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Writing

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

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Eucharist

The Epiclesis in Reformed Eucharistic Prayer, (Part 1)

What happens at the Table of the Lord? If Christ is really present, then how is this so? The witness of the Church throughout history has been that Christ is present in the Eucharist through the operation of the Holy Spirit, and in the practice of the Church, prayers at…

by Christopher KouOctober 11, 2016
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Spiritual Warfare

Enemies and Victims

In the power of the Spirit, the gospel forms a society in which there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, a society that is characterized by unity, long-suffering, patience; love. The gospel forms a culture whose participants do not steal but labor and give, who are not angry…

by Peter LeithartOctober 6, 2016
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Mark

Sovereignty and Self-Gift

At the 1997 Biblical Horizons Summer Conference, the Rev. Jeffrey Meyers presented a series of remarkable lectures on the gospel of Mark. Among his many insightful comments, he suggested that the second gospel continues where the first gospel ends; Matthew ends with Jesus saying "Go" (Matthew 28:19), and Mark’s shows…

by Peter LeithartOctober 4, 2016
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Art

Birmingham Life and Culture Series: Joseph Bottum

On October 25 at Avondale Brewery , Theopolis will be co-sponsoring the 2nd Annual Birmingham Life and Culture Series. This year's event will feature author Joseph Bottum. Joseph is known for his writings on literary criticism, religion, and his short stories. Essayist and reviewer Mary Eberstadt has said that "his…

by Brian MoatsSeptember 29, 2016
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Biblical Studies

Are Not All These Galileans?

One of the curiosities of the New Testament revelation is its focus on Galilee. The region of Galilee was given to Asher, Zebulun, Naphtali, and Issachar, and the events of Judges 4-8 occurred there, so it had some importance in Israelite history. But when the tribe of Ephraim led the…

by James B. JordanSeptember 29, 2016
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Hermeneutics

Hero's Theme

In a recent post , Ian Paul discusses the practice of allegorical interpretation, reflecting in particular upon a conversation he had with someone concerning the reading of the story of Rahab. Paul’s interlocutor argued strongly for an allegorical reading of the Rahab story, writing: “Joshua is a type of Christ…

by Alastair RobertsSeptember 27, 2016

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Context, context

Reader Chris Jones rebuked me, rightly, for putting up Dana Milbank’s version of an Obama quote and accusing him of a Messiah complex. Here’s a fuller version of the quotation, which makes it clear that Obama was actually saying the enthusiasm was about America’s importance and not his own: “It…

July 31, 2008

HBC

Alvin Plantinga has great fun skewering HBC - “historical biblical criticism” - in an essay in Behind the Text . He notes that critics lament that Christians go on as if HBC never happened, and asks if the advocates of HBC have given Christians reason to do otherwise. He concludes…

July 30, 2008

Messiah complex

Dana Milbank reports that Obama told a House delegation yesterday: “This is the moment . . . that the world is waiting for,” adding: “I have become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions.” Yes, indeed, a return to American tradition, particularly the American tradition…

July 30, 2008
History

Latitude Men

Rivers (volume 1 of Reason, Grace, and Sentiment ) gives a sympathetic portrayal of the post-Restoration latitudinarians. She cites Gilbert Burnet’s history several times. According to Burnet, the latitude-men “and those who were formed under them, studied to examine farther into the nature of things than had been done formerly.…

July 29, 2008

Berkeley on Priests

In Berkeley, the freethinkers had an opponent at least as smart and witty. In an essay in the Guardian , Berkeley’s character, Ulysses Cosmopolita sees a vision: “I saw a great castle with a fortification cast round it, and a tower adjoining to it that through the windows appeared to…

July 29, 2008
Uncategorized

Freethinkers and Priests

Isabel Rivers (Volume 2 of Reason, Grace, and Sentiment ) has a superb summary of the freethinkers’ account of the corruption of religion. In its origins, religion was “plain, easy, true” and was rooted in and expressed “nature.” But this was diverted “by priests, who, motivated by greed and playing…

July 29, 2008

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