Peter J. Leithart

Bacon distinguishes three “grades of ambition in mankind.”  First, there is the ambition to exert power over one’s native country, but this is  a “vulgar and degenerate” ambition.  More dignity is evident in “those who labor to extend the power of . . . . Continue Reading »

The Vatican II document Gaudium et spes includes this packed summary of Trinitarian and anthropological self-gift: “the Lord Jesus, when he prays to the Father, ‘that all may be one . . . as we are one’ (Jn 17:21-22) and thus offers vistas closed to human reason, indicates a . . . . Continue Reading »

Ephesians 4:8: When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men. How do we reach maturity in Christ?  Paul gives us a clue when he quotes from Psalm 68, a Psalm of ascension.  The Psalm begins as a plea for the Lord fight for David.  He calls on . . . . Continue Reading »

“Fullness” is a key word in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.  The Lord has made known the mystery of His will in a way “suitable to the fullness of the times” (1:10).  Christ is exalted above every name, and about all rule and authority, and is head over the . . . . Continue Reading »

“Be wise as serpents,” Jesus says.  How? The first wise serpent in the Bible is a deceiver.  Is Jesus encouraging His disciples to use deception to protect themselves?  In part, the answer is qualified Yes.  Jesus wants us to let our Yes be Yes, and our No No. . . . . Continue Reading »

What does Paul mean in Ephesians 1:23 when he describes the church as the fullness of Christ?  Does it mean that the church is completed and filled up by Christ, or does it mean that Christ is completed and filled up by the church? Certainly the first.  But the second is also true. . . . . Continue Reading »

Gnostics used the term pleroma , fullness, to describe the realm of emanations from the high God, the realm of perfection and life. Paul had pre-refuted this later development by giving pleroma an earthly address and a history.  The body, He says, is the pleroma of Chrit (Ephesians 1:23), and . . . . Continue Reading »

PROVERBS 28:12 The proverb is structured in parallel: In the triumph of the righteous Much glory But in the rising of the wicked Hide men. “Triumph” doesn’t quite capture the force of the Hebrew verb ‘alatz .  It is used only a handful of times in the Hebrew Bible.  . . . . Continue Reading »

A summary of Part IV of Milbank’s book. Milbank argues that a proper theological response to postmodernism must be discriminating.  He accepts the postmodern critique of “substance,” and thinks that Christianity can get along without employing this notion.  But other . . . . Continue Reading »

A summary of some arguments from Part II of Milbank’s book.It is important to Milbank’s approach that he does not treat sociology as a “discipline” but as a worldview, philosophical standpoint, or theological perspective. He calls it a theology and a church in disguise, . . . . Continue Reading »