Medieval Protestantism

the Protestant

commentaries almost uniformly adopt a primarily

ecclesial allegory, with the tropological

dimension as a valid application. But so, in fact, is

the medieval tradition built on the foundation of

the ecclesial interpretation, and even those commentaries

devoted most strikingly to the Christsoul

allegory, such as Bernard’s, recognize that the

ultimate priority remains with the ecclesial interpretation.

Similarly, the Protestant commentaries

deplored the mechanical allegorization of

every particular detail in the scholastic, dialectical

commentaries, but so do Origen and Bernard

eschew any such allegorization of particulars.

Commentary on the Song is a good illustration of the “catholicity of the Reformation.” Scheper: “the Protestant commentaries almost uniformly adopt a primarily ecclesial allegory, with the tropological dimension as a valid application. But so, in fact, is the medieval tradition built on the foundation of the ecclesial interpretation, and even those commentaries devoted most strikingly to the Christ soul allegory, such as Bernard’s, recognize that the ultimate priority remains with the ecclesial interpretation. Similarly, the Protestant commentaries deplored the mechanical allegorization of every particular detail in the scholastic, dialectical commentaries, but so do Origen and Bernard eschew any such allegorization of particulars.”

Protestant interpretations differed, importantly, in refusing to take the Song as an allegory of church structures or the Papacy (eg, Augustine’s idea that the “white teeth” of the bride are the ministers who masticate the members of the church).