CHI È COSTEI? FIGURE DI TEOLOGIA NEI PROLOGHI DEI COMMENTARI LATINI AL CANTICO DEI CANTICI NEL XII SECOLO

This volume starts from the awareness that, for ancient and medieval authors, the prologue of a work serves to set out for the reader the methodological principles that guide the writer's work. In particular, when dealing with a commentary on a biblical book, the prologue sets out the guidelines intended to be found in the sacred text. Now, for the 12th century Latin commentaries on the Song of Songs, it is possible to recognise in these guidelines 'figures of theology', i.e. distinct ways (according to the author, his training and life context, the readers he addresses) of approaching the 'object God'. The present study, after highlighting the broad presence of commentaries on the Canticle in the 12th century and their connection with the past, investigates three different strands of analysis: Marian readings of the biblical poem (Honorius of Autun, Rupert of Deutz, Hugh of St. Victor, Alain of Lille); the Cistercian quest for the perfection of the soul (Bernard, Gilbert of Hoyland, William of St. Thierry, John of Ford); other readings influenced by the School (again Honorius of Autun, Richard of St. Victor). Of each of these authors and their commentaries, the proposal of theoogy is studied as a way of entering into God by making a living experience of Him, and not only as an object of philosophical/logical study.