Peter J. Leithart

I wrote this early this morning and forgot to press “Publish,” First Things posted an exchange between Christian Smith and me on the topic of biblicisim: http://www.firstthings.com/ . . . . Continue Reading »

Garments cover nakedness for the Laodiceans (Revelation 3:18). The only other place in the book where garments and nakedness are mentioned together is 16:15, where Jesus warns that He is coming like a thief and will surprise the sleeping and those who are found naked. The Laodiceans buy garments in . . . . Continue Reading »

The Laodiceans are invited to buy gold, garments, and ointment, preparations for a wedding. They are also invited to buy the equipment to rule. White raiment is worn by the elders who sit enthroned in heaven at the beginning of Revelation. They are also wearing gold crowns (Revelation 4:4). The . . . . Continue Reading »

Jesus tells the church at Laodicea to go shopping (Revelation 3:18). They’re supposed to buy purified gold, white clothing to cover their nakedness, and eye salve to anoint their eyes. Why these particular items? Because they are the necessaries as Laodicea prepares to be the bride for the . . . . Continue Reading »

“Biblicist” is a fighting word. It’s what Catholics call “bibliolatrous” Protestants, what liberal Protestants used to call Fundamentalists, and what moderate Evangelicals like to call immoderate Evangelicals. It is a word more bandied than explained. One of the strengths of Christian Smith’s recent The Bible Made Impossible: Why Biblicism Is Not a Truly Evangelical Reading of Scripture (Brazos, 2011) is his precision in identifying the object of his attack… . Continue Reading »

Fairbairn gets patristic interpretation exactly right: He admits they were “overly exuberant,” but argues that they were excessively excited about the right thing: “They correctly understood that the key to good interpretation is discerning the whole message of Scripture well, and . . . . Continue Reading »

Donald Fairbairn’s Life in the Trinity: An Introduction to Theology with the Help of the Church Fathers is superb in many respects. He shows the intimate connection between theology proper and soteriology (theology and economy) in the church fathers and urges contemporary Christians to learn . . . . Continue Reading »

Isaiah says more about the uniqueness of God than any other Old Testament writer (especially Isaiah 43-45). Why did Yahweh wait so long to say this? Did he perhaps have to set up empires, deliver His people into exile, and then send them back before He could persuade the world that there was One . . . . Continue Reading »

Gregory of Nazianzus again. He argues that “unbegotten-begotten” point to personal characteristics rather than substance, what Augustine later distinguishes with “substance” and “relation.” In the course of the argument, he makes two puzzling provocative . . . . Continue Reading »

Gregory of Nazianzus has this clever little argument for the equality of Father and Son in the Third Theological Oration. He responds to the Arian argument that Augustine also deals with: a) God is simple, and has no accidents; b) therefore, every statement about God speaks of substance; c) since . . . . Continue Reading »