Why did they read it like that? The history of the Song of Songs as a case study for culture influencing biblical interpretation.

No book of the Bible has a more conflicted history of interpretation than the Song of Songs. Over the centuries, it’s been read as an allegory about God and the Church, or a dramatic episode from King Solomon’s history, or a secular erotic poem that has nothing to do with God (or Solomon!). Why can’t we agree on its genre? How can such different views all be so convincing? And why are the German Enlightenment, the Rosetta Stone and the Second Council of Constantinople all to blame? Join Dr Kamina Wüst for a critical and chaotic ride through the history of the Song’s interpretation that will challenge you to ask yourself: why do I read the Bible the way I do?

Whether you’re a current student, alumna, or part of our broader community of women passionate about God’s Word, Theology After Dark promises to stretch your thinking, deepen your faith, and strengthen your life with God.

Join us for dinner with Dr Wüst on the practical implications of the song (women only) followed by a lecture with Q&A on Historical/Cultural Biblical Interpretation and the Song (all welcome).

Theology After Dark - an evening with Mary Andrews College

Have you ever wished you had more time and space to really think about how faith in Jesus speaks into the complexity of everyday life? Theology After Dark is designed for just that.

This relaxed evening begins at 6:00pm with an optional dinner with Dr Wüst (in-person only), before moving, at 7:30pm into session that includes a lecture and Q&A (in-person and online - our online event will begin at 7:15pm).

Theology often gets dismissed as something abstract or irrelevant. But in truth, every Christian is a theologian. Every one of us has words (logos) about God (theos) - and those words shape how we love, lead, and live.

Drawing on Mary Andrews College’s legacy of integrating Scripture with everyday life, this night offers the kind of theological wrestling that happens best once the day’s distractions have faded away. Expect robust biblical scholarship paired with warmth, community, and the kind of conversations that linger long after you leave.

Contact the host of Theology After Dark with Dr Kamina Wüst