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Ecclesiology

The Changing Face of Reformed Theology

Reformed theology has changed. And there seems to be no going back. It was in the year 1978 that a tectonic shift in the underlying structure of Reformed theology began with the publication of a small book. The changes were not only systematic, but also systemic—affecting all aspects of it.…

by Mani MarprelateAugust 31, 2017
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American Culture

The Alt-Right Meme

Since the term, “alt-right,” is being tossed about in the national media and is the subject of moral concern (or perhaps, moral panic), it might be good to identify what we’re talking about or at least admit the limitations of using nicknames to describe cultural shifts and voter behavior. Until…

by Mark HorneAugust 29, 2017
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How to Worship

Confession, Absolution, Kyrie

Confession Confession belongs at the beginning of the liturgy. We enter into God’s house, invited for a meal, and we need to clean up before we do that. Cleansing was a requirement for the priests of the OT before they entered the sanctuary to minister (Exodus 30:17-21). When Yahweh appeared…

by Peter LeithartAugust 24, 2017
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Biblical Theology

Sunrise

“And God made the two great lights; the greater light for the dominion of the day, and the lesser light for the dominion of the night; the stars also.” (Genesis 1:16, NASV) In Judges 5, verse 31, the prophetess Deborah prays, "let those who love Him be like the rising…

by James B. JordanAugust 22, 2017
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Chiasm

A Note on the Structure of Genesis 22, (Part 2)

In part 1 of this article we saw how various attempts to identify the underlying structure of Gen. 22:1-19 fell short and proposed a new structure for the passage. In part 2, we will look at how the sections of the chiasm relate and draw some conclusions from our investigation.…

by Kelly KerrAugust 17, 2017
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Chiasm

On the Structure of Genesis 22, (Part 1)

Chiastic structures abound in the book of Genesis. For example, the Flood narrative is one long chiasm, as is the life of Abraham. It is the contention of this brief study that Gen. 22:1-19, also known as the Aqedah, is another such passage. And this structure reveals a talented author…

by Kelly KerrAugust 15, 2017

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Translating Homer

Reviewing two new translations of the Iliad (by Peter Green and Barry Powell ), Hayden Pelliccia explores some of the challenges of translating Homer. It starts from the very beginning. Homer writes (in Greek word order): “Wrath sing, goddess, Peleus-son Achilles’, baneful, which hurled.” What's an English translator to do?…

October 13, 2017

Butler as Metaphor

The responses to the Nobel selection of Kazuo Ishiguro for the 2017 literature prize drew mixed, underwhelmed responses. Someone wrote that he wasn't awarded the prize for any recent books. The Paris Review , though, posted an old interview to celebrate. As readers of Ishiguro's novels would expect, the author…

October 13, 2017

The Real Proximity of God

In Introduction to Christianity , Joseph Ratzinger explains how the dogma of the Trinity emerged from early Christian experience. The apostles discovered that "in Jesus Christ one meets a man who at the same time knows and professes himself to be the Son of God. One finds God in the…

October 13, 2017
Augustine

Miniaturizing Sin

Peter Brown reviews of Sarah Ruden's new translation of Augustine's Confessions in this weeks New York Review of Books . I can't speak to the translation, but I can speak to the reviewer: Everything Peter Brown writes is worth reading. He comments on Ruden's decision to translate dominus as "master"…

October 13, 2017

Speech on the Cross

As we would expect, Rosenstock-Huessy assembles his grammatical material into a Cross. With the distinction of words and names in mind, we can see how Rosenstock-Huessy describes the function of speech in human life and society in a quadrilateral manner. He develops his point through a brief phenomenology of speech.…

October 12, 2017

Myths of Purity

Old Testament purity rules are badly understood, and a host of myths have surrounded them. Here I discuss three. Myth #1: Uncleanness is "dirtiness." Though there is some overlap between "dirt" and "impurity," the latter has a specific significance. If we take Mary Douglas's definition of dirt as “matter out…

October 12, 2017

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