Peter J. Leithart

Borrowing from the Song of Songs, Isaiah describes Judah the Bride from head to foot.  He moves from head to heart to foot and back to head (1:5-6).  Four body parts are mentioned (3 different, with “head” used twice).  He is inspecting Judah to the four corners. Instead . . . . Continue Reading »

Isaiah begins with the charge that Yahweh’s “sons,” the people of Judah, have “rebelled” against Him.  The word is frequently used of political insurrection (1 Kings 12:19; 2 Kings 1:1; 3:5, 7; 8:20).  Judah has become a nation of insurrectionists against her . . . . Continue Reading »

Isaiah opens his prophecy with a call to heaven and earth to bear witness as Yahweh presents His case against Israel (1:2).  Heaven is called to “hear” and earth to “give ear,” a testimony of two witnesses. The same words in different combinations are found at the . . . . Continue Reading »

Ruth Benedict gave classic formulation to the contrast of shame and guilt cultures: “True shame cultures rely on external sanctions for good behavior, not, as true guilt cultures do, on an internalized conviction of sin.  Shame is a reaction to other people’s criticism.  A man . . . . Continue Reading »

In the Greek honor system, men prove themselves honorable and virtuous by defending women.  Explaining Achilles’ reaction to Agamemnon, Peter Walcot writes that “The law of reciprocity applies: when insulted or injured the man of honour must retaliate in at least equal measure if . . . . Continue Reading »

As you’ll notice on the right of the page, my survey of the gospels, a sequel of sorts to House for My Name , will be available in November.  You can check out the Amazon page by clicking on the cover icon. . . . . Continue Reading »

Gregory ( Against Eunomius , 3.3) insists that only a Trinitarian theology can truly affirm the goodness of God.  He assumes the Scriptural titles for the Son - light, truth, life, glory - and asks whether the Father could ever have been without these goods.  If He was once without the . . . . Continue Reading »

Gregory of Nyssa ( Against Eunomius , 1.15) attacks the notion that the Father has priority in time, and therefore in being, to the Son and Spirit.  Of course, Gregory eventually says that intervals of time have no application to God’s life, but before that he challenges the notion that . . . . Continue Reading »

Evelyn Waugh’s Helena (Loyola Classics) doesn’t get Constantine quite right, but he has some very sharp observations on other fourth-century personalities and events.  His description of the effect of Constantine’s conversion on Lactantius captures the euphoria of the moment: . . . . Continue Reading »

In the first volume of Jenson and Braaten’s Christian Dogmatics 2 Vol Set , Jenson highlights five features of Hellenistic religion, which he says also characterizes Greek philosophy.  Of course, for Jenson, the central issue is time. First, the crucial question is, “Can it be that . . . . Continue Reading »