This book HUMAN SEXUALITY IN THE SONG OF SONGS: A Study on the Sensual Lyrics of the Songs written by my Christian friend Dr. Wungtei Buchem (University of Sheffield UK), is a timely book that deals with the literal interpretation of the Song of Songs. The author perfectly analyses these beautiful lyrics of the Songs in this piece of work which I as a practising Catholic finds useful and so is what I am sure be a guidebook for modern day interpreters irrespective of Christian denominations. Dr. Buchem links the main message of the text with a positive view of human sexuality and defends- it cannot be treated as something apart from the spirit but of the human nature which comprehends body and soul. This topic is of great importance in a modern day church, society and culture where sexuality is sometimes treated as a product that can utilized without any personal consequences. Within this piece of work, the author encourages readers to think thoroughly about the importance of integrating sexuality in ourselves as God's own creatures.
Dr. Wungtei Buchem is from Tamlu Village (Longleng District, Nagaland). After his MA and MTh in India he did his PhD from the University of Sheffield (UK); while he also taught Undergraduate Modules on Religion, Theology and the Bible (RTB). He guided few British, Chinese and French Bachelor's Dissertations. His research was presented in Hamboldt University (Germany). The University of Edinburgh (Scotland), and Helsinki University (Finland). His research abstracts are found in the Denver University (USA) and University of Rome (Italy). Currently, he is working as Associate Professor in the Department of Biblical Studies (OT) at Trinity Theological College, Dimapur, Nagaland (India).
The argument in this book deals with the interpretation of the Song of Songs. The researcher argues that the traditional allegorical interpretation was based on the negative notion about body-soul dichotomy, where matters of human sexuality were considered as an unwelcomed subject to be discussed in relation to any human spirituality. It thereby suppresses the literal message of the text and diverting it to allegory and other interpretive methods such as dramatic, political, or psychological and the like.
As such the research is primarily an investigation of the symbolism of human eroticism through the literal interpretation of the text. For, the pre-supposition of the researcher is that, allegorical interpretation actually blurs the symbolical and positive interpretation of the text. In other words, as far as the hermeneutical paradigms are concerned, there are biases in the reading of the text. The hypothesis is that the literature itself in the Song is rich, knowledgeable, and informative and has the potential for teaching and preaching about love, sexual value, holistic approach to life and appreciation of God's own nature of creation. Therefore, in investigating so, the socio- cultural life behind the poetic literatures and love songs of both the Ancient West Asia and Israel is taken into account in the exegesis so as to throw light on the symbolic languages employed on the text.
The first chapter elaborates the problem and the methodological concerns. The second chapter investigates socio-cultural contexts of the Ancient West Asian poetic literatures and love songs and a summary about human sexuality in the ancient texts are analyzed.
I deem it as my privilege to be writing a foreword to this maiden book from the author Dr. Wungtei Buchem, who is an emerging biblical scholar and a bible teacher, specialized in the area of the interpretation of Old Testament poetical sections, especially with the book of Song of Solomon. I know him as a very zealous and enthusiastic student of the Bible. This book is brought at a very important phase in our present history, where there is a lot of talk and display of human sexuality and eroticism, more so in the secular arena.
It is a no-brainer to say that the book of Song of Solomon is one of the least talked about books in the bible, especially from the pulpits. Most of the preachers are not comfortable to do a bible study or do an occasional sermon from this book which is very rich in its dealing about sensual appetite among the crown of God's creation, the human beings. Human sexuality and/or eroticism are few of those very hot potatoes that Christians are afraid to touch upon.
Even in the case of the preachers and pastors who do some exposition on the book, have been doing it only from the perspective of allegorical interpretation, correlating the male lover of the book with Jesus Christ and the female lover with the Church universal. The book is taught predominantly as showcasing the ultimate love and desire that Jesus has shown towards his bride, the Church. While there is nothing wrong in this interpretation, this is not the purpose for which the Song of Songs is written and brought into the Hebrew Canon.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
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