Peter J. Leithart is President of the Theopolis Institute, Birmingham, Alabama, and an adjunct Senior Fellow at New St. Andrews College. He is author, most recently, of Gratitude: An Intellectual History (Baylor).

RSS Feed

Defining Modernity

From Leithart

Hart again: “a society is truly modern to the extent that it is post-Christian.” That is, “modernity is not simply a ‘postreligious’ condition; it is the state of a society that has been specifically a Christian society but has ‘lost the faith.’ The ethical . . . . Continue Reading »

Hospitals

From Leithart

In his new book, Atheist Delusion s, David Bentley Hart calls attention to the role of the church in providing medical care during the middle ages: “in the diakoniai of Constantinople, for centures, many rich members of the laity labored to care for the poor and ill, bathing the sick, . . . . Continue Reading »

Empire of Bases

From Leithart

Chalmers Johnson ( Sorrows of American Empire , and author of Blowback ) describes the American empire as an “empire of military bases”: “As of September 2001, the Department of Defense acknowledged at least 725 American military bases existed outside the United States. Actually, . . . . Continue Reading »

Populist ricochet

From Leithart

Ross Douthat writes, “If the Western leadership class survives the current crisis, after all, the lesson they’re going to draw from it is relatively simple: We must never let this happen again . And while that impulse could be a spur to greater decentralization and democratization, . . . . Continue Reading »

Calvin on Constantine

From Leithart

Calvin refers to Constantine only a handful of times in the Institutes , mainly in connection with the Donation. At one point, though, he comments him for restraining the intemperance of fourth-century churchmen (4.9.10): “when the primary article of our faith was there in peril, and Arius, . . . . Continue Reading »

AIG again

From Leithart

Jim Rogers of Texas A&M responds to Charles Krauthammer’s argument that the Congressional response to the AIG bonuses are unconstitutional (posted here last weekend): “I agree that Congress’s action w.r.t. the AIG bonuses is bad policy. I’m always baffled by the need to . . . . Continue Reading »

Why women?

From Leithart

Why are women the first witnesses to the resurrection. Psalm 68:11-12 might provide a clue: “The Lord gives the command; the women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host. Kings of armies flee, they flee, and she who remains at home will divide the spoil!” Women announce the good . . . . Continue Reading »

Logos Software

From Leithart

The folks at Logos Bible Software have included a number of my books in their software. You can get more information here: http://www.logos.com/products/prepub/details/4582 I’m told that now is a good time to order, since “pre-order prices often rise as we get closer to . . . . Continue Reading »

Sermon notes, Fifth Sunday in Lent

From Leithart

These notes depend a great deal on NT Wright’s Tyndale Commentary on Colossians. INTRODUCTION On the cross, Jesus bore our sins so that we are delivered from sin and eternal death. But the effect of the cross is broader than this. According to Paul, it has cosmic effects. Nothing is the same . . . . Continue Reading »

Baptismal meditation

From Leithart

Isaiah 11:9: They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. This well-known passage is part of Isaiah’s great prophecy about the Spirit-filled Branch from the stem of Jesse, the Davidic King who is . . . . Continue Reading »