‘Resurrection’ in William of Saint-Thierry’s Expositio Super Cantica Canticorum
N. Cheng
Medieval Mystical Theology January 2, 2025 DOI: 10.1080/20465726.2025.2503112 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Saint Art history |
| Key points | Argues that William of Saint-Thierry's concept of resurrection in his moral reading of the Song of Songs orients human deification toward eschatological transformation, not merely internal spirituality. |
Abstract
William of Saint-Thierry’s exploration on the theme of ‘resurrection’ in his moral reading of the Song of Songs argues for an eschatological orientation for the human person’s deification. This detailed research on the concept of ‘resurrection’ in the Exposition does not confine itself to a literary study of the term ‘resurrection’ as it appears in William’s the Latin critical edition text. Rather it explores the different imageries from the Song of Songs which formed William’s understanding of the ‘resurrection’ and the implications for believing in the ‘resurrection’ to the present life. This research suggests that William’s pursuit of mystical consciousness is not a merely internal spiritual project, but is oriented towards the eschatological transformation of the whole human person.