In his Grace and Christology in the Early Church (Oxford Early Christian Studies) , Douglas Fairbairn argues that the Christololgical debates of the fifth century were also debates about the nature of grace. Is grace only an assisting power that enables us to cooperate with God (Nestorian) or . . . . Continue Reading »
The first cutting of flesh took place in the flood (Genesis 9:11). The second was the cutting of flesh in circumcision (Genesis 17:14), particularly the cutting off of those who refuse to cut the flesh. Circumcision is a sign of the division of the human race, its cutting into Jew and Gentile. . . . . Continue Reading »
Why is the creation account in Genesis 1:1-2:3 outside the toledothic structure of the book as a whole? The reason is bound up with the meaning of “toledoth.” Rooted in the word for “beget,” it means “the begettings of” or “the product . . . . Continue Reading »
A stab at discerning a pattern in the Genesis toledoth sections: Creation, 1:1-2:3 1. Generations of heaven and earth, 2:4-4:26 (beginnings, along with fall in Eden and Cain’s fratricide) 2. Generations of Adam, 5:1-6:8 (genealogy with ages) 3. Generations of Noah, 6:9-9:29 (lengthy . . . . Continue Reading »
Genesis 10 is a fascinating passage, full of tantalizing tidbits of ancient history and of intersections between the biblical record and ancient mythology and history. Japhet is the Hebrew equivalent of Iapetus, one of the Titans in Homer and Hesiod, son of Ouranos and Gaia. One of . . . . Continue Reading »
Cain’s descendants build cities, develop metallurgy and music, tame flocks. Seth’s descendants have nothing but dates and numbers. That is to say: Cain has all the stuff, but time belongs to Seth. . . . . Continue Reading »
Here’s a sketchy, general structural analysis of Genesis 4. A. Adam knows Eve, vv 1-2 (Cain born/Abel born//Abel flocks/Cain ground) B. Cain and Abel, vv 3-16 C. Cain knows wife, v 17-18 B’. Lamech, vv 19-24 A’. Adam knows Eve, vv 25-26 B breaks down as follows: A. Offerings to . . . . Continue Reading »
In a long and penetrating review of Martin Amis’s The Pregnant Widow in a recent issue of TNR (July 22). It’s more a review of Amis’s entire career and corpus, and along the way William Deresiewicz borrows a distinction from Michael Wood between “style” and . . . . Continue Reading »
INTRODUCTION Is the Reformation dead? Leading Protestants have asked the question in recent years, and other leading Protestants have answered the question by converting to Rome or Orthodoxy. We believe the answer is No. On the other hand: Living things grow and change. THE TEXT . . . . Continue Reading »
Exodus 12:25-27: It will come to pass when you come to the land which the LORD will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. And it shall be, when your children say to you, What do you mean by this service? that you shall say, It is the Passover . . . . Continue Reading »
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