Dove, in Christian Art

As a symbol of the believer, the dove of course has chief reference to two texts of Scripture, belonging to different yet harmonious trains of thought. One is Mt 10:16, "Be ye wise as serpents and harmless as doves;" the other, Ps 55:6, "O that I had wings like a dove, then would I flee away and be at rest." The passages in Song 1:15; Song 2:14; Song 5:2; Song 6:9, refer to the Church, and therefore may be taken as referring simply to all faithful souls.