Song of Songs 101: Understanding the Bible’s Most Unusual Book

Join celebrated Great Books professor Fr. Nicholas Ayo in exploring one of the Bible’s most unusual books.

At once sensual (even erotic) and sacred, The Song of Songs, sometimes known as the “Canticle of Canticles” or “The Song of Solomon,” contains some of the world’s most beautiful love poetry. Now, discover how these unique and astonishing poems found their way into the Bible.

The mutuality and equality of man and woman in courtship are rarely encountered in the Bible and antiquity. Nowhere else in the Bible is human love so suffused with such descriptive beauty. You will examine these poems line by line, looking at their implications for human love, which is affirmed and uplifted. Our contemporary culture seems at some times to be too puritan, and at other times, too lascivious. Discover how these timeless biblical poems find a medium, honoring both soul and body in human love.

With Fr. Ayo as your guide, you will gain clarity about the overall scheme of the poetry, examining its language and historical background. You will discover how the Song of Songs spoke to the ancient listener and how it continues to speak to our contemporary world. You will gain invaluable insight into the beauty and wisdom in the Song of Songs.

Explore the timeless power of Song of Songs today.

This course is part of the Learn25 collection and includes a free PDF study guide.

This course was previously published as Song of Songs

Learn about downloadable programs.

Your Free Electronic Study Guide! When you order this course, we will send you a free electronic study guide that you can access in 3 convenient ways:

1) You can check your order confirmation email. It will include a link that enables you to download your guide.
2) The back of your program package also contains a copy of this link. You can access your guide by simply entering this URL into your browser.
3) Your case of CDs or DVDs will contain a copy of your electronic guide on CD. Simply insert this disc into your computer’s CD/DVD drive to access your guide.