Lamentations and Song of Songs

Praise for the Series

"Belief offers something pastors and laypersons sorely need: guidance in reflecting on the theology of the Bible offered by theologians who are themselves being formed by the biblical text. In this series, theologians resist picking and choosing passages that serve their own constructive theological arguments. Rather, they listen afresh to what the Bible is saying, discussing how they have been affected, and even changed, by each biblical book." --Cynthia Rigby, W. C. Brown Professor of Theology, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

"The series offers an impressive variety of theological voices representing a broad range of traditions, styles, and locations, all asking what the upshot of the biblical texts is for pressing theological issues in our day, both issues that are perennial and issues that are peculiar to 'modernity.' They are disciplined by historical-critical scholarship, but they are not focused exclusively on historical questions, not even on the historical question of the biblical authors' own theologies. Their 'theological questions' are not aimed at showing that biblical texts support commitment to a single, shared theological tradition; they seek to let the shape of the biblical text set the agenda for each commentary." --David H. Kelsey, Luther A. Weigle Professor of Theology Emeritus, Yale University Divinity School

The volumes in Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible from Westminster John Knox Press offer a fresh and invigorating approach to all the books of the Bible. Building on a wide range of sources from biblical studies and the Christian tradition, noted scholars focus less on traditional historical and literary angles in favor of a theologically focused commentary that considers the contemporary relevance of the texts. This series is an invaluable resource for those who want to probe beyond the backgrounds and words of biblical texts to their deep theological meanings for the church today.

In Lamentations, Harvey Cox finds this poignant and evocative biblical book written 2,500 years ago to be a shockingly current text. Drawing on a wide array of sources from poetry, novels, films, paintings, and even photography to classical and contemporary theology, Cox offers a contemporary theological reading of Lamentations that is provocative and sure to stir numerous theological reflections and responses.

The biblical book of Song of Songs has historically been seen as pointing to Christ's love for the church and has been interpreted allegorically. Yet, it is unique in the canon for its use of erotic poetry, celebrating the human body and human love in graphic terms. Stephanie Paulsell suggests that the Song still has profound meaning for us, teaching us "to love not only what we can see shining on the surface but also those depths of the other that are out of our reach."