Peter J. Leithart

Lewis Mumford writes of the medieval organization of space: “The highest object in the city was the church spire which pointed toward heaven and dominated all the lesser buildings, as the church dominated their hopes and fears. Space was divided arbitrarily to represent the seven virtues or . . . . Continue Reading »

According to Heidegger’s essay on modern science, Newton’s theory of motion implied eight fundamental metaphysical shifts. First, because Newton’s theories applied to “every body,” the traditional distinction of heavenly and earthly bodies, and heavenly and earthy . . . . Continue Reading »

On Day 3, Yahweh gathers the sea and dry land appears. But the language of Genesis 1:9-10 concerning the “gathering” of seas is odd. IN verse 9, the verb most frequently means “wait” or “look for” (Genesis 49:18; Job 3:9; Psalm 25:3, 5, 21; 27:14; 37:9, 34; . . . . Continue Reading »

We must support our ally Egypt, the cry goes up. ” I stand ready to assist President Obama in the pursuit of a policy that defends our invaluable ally; and advances Egyptians’ inalienable, peaceful aspirations,” says an email message from Rep. Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan. And . . . . Continue Reading »

John tells us that his last book is an “unveiling” of Jesus Christ. But only a few verses later, there is Jesus in all His glory, unveiled. Short book. But then the book goes on for another 20 chapters, after Jesus has been unveiled. Maybe the unveiling is an unveiling of what the . . . . Continue Reading »

Romans 2:5 warns the wicked that by their stubbornness and impenitence, they are treasuring up wrath for the day of wrath and apocalypse of God’s judgment. That “apocalypse” is important. An apocalypse is an advent, but more importantly an unveiling. It discloses what has been the . . . . Continue Reading »

We are what we will be. We are what the Father will make of us in His Son and by His Spirit. So too the creation is what it will be. Biblical ontology is an ontology of promise. That is: a) Being is conferred from outside; b) being is temporal/eschatological; c) being is personally gifted. . . . . Continue Reading »

Muir again: “Images . . . ate up pious resources that could better be spent in assisting the poor, whom Zwingli described as the true ‘image’ of God. The hope of reformers such as Zwingli was that the assets devoted to paying for religious images, endowing perpetual masses, and . . . . Continue Reading »

The Spanish brought Christian rituals to the Indians, and teh Indians taught Christians a thing or two as well. Columbus discovered that the Indians fasted and abstained from sex before searching for gold, and Columbus imposed the same purification rites on his men. Indians adopted Christians . . . . Continue Reading »

Say what you will about the medievals, they had the courage of their convictions. The Son of God became man? Well, then, he had to become man from head to toe, and have a penis like other men. Edward Muir ( Ritual in Early Modern Europe (New Approaches to European History) ) writes: “in . . . . Continue Reading »