Tolkien’s poetry

In the TLS , Tom Shippey reviews Christopher Tolkien’s recent edition of his father’s The Fall of Arthur . The poem was the product of Tolkien’s early excursions into alliterative poetry, a project he shared with CS Lewis: “The later success of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. . . . . Continue Reading »

Why Andrew Sullivan is smiling

Scalia in dissent argues that the DOMA decision is already a decision about “traditional” state definitions of marriage: “the view that this Court will take of state prohibition of same-sex marriage is indicated beyond mistaking by today’s opinion. As I have said, the real . . . . Continue Reading »

The Rhetoric of the Majority

After offering some of the legal interests served by DOMA, Scalia in dissent notes the rhetoric of the majority opinion, which clearly resembles the rhetoric of gay rights activists. He chides his colleagues for treating Congress and the President who signed DOMA so cavalierly: “to defend . . . . Continue Reading »

What Hath SCOTUS Wrought?

Alito says that the Court has decided an ongoing debate between two views of marriage. “The first and older view, which I will call the ‘traditional’ or ‘conjugal’ view, sees marriage as an intrinsically opposite-sex institution. BLAG notes that virtually every . . . . Continue Reading »

Not ashamed

Jim Adams ( The Performative Nature and Functions of Isaiah 40-55 , 170) summarizes the theme of shame in Isaiah 40-55: “The verb occurs eleven times and primarily in the first section. In brief, those who will be shamed are Jacob-Israel’s opponents . . . , the worshipers and . . . . Continue Reading »

Reprobation as Christian Doctrine

Stephen Holmes ends God of Grace and God of Glory: An Account of the Theology of Jonathan Edwards with a critique of Reformed theologies of predestination, especially of reprobation. The critique doesn’t entail a denial of reprobation. Holmes instead argues that reprobation hasn’t been . . . . Continue Reading »

Light to the nations

Yahweh’s Servant will be set up as a light to the nations to bring salvation to the ends of the earth (49:6). Sounds nice. What does it look like? The chiastically arranged verse 7 tells us: A. Yahweh, Redeemer of Israel, Holy One B. To the despised/abhorred One C. To Servant of rulers . . . . Continue Reading »

Poetry of Isaiah 49:17

In Isaiah 47:17 Yahweh assures Zion that He has not forgotten her, but will disburse her enemies and gather her children. The verse is wonderfully musical. The first and last words of the verse are plural verbs ending in “oo”: meharu and yetz’u . The two words are not only . . . . Continue Reading »

A noble tradition

Holmes ( God of Grace and God of Glory: An Account of the Theology of Jonathan Edwards , x)) considers the Reformed tradition a “noble” tradition. But in his view it is not so in contemporary England where “the title ‘Reformed’ too often refers to a theology and church . . . . Continue Reading »