In The Geography of Good and Evil: Philosophical Investigations (Crosscurrents) , Dutch philosopher Andreas Kinneging argues that the conservative objection to the Enlightenment is not only intellectual but has to do with the will: “It is the view of conation that characterizes conservatism . . . . Continue Reading »
The eternal Word, being proper to the Father’s being, cannot advance. Yet, Scripture says that Jesus advances in wisdom and stature. Athanasius appeals to the incarnation: He is advancing humanly. But, as always, what the Word does in the flesh is done for us: “Neither . . . . Continue Reading »
Peter describes women as “weaker vessels” (1 Pet 3:7). That sounds like an insult. Is it? First, vessels in Scripture are almost always temple vessels, implements of temple worship. Hebrew 9:21 is one of the NT passages that uses the word in this specific sense. . . . . Continue Reading »
In a couple earlier posts, I’ve commented on the “intrinsicism” in Athanasius. One additional point: Rather than seeing intrinstic/extrinsic as metaphysical opposites, Athanasius’ sees the question in a redemptive-historical, eschatological framework. . . . . Continue Reading »
Athanasius employs much of the same language and makes some of the same conceptual moves in talking about the Son’s relation to the Father on the one hand and the Son’s incarnation in the flesh on the other. The Son is “proper to” the Father’s essence; so too the flesh . . . . Continue Reading »
It’s common sense that origin determines destiny. That which is born of flesh is flesh, and remains so; that which is born of earth returns to the earth. This is the common sense that the gospel subverts. Men originated from earth are remade after the image of the heavenly man; . . . . Continue Reading »
Athanasius regularly compares the Arians to Jews and Judaizers. This is not merely name-calling. The obvious comparison is that both Jews and Arians deny that Jesus is the eternal Son. But something more subtle is going on here too, perhaps: If the Son is not eternal and equal to the . . . . Continue Reading »
The Spirit who comes to dwell “in” us is the Spirit who is “in” the Son, who is also “in” the Father. By grace, we are capacious enough to house God. But it goes in the opposite direction too: We live and move “in” the Spirit, who is . . . . Continue Reading »
Athanasius expounds the prayer of Jesus in John 17 as follows: “whence is this their perfecting, but that I, Your Word, having borne their body, and become man, have perfected the work, which You gave Me, O Father? And the work is perfected, because men, redeemed from sin, . . . . Continue Reading »
For Thomas, the advantage of explicating the Trinity by reference to knowing and willing was that these are two human processes that remain within the soul. They remain within the realm of praxis. Jenson notes that the great achievement of Barth’s Trinitarian theology is to start . . . . Continue Reading »
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