In this mini-monograph, David Wilhite offers a sustained analysis of the Donatist bishop of Carthage Parmenian's sermon on the Song of Songs as it survives in Optatus of Milevis' reading of it. The sermon itself invoked imagery from the Song of Songs to attribute theological meaning to the material objects. Both Parmenian and Optatus agree on this so-called allegorical interpretation of the Old Testament text; the only difference in their interpretation is the level of application. Parmenian applies this text to the local basilica while Optatus re-interprets the text to apply it to the church universal.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK RECENT SCHOLARSHIP ON "THE DONATISTS" RECLAIMING A "DONATIST" SERMON The Church as the Bride of Solomon True Church and True Basilica Defining Ecclesia The Dotes Basilicae and the Primacy of the Cathedra The Angelus of Light The Anointing of the Spiritus (or, the Vas of Chrism) The fons et al Additional Evidence Concluding the Analysis

THEOLOGICAL AFTERWORD: THE TRUE CHURCH AS TRUE THIRD SPACE ABOUT THE AUTHOR ENDNOTES