Song of Songs and Lamentations

This course presents an in-depth theological and literary exploration of Song of Songs and Lamentations, two poetic books of the Old Testament that, though stylistically distinct, offer profound insights into love, suffering, covenant, and the human experience before God. While Song of Songs is a lyrical celebration of love and intimacy, Lamentations is a sorrowful reflection on grief, national ruin, and repentance following the destruction of Jerusalem.

The course begins with Song of Songs, examining its rich poetic structure, symbolism, and theological implications. Students will engage with interpretive approaches—natural, allegorical, typological, and canonical—with an emphasis on a Christ-centered reading consistent with Reformed theology. The book will be presented not merely as romantic poetry, but as a divine celebration of covenantal love, purity, and marital intimacy that reflects Christ's love for His Bride, the Church.

The study then moves to Lamentations, offering a raw and deeply theological response to suffering, judgment, and exile. Composed after the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem, the book gives voice to communal grief and personal pain, yet frames lament within the covenant relationship between God and His people. Themes of divine justice, human sin, hope in affliction, and the faithfulness of God (Lamentations 3) are critically explored. Students will learn to interpret lament as a legitimate and faithful expression of worship that leads to deeper trust in God.

Both books will be analyzed for their historical context, poetic form, theological depth, and contemporary relevance. The course emphasizes pastoral and ecclesial applications—how the Church today can recover biblical language for love, loss, and longing in a way that is doctrinally faithful and spiritually edifying.