부산대학교 도서관

This thesis considers the complexity of premarital romantic and sexual relationships for Emerging Adults in the Western world, and the particular challenge faced by Christians of this age group, their lives being framed by their contemporary culture, as well as the beliefs and practises of their faith. It will discuss the inadequacy of the limited Christian teaching that is available which neither listens to the experiences and realities of believers, nor to the diversity and depth of its Scriptures. In response, this thesis carries out an original study of discourse of desire and relationality in the Song of Songs, seeking to provide some parameters for a 'Theology of Dating' which both seriously considers the text as well as the realities of the contemporary world. It does this through a two horizons approach, examining discourse of the Song, and using this to examine sex and relationship scripts in the contemporary horizon, asking the question as to how the lovers of the Song might consider these scripts according to this reading of the Song. In particular, the textual study aspect focuses on the use of key volitional verbs in the Song (imperatives, jussives, and cohortatives) as a verbalisation of sexual want, and how they interplay in discourse portraying the desire and the nature of the relationship between the Female Protagonist and the Male Lover.