antioch
27 3. Ante-Nicene Fathers
27 3.1. Tertullian
28 3.2. Cyprian of Carthage
29 3.3. De montibus Sina et Sion
30 3.4. Clement of Alexandria
30 3.5. Hippolytus of Rome
37 3.5.1. Concluding remarks
38 3.6. Origen
38 3.6.1. Introduction
40 3.6.2. Origen's Interpretation of the Song
42 3.6.3. Origen's use of the spiritual meaning
61 4. Post-Nicene Fathers
61 4.1 Hilary of Poitiers
61 4.1.1. The Spiritual Interpretation of Scripture
62 4.2. Ephrem the Syrian
65 4.3. Cyril of Jerusalem
67 4.3.1. Cyril's method of choosing words from the Song and the Gospel narrative of the Passion
73 4.4. Epiphanius of Salamis
75 4.5. Pseudo - Epiphanius
77 4.6. Ambrose of Milan
77 4.6.1. Mary and the Church
81 4.6.2. Ambrose discovers the Song of Songs
84 4.6.3. Unguent poured out is your name (Ct. 1.3)
84 4.7. Jerome
85 4.7.1. Jerome's use of Spiritual Exegesis
89 4.8. Apponius
89 4.8.1. A spiritual Exegesis
90 4.8.2. Mary the Bride par excellence and the virgins
92 4.9. St. Augustine
104 4.10. Severus of Antioch
108 4.11. Mary in the Song of Songs of John of Damascus, On the Dormition III and the Pseudo-Damascene, On the Nativity
117 Concluding Remarks
117 1. Modern Critique of the Patristic Interpretation
118 2. Reply to modern critics
121 Abbreviations
124 Bibliography
135 Index of the Names
139 Index of the Volume