TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF “THE SONG OF SONGS”: THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE EROTIC, THE SENSUAL, AND THE MYSTICAL IN WORSHIP A Professional Project presented to the Faculty of Claremont School of Theology In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Ministry by Ana R. Vargas May 2002 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ©2002 Ana R. Vargas ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. This professional Project, completed by Ana R. Vargas______________ has been presented to and accepted by the Faculty of the Claremont School of Theology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF MINISTRY Faculty Committee Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF “THE SONG OF SONGS”: THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE EROTIC, THE SENSUAL, AND THE MYSTICAL IN WORSHIP by Ana R. Vargas This work researches the role that sexuality and sensuality play in relation to spirituality and how in “The Song of Songs” the erotic and sensual images express in a positive manner the human longing for union with the divine. The research is applied to liturgy in the design of a call to worship and a sermon with the intent of capturing the congregation's attention to the message of G-d’s love, and to experience the presence of the divine in worship. The metaphors and themes throughout the “The Song of Songs” are classified according to the senses affected, and applied to the exegesis of “The Song of Songs” 6:1-13, with the result that the lovers’ mutual desire, and their positive relationship is shown in the idyllic atmosphere of nature in bloom and animals at play. The main character, the Shulammite, addresses the right of women to be equal in the love relationship with men. The presence of G-d in nature as well as in human love is implied in the description of Solomon’s carriage (3:9-10) and possibly to the Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 6-7), suggesting that the carriage is a symbol of either the ark, the tabernacle or the Jerusalem Temple itself. The Jewish mystical interpretation of “The Song of Songs” is used to present the presence of G-d in the world, or the Shekhinah, and how human participation is crucial in being stewards of creation, and of each other. Lastly, a theology of sexuality and spirituality is presented with Jesus as a representative of the right relationship that G-d seeks with humanity. The worship experience reflecting a positive view of human sensuality and erotica in spirituality is expressed in the call to worship and the sermon. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Acknowledgements My sincere thanks for the advice and support received from professors Marvin A. Sweeney, Jack Coogan, and to the thesis secretary Ms. Elaine Walker, as well as to all who helped in the editing and proofreading of this work. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page 1. Problem Addressed by the Project 1 Importance of the Problem 1 Thesis 3 Definitions of Terms 4 Work Previously Done in the Field 5 Scope and Limitations of the Project 10 Procedure for Integration 11 Chapter Outline 13 2. Overview and Textual Analysis of The Song 16 Structure 16 Socio Historical Period 27 Tropes and Style 28 Themes 31 Jewish Interpretation 36 Jewish Mystics’ Interpretation of The Song 40 Kabbalah 44 3. Exegesis of “The Song of Songs” 6:1-13 49 Structure 49 Unique Words and Phrases Present 55 Tropes and Style 56 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Themes Present 56 4. Conclusions 58 The Body Redeemed 59 Life in the Spirit 60 Jesus as Example of Right Relationship with G-d 62 Jesus-Human; the Christ; the Spirit of G-d 64 G-d Creator and Redeemer 66 Body Redemptive 69 G-d as Mutuality-in-Relationship 70 A Spirituality for Queer People 71 A Theology of Sexuality and Spirituality 71 The Human Being As More Than Body and Spirit 72 5. A Call to Worship and A Sermon 77 Appendixes A. Table 1-Tropes 105 B. Table 2-Senses 108 Bibliography 110 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Dedication This work is dedicated, first and foremost, to G-d whom I love; secondly, to my parents Leonides and Ana, for their love and support; and to my family of choice, my brothers and sisters of the Metropolitan Community Church, who ordained me as a minister of the gospel. To G-d be the glory, amen. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Problem Addressed bv the Project This project addresses a neglected area of research, which is the role that sensuality and sexuality play in relation to spirituality, and how it is illustrated in the “Song of Songs” by the use of erotic and sensory vocabulary and metaphor to compare the intimacy of lovers to the human longing for union with the divine. Importance of the Problem Recently, a group of fellow pastors and I were sharing how our respective worship services helped the congregation to experience the presence of G-d. Four of the five pastors rated their services as stale and monotonous and added they were dissatisfied with attempts to make the worship service better. I replied that the opposite was happening in my congregation; people told me they felt the presence of G-d, but could not explain why! As ministers of the gospeL, we want to have a meaningful church service that attracts people and keeps them coming back. Nonetheless, the reality is too often the opposite; churches are experiencing a reduction in attendance and members look to the pastor to fix the problem. Nancy T. Ammerman explains the urgency for the churches to continue meeting, because of "the importance of the community as the place where God is worshipped and Scripture read and taught, as signs of God's presence in the world."1 What means are there to make this statement come to life in worship? At this juncture, we must examine knowledge in media technology. Eric H. F. 1 Nancy T. Ammerman et al., eds., “Introduction: An Invitation to Congregational Study,” in Studying Congregations (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998), 8. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 2 Law posits the need for the church to use the same methods as the media to reach the public. This approach involves all the senses, and we cannot ignore its power.2 Specifically, Law mentions group media, as a way to bridge communication gaps between cultures.3 Likewise, to talk to a congregation about sexuality is unheard of. Some people will get upset because they have come to hear about the spirit, not about the world! I suspect this reaction comes from a profound division between what is considered the body and what is considered the soul. To the body belongs emotions, passion and sexual attraction; to the spirit belongs the rationaL the wifi, and the control of the libido. From asceticism Christians inherited the notion that celibacy was the ideal state. Yet we have images of Christian mystics, such as Hildegard von Bingen (1098- 1179 CE) and Fray Luis de Leon (1527-91 CE), who describe the experience of union with G-d in terms of an intimate, sexual relationship. However in order to get this experience these saints went through suffering and denial of human pleasure. Where does that leave us mortals? Christian mysticism is surely a method to reach G-d, but there have to be other ways accessible to us today to experience the presence of the divine. Such was the case with Jewish mysticism, which will be described later in this work. In specific the discipline of “tradition” (Kabbalah) sought the presence of G-d on earth, not by negating humanity, but by balancing positive as well as negative aspects 2 Eric H. F. Law, The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1993), 91. 3 Ibid., 92. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. 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