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Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.

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Biblical Theology

The Creator in Creation, (Part 2)

This is the second of a three-part study of Genesis 1. 1:3-5 – Light In God’s final actions of the first day, that He addresses the problem of darkness. In evaluating God’s giving of light, we should evaluate the order of events of His creative activity on the first day.…

by Andrew BittnerOctober 15, 2013
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Creation

The Creator in Creation, (Part 1)

“In the beginning God created…” With these words, God begins His self-revelation. We first catch God in the act of creation, and in so doing are ourselves caught up into the dramatic exposition of the Divine Life. To witness the Theo-Drama of the Creator is not an entry into the…

by Andrew BittnerOctober 14, 2013
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Exodus

Boiling Kids

In order for Exodus 23:19b (“you shall not boil a kid in his mother’s milk”) to be interpreted properly it must be situated in its biblical context, which necessitates a proper understanding of Exodus 24:1-11. It is the primary contention of this paper that it is only through the lens…

by Jacob SkogenOctober 9, 2013
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Theopolis News

Constantine Conference

Trinity House President Peter Leithart will deliver a paper on "Constantine the Pious" this week at an international symposium sponsored by the Universitatea Babes-Bolyai in Cluj-Napoca , Romania.

by Peter LeithartOctober 8, 2013
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Isaiah

Branch and Root

Through the prophet Isaiah, Yahweh threatens to send Assyria to Judah and Israel. He will swing Assyria as an ax to lop down the proud trees of Judah (10:33-34). He is going to lop off the branches of the trees, and cut down the tall trees. Trees are people, and…

by Peter LeithartOctober 7, 2013
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Theopolis News

Constantine Conference

Peter Leithart, President of Trinity House, will deliver a lecture a a conference on "Constantine: Religious Faith and Imperial Policy," which will be held October 4-5 at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. The conference is co-sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Center of Hellenic Studies at Richard Stockton and the Orthodox…

by Peter LeithartOctober 4, 2013

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De-Priesting, Re-Priesting

When Aaron and his sons were ordained, they were washed, vested, and anointed (Leviticus 8:6-9). When Aaron approached the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement, he puts on linen clothes and washes (16:4). There is no anointing, he removes the garments of glory. The ordination rite goes in…

February 19, 2014

Faith, Not Sight

Faith is the discernment of things unseen. Faith looks for a city yet to come, not made with hands. To any visible arrangement of things, faith stands with Faust in his refusal of “Stay, you are so fair.” Faith says to every human construction, “Good, but not it .” Faith’s…

February 19, 2014

Incinerating enemies

In a contribution to Ancient Mediterranean Sacrifice , David Frankfurter analyzes several contexts of Egyptian religion on the way to a critique of the whole category of “sacrifice.” In some of these contexts, no animals were slaughtered; no violence done. In some contexts, though, animals were killed. He elaborates on…

February 18, 2014

Symbolic rites

Jonathan Klawans asserts in an essay in Ancient Mediterranean Sacrifice that “symbolic action was an undeniably central feature of ancient Israelite culture” (114). As evidence, he points to passages in the Hebrew Bible that highlight the memorial function of rituals. Passover, Sukkot, Sabbath, circumcision, phylacteries are all presents as communicative…

February 18, 2014

Sacrifice or Silence

In his treatise On Abstinence from Killing Animals , Porphyry states a principle of philosophical sacrifice: Different strokes for different deities. For “intelligible gods,” the best worship is “hymn-singing in words,” since “sacrifice is an offering to each god from what he has given, with which he sustains us and…

February 18, 2014

Backfire

John Steven explains at Slate why the ceasefire in South Sudan, like many ceasefires, could well backfire” “The cease-fire is making it worse. Indeed, this uncomfortable truth isn’t even unique to South Sudan. Cease-fires almost always make a conflict worse, delaying political deals, prolonging the killing, and ensuring that the…

February 18, 2014

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