the sexuality of the song (part 1 of 4 in the Song of Songs series)

Is the Song a moral document? Perhaps. Is the Song an aesthetic document? Likely. Is it both? Is it something else? Clearly, yes. Aesthetics and morality are early topics of discussion whenever sex enters a conversation. Both the beauty and morality of sex are clear in the text of the Song. But reading this text through pietistic Western eyes, one would not immediately see the moral dimension; instead one would be shocked by the eroticism and sensuality of the text. A modern reader would then perhaps consider this text to be ancient erotica. However, this would be a mistake, because, though the medium is sensual to be sure, the subject transcends mere erotica.
This song is not ‘about’ eroticism and sensuality; it is erotic and sensual. It enables the reader to see more, to hear more, to feel more. The first four verses in the Song of Songs already appeal to four senses: hearing in the ‘song of songs’, touch in the ‘pull me’, smell in ‘oils’ and taste in ‘kisses’.

It is a sensual text because of how it draws the audience into the innocent (not erotic) story between two young lovers. The sounds, feel, smells, and tastes of love explode off the page to a modern reader (and fill the resonating chamber of the room to ancients hearing the text read).  But it is this sexuality that gives the Song much of its value.  "The erotic mode of the SoS is exactly what I appreciate so much: the being with, the looking at, the caressing of, the wrapping up in the beloved, in which the boundaries we are used to set up between corporeality, spiritual contact, religious feelings and nature-experiences fall off."  Rather than fearing the sexual nature of the Song, as might be common both among the most liberal feminists and the most conservative traditionalists, one should embrace its tone.  Just as Bekkenkamp, a feminist theologian, has embraced its tone, perhaps the first step toward approaching the question of canonicity is to be honest about the biases and prejudices against sensual literature. But even in the midst of ‘the looking at, the caressing of, the wrapping up in’ there is a progressive worldview. “Compared to the other biblical texts, the absence of sexism in the SoS is significant.” The ledger is equal; the exchange is fair. It is obvious that both lovers, the young woman and the young man, are equally engaged and equally vulnerable in the sensual search.

In addition to the level playing field, the approach to marriage is built upon pleasure rather than procreation, which would have been more common in the ancient world and i modern conservative contexts. The Song “treats human sexuality and passion, but without noting children or clearly requiring marriage as a prerequisite.”  Marriage is not the main character. Sex for procreation is not the main goal. It is young love and sensual pleasure that drives the action in this 12-cycle poem. Marriage has been a powerful institution, both in its ability to subjugate vulnerable partners, as well as its ability to build divine covenants among mere humans. But marriage was treated differently in the early Church as they wrestled through questions of chastity and celibacy in relation to the priesthood.  Kinlaw, in an extended passage, offers a clear explication of the biblical view of marriage that is exemplified in the Song.

"The Bible does not see marriage as an inferior state, a concession to human weakness. Nor does it see the normal physical love within that relationship as necessarily impure. Marriage was instituted before the Fall by God with the command that the first couple become one flesh. Therefore physical love within that conjugal union is good, is God’s will, and should be a delight to both partners.  The prospect of children is not necessary to justify sexual love in marriage.  Significantly, the Song of Solomon makes no reference to procreation.  It must be remembered that the book was written in a world where a high premium was placed on offspring and a woman’s worth was often measured in terms of the number of her children. Sex was often seen with reference to procreation; yet there is not a trace of that here. The Song is a song in praise of
love for love’s sake and for love’s sake alone. This relationship needs no justification beyond itself."

Even in these opening thoughts about the Song of Songs, even as I’ve tried to concentrate solely on the sexual nature of the document, spirituality continues to enter the conversation. In life and in literature, and surely in biblical literature, one must admit that the relationship between sexuality and spirituality is extensive. But even with the seemingly endless connection between sex and spirit, the Song has also been called profane, and its inclusion in the biblical canon has been questioned.

"The Song is one of the most profane texts included in the Hebrew canon. In addition to its erotic language and themes, the name of God is nowhere mentioned or alluded to. The Song neither possesses a notion of salvation history or divine law nor offers explicit moral guidelines." 

Not only does Longman make a point worth considering about the potential ‘profanity’ of the Song, but it also begs the question: why would something that we consider so ‘profane’ have been included in the Hebrew canon?  Perhaps the explicit mention of God, of salvation history, of divine law, or of explicit moral guidelines is not the litmus test for the value of spiritual art.

'The Kiss' by Gustav Klimt.

Resources used in this post:

Jonneke Bekkenkamp, “Into Another Scene of Choices: The Theological Value of the Song of
Songs,” in The Feminist Companion to the Bible, eds. Athalya Brenner and Carole R. Fontaine
(Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Academic Press, 2000)

Dennis F. Kinlaw, “Song of Songs,” in Expositor’s Bible Commentary with the New
International Version: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Vol. 5, ed. Frank E.
Gaebelein (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991)

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