Why the incarnation? The eternal Son enters humanity to stretch it to its limits, and beyond. By becoming flesh and living and dying and rising in flesh, the Son makes it big enough for God to dwell in. More precisely, the Spirit: The Son stretches out the flesh He assumes, so that it . . . . Continue Reading »
Every word we speak, Derrida argues, wanders off on its own, and we can’t protect or control it. True enough with regard to human words. But God’s Word is a living Person, the eternal Son, a Word equal to the speaker with the resources to fend for Himself. This Word, though . . . . Continue Reading »
In the previous post, Jim Rogers asked what can morally be done about enemies who use innocents are human shields? That’s a difficult question, but I’ve found Daniel Bell’s discussion helpful ( Just War as Christian Discipleship: Recentering the Tradition in the Church . . . . Continue Reading »
Jim Rogers of Texas A&M takes some issue with my discussion of the justice of NATO bombings in Afghanistan and Pakistan. I’ll briefly take up Jim’s questions about human shields in another post. Here’s Jim’s response: [1][a] Yes, in general, but your post . . . . Continue Reading »
Athanasius points to the biblical teaching of creation from nothing to prove that creation is in its nature changeable. It’s not simply that something comes from nothing is fragile, unstable, dependent; it also seems that creatures have a changeable nature because their origin is . . . . Continue Reading »
Athanasius argues that “Father” is preferable to the Arian “Unoriginate” as a name for the First Person. It is more Scriptural, and it also names the First Person by reference to God the Son rather than by reference to the creation. Plus, “Father” is the . . . . Continue Reading »
Over the past sixty years, writes Dambisa Moyo ( Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa ), Africa has received over $1 trillion in aid. Study after study concludes that it has had minimal, or even negative effects on Africa’s economies: One study finds . . . . Continue Reading »
Hilary Clinton had some stiff opposition last week in Pakistan. Everywhere she went in her dazzling blue pants suit, Pakistanis raged about US policy in Afghanistan and along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. One woman pointedly asked, Do the US drone bombings that kill Pakistani . . . . Continue Reading »
Mike Bull responds to my comments on Athanasius’ discussion of purity and bodily secretions: “I agree with Luther, but isn’t the point more that what comes out is ‘worthless”? Moving beyond the Old Testament pedagogical purpose of ceremonial uncleanness, affirming the . . . . Continue Reading »
Athanasius insists that the Father must have an eternal Son because the Father’s essence could never have been imperfect: “if He is called the eternal offspring of the Father, He is rightly so called. For never was the essence of the Father imperfect ( ateles ), that what . . . . Continue Reading »
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