Good kings should imitate Constantine by preserving true religion and suppressing heresy and schism, argues Jacques Bossuet in his 1679 treatise on Politics Drawn from the Very Words of Holy Scripture(206).Heresy and schism are easy to identify, he thinks. Antiquity is the mark of true religion, . . . . Continue Reading »
CS Lewis insists in The Problem of Painthat not only is love not mere kindness, but that kindness is “the opposite pole from love.”Kindness “cares not whether its object becomes good or bad, provided only that it escapes suffering.” Love, by contrast, “demands the . . . . Continue Reading »
Wolterstorff points out (Justice in Love, 71-2) that in Niebuhr’s thought “conflict among self-interested parties was always up front . . . when he thought about justice.” Conflict is the clue that one should “go with justice rather than love” because “lovee is . . . . Continue Reading »
Isaiah 59 ends with Yahweh’s pledge of covenant faithfulness (v. 21). “This is my covenant with them.” What is that covenant?Two things: Spirit and words. Yahweh’s Spirit is “upon you” (cf. Isaiah 11:2; 42:1) His words are “in your mouth.”Spirit and . . . . Continue Reading »
Isaiah 59:18 is neatly symmetrical:A. According to their deeds (gemulah), accordingly He repays (yeshallem) -B. wrath to adversaries,C. recompense (gemul) to enemies,B’. to coastlandsA’. He repays recompense (gemul yeshallem)The literary symmetry mimics the symmetry of the message, . . . . Continue Reading »
Isaiah 59:15b is a sharp turn in the chapter. It’s the first time Yahweh does something: He “sees,” and in Scripture when Yahweh sees He’s getting ready to act. Sight means inspection, surveillance, gathering of evidence. God sees in order to judge.What he sees . . . . Continue Reading »
Within current political discourse, “rights-talk” is individualist and liberal, while “responsibility” is communitarian. As Wolterstorff points out (Justice in Love,86-7), though, the concept of “rights” is as inherently social as the concept of . . . . Continue Reading »
“Presence” has been subjected to withering attacks for decades, but Antonio Lopez ( Gift and the Unity of Being , 23-8) wants to rescue it. In his description, though, presence is virtually the opposite of what postmodernism claims it is. To say that “being is presence” . . . . Continue Reading »
The aim of Jesus’ death and resurrection is to form the church. Jesus’ death and resurrection establish the foundation for a people conformed by the Spirit to the crucified and risen Lord, freed from the powers, united in one new man.The church is the final cause of the atonement. . . . . Continue Reading »
Isaiah 59:14 deftly sketches a portrait of a corrupted city. Judgement and righteousness are far away, and the reason is because of the way truth and uprightness is treated. When truth is spoken or done, it stumbles in the street, probably tripped. Uprightness doesn’t even get into the city: . . . . Continue Reading »
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