Peter J. Leithart

Carlotta Gall spent 12 years in Afghanistan, and spent much of her time investigating the sources of the Taliban resurgence. She traced it back to Pakistan, and discovered that the Pakistani intelligence service (ISI) was secretly supportive of both the Taliban and al Quaeda.Gall writes, . . . . Continue Reading »

Gall again, reporting on Pakistan’s cozy relationship with bin Laden:She found evidence of “regular correspondence between Bin Laden and a string of militant leaders who must have known he was living in Pakistan, including Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a . . . . Continue Reading »

Jesus searches the entrails and hearts of His people (Revelation 2:23), but then judges everyone “according to your deeds” (erga).Why does He need the internal inspection when he’s going to judge by behavior in the last instance?That question highlights what might be called one . . . . Continue Reading »

Carol Wilson’s For I Was Hungry and You Gave Me Foodis a well-researched and illuminating piece of social-scientific scholarship on the New Testament.Picking up on recent work that places Matthew’s gospel in a Greco-Roman imperial context (e.g., Warren Carter), Wilson focuses . . . . Continue Reading »

Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10). That means He cares for His flock, leading them to pasture and water (Psalm 23; 1 Peter 5:2; Revelation 7:17). The Good Shepherd is a gentle, nurturing shepherd.Also a shattering shepherd. Jesus shepherds (poimaino) with an iron rod, suitable for smashing and . . . . Continue Reading »

Revelation 3:1-2 is organized in a new chiasm:A. Thus saith He who has seven Spirits, even the seven starsB. I know your deeds (erga)C. You have a name that you are alive, but you are deadD. Wake up and strength the remainderC’. Which is about to dieB.’ for I have not found your deeds . . . . Continue Reading »

Psalm 26 is a chiastic text:A. I have walked with integrity and truth, vv 1-3 (Yahweh 3x)B. I don’t sit with the deceifful or wicked, vv 4-5C. I wash in innocence, process around the altar, love Yahweh’s house, vv 6-8 (Yahweh 2x)B’. Do not take me away with wicked, vv 9-10A’. . . . . Continue Reading »

Jesus’ message to Sardis uses the word “name” (onoma) four times, first in the sense of “reputation” (Revelation 3:1), then as a stand-in for person (v. 2), and finally twice in Jesus’ promise to those who keep up with their laundry (v. 5).We have the odd . . . . Continue Reading »

Peter Winch argues that any comparison of social realities across cultures is self-contradictory (The Idea of a Social Science, 108).We say X is a social fact, that it is what it is only because of the way social actors use and evaluate it. The “natives” deny that X is anything like what . . . . Continue Reading »

Bard Eirik Hallesby Norheim summarizes what Practicing Baptismmeans.It is “about letting oneself to be made a receiver, a beggar over and over again (204).It is about renunciation, the call to give up our lives to gain them (205).Baptism is practiced well only if it is practiced as . . . . Continue Reading »