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).

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City of Cain

From Leithart

Girard says that “the Bible unveils the victim mechanism that lies behind polytheism and mythology, but not only behind polytheism and mythology, for its full expression underlies everything we know as human culture. The Bible recognizes this in the story of Cain and Abel. Because Cain . . . . Continue Reading »

Real Hellenist Stand Up

From Leithart

During much of the modern period, the development of Trinitarian theology has been seen as a “Hellenization” of the original Christian faith. Harnack for instance, “asserts that Logos Christianity, the Nicene dogma of the Trinity, and the Chalcedonian dogma of Christ are the . . . . Continue Reading »

NC Rivalry

From Leithart

Over at the Books & Culture online magazine, Jason Byassee of the Christian Century - and a Duke PhD - lists some of the best lines from Will Blythe’s To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever: A Thoroughly Obsessive, Intermittently Uplifting, and Occasionally Unbiased Account of the . . . . Continue Reading »

On Trinitarian Revivals

From Leithart

Lewis Ayres offers some important historical perspective to the claim that there has been a Trinitarian revival in the last several decades: “it is important to notice that claims for a revival of Trinitarian theology have been made in a number of circles since the early nineteenth century in . . . . Continue Reading »

Divine energies

From Leithart

Lossky summarizes the problem for which the doctrine of divine energies is the solution as follows: “If we were able tat a given moment to be united to the very essence of God and to participate in it in the very least degree, we should not at the moment be what we are, we should be God by . . . . Continue Reading »

Sermon notes

From Leithart

INTRODUCTION Jesus’ final exhortations anticipate the eschatological discourse of chapters 24-25. Jesus is warning Israel that the only way her house – i.e., the temple – can survive is by hearing and keeping His words. By the time we get to chapter 24, it’s too late. Israel . . . . Continue Reading »

Eucharistic meditation

From Leithart

Matthew 7:9-11: Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to . . . . Continue Reading »

Baptismal meditation

From Leithart

Matthew 7:7: Ask and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened. In this final section of the sermon, Jesus warns us not to give holy things or precious . . . . Continue Reading »

Eucharistic meditation

From Leithart

Last week’s, also delayed because of internet troubles. Matthew 6:26: Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? Jesus addresses worry and anxiety about daily necessities . . . . Continue Reading »

Baptismal meditation

From Leithart

From last Sunday, delayed due to interruption of Internet service. Matthew 6:24: No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Today’s sermon was about wealth, . . . . Continue Reading »