Location
About This Workshop
Most Christians are familiar with “King of Kings” and “Lord of Lords” as epithets for Jesus. Christ is the King over all the kings and lords of the earth. We also understand the label given to the innermost part of the Tabernacle: “the Holy of Holies.” In a sacred space of graded holiness, that inner room is the pinnacle. What do we make of the title of that strange little book in the middle of the canon, “The Song of Songs”? For many the strangeness of the book and the intensity of the language discourages serious corporate engagement with the Song of Solomon. But the title is tantalizing, if not convicting: of all the songs which lovers sing throughout the ages, here is the zenith; it is the holy of holies of love music; it is the love song of the King of kings. Such a book certainly demands the attention of both lovers and theologians. This book, moreover, questions the illusory boundary set-up between "lovers" and "theologians."
The Church often finds itself responding to the siren song of our hyper-sexualized, disordered, and scandalous age by trying to ignore or mute it. The God of Jacob, however, has a better, holy remedy. He is the better Singer and he sings a better Song. The sicknesses of our era can find healing in the music of the God who is Love (1 Jn. 4:16). The gates of hell cannot hold a candle to the Living Flame of Love.
Taught by Mark Brians.
This workshop is intended for pastors and laity alike and will meet via Zoom for 6 Saturdays from April 11 - May 16, 2026.
Time: 10 am - Noon CST
Zoom link will be emailed to participants upon registration.
_______________________________________________
Mark Brians is Senior Fellow at the Theopolis Institute. Fr. Mark serves as rector of All Saints Anglican Church, in downtown Honolulu –which he helped plant with a team in 2019. He is the chaplain at Saint Benedict Hall, where he also teaches advanced Literature and Latin classes. He also serves as the Hawaii Network Leader for the Anglican Diocese of the Rocky Mountains and as a faculty member of Oahu Theological Seminary.
He has written for various digital and print publications including ‘Reading Religion’, ‘Themelios’, ‘Christianity & Literature’, ‘Canadian Journal of American Studies’, and ‘The Middle West Review.’ He also writes occasionally for Logos’ ‘Word by Word’ blog. He is a contributor to the recent Popular Culture and Theology projects on J.R.R. Tolkien and “The Office.” He blogs (almost) weekly for his parish here and maintains a substack, St. Annes upon Mahanaim.
He is a 2021 Theopolis Fellow alumnus, and the co-author with Drew Knowles of “Hospitality: The Convivial Mission of God” (2024, Athanasius).
Mark lives in Liliha with his wife Rachel and their six (almost seven) children, just up the road from Young’s Noodle Factory.
About This Workshop
Most Christians are familiar with “King of Kings” and “Lord of Lords” as epithets for Jesus. Christ is the King over all the kings and lords of the earth. We also understand the label given to the innermost part of the Tabernacle: “the Holy of Holies.” In a sacred space of graded holiness, that inner room is the pinnacle. What do we make of the title of that strange little book in the middle of the canon, “The Song of Songs”? For many the strangeness of the book and the intensity of the language discourages serious corporate engagement with the Song of Solomon. But the title is tantalizing, if not convicting: of all the songs which lovers sing throughout the ages, here is the zenith; it is the holy of holies of love music; it is the love song of the King of kings. Such a book certainly demands the attention of both lovers and theologians. This book, moreover, questions the illusory boundary set-up between "lovers" and "theologians."
The Church often finds itself responding to the siren song of our hyper-sexualized, disordered, and scandalous age by trying to ignore or mute it. The God of Jacob, however, has a better, holy remedy. He is the better Singer and he sings a better Song. The sicknesses of our era can find healing in the music of the God who is Love (1 Jn. 4:16). The gates of hell cannot hold a candle to the Living Flame of Love.
Taught by Mark Brians.
This workshop is intended for pastors and laity alike and will meet via Zoom for 6 Saturdays from April 11 - May 16, 2026.
Time: 10 am - Noon CST
Zoom link will be emailed to participants upon registration.
_______________________________________________
Mark Brians is Senior Fellow at the Theopolis Institute. Fr. Mark serves as rector of All Saints Anglican Church, in downtown Honolulu –which he helped plant with a team in 2019. He is the chaplain at Saint Benedict Hall, where he also teaches advanced Literature and Latin classes. He also serves as the Hawaii Network Leader for the Anglican Diocese of the Rocky Mountains and as a faculty member of Oahu Theological Seminary.
He has written for various digital and print publications including ‘Reading Religion’, ‘Themelios’, ‘Christianity & Literature’, ‘Canadian Journal of American Studies’, and ‘The Middle West Review.’ He also writes occasionally for Logos’ ‘Word by Word’ blog. He is a contributor to the recent Popular Culture and Theology projects on J.R.R. Tolkien and “The Office.” He blogs (almost) weekly for his parish here and maintains a substack, St. Annes upon Mahanaim.
He is a 2021 Theopolis Fellow alumnus, and the co-author with Drew Knowles of “Hospitality: The Convivial Mission of God” (2024, Athanasius).
Mark lives in Liliha with his wife Rachel and their six (almost seven) children, just up the road from Young’s Noodle Factory.