February First Mondays Lecture on Medieval Interpretation of the Song of Songs

Key Info

• IPFW First Mondays series, Monday, February 4, noon to 1:15 p.m., Science Building, Room 168
• Suzanne LaVere examines Medieval interpretation of Song of Songs
• Free and open to the public

Suzanne LaVere Print-quality image

FORT WAYNE, Ind.—The College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne’s (IPFW’s) First Mondays lecture series for February is “A Lover’s Praise of the Lord’s Command? Interpreting the Song of Songs in Medieval Europe.” It will be presented by Assistant Professor of History Suzanne LaVere, Monday, February 4, from noon to 1:15 p.m. in Science Building, Room 168.

LaVere says medieval scholars and theologians wrote more commentaries on the Song of Songs than any other biblical text. “From a modern perspective, this focus on the Song of Songs seems odd—why did these men devote so much attention to what appears to be a rather explicit love poem? Why would a love poem even be included in the Bible at all? Many medieval intellectuals answered these questions by arguing that the Song of Songs was not a rapturous exchange between two human lovers, but an instructive dialogue between Christ and the Church in which Christ implores the Church to spread his message through preaching,” said LaVere.

She added, “This talk examines several instances of this type of interpretation and the effects they had on the development of evangelization within the medieval Church.”

First Mondays is a student-focused series sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences (COAS). Presentations feature COAS faculty discussing interesting aspects of their research in a relaxed atmosphere. The discussions allow IPFW students to delve into and learn about research areas often not covered in the classroom. The lectures are free and open to the public.

For more information on the series, go to the First Mondays website or contact Carl Drummond, dean of COAS, at 260-481-6160 or drummond@ipfw.edu; for information on the lecture, contact LaVere at 260-481-6696 or laveres@ipfw.edu.

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