Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
In the Bible, all the world is a stage, but like the Tabernacle, that stage moves around a lot. David’s defeat of Goliath can only be fully understood as liturgy fulfilled in history. Liturgy, as a sacrifice of praise, is the step-by-step process of resolving a conflict. It relinquishes all…
Aristotle isn’t fundamentally wrong about friendship, nor is the long tradition that follows him. But you might not gather that by reading some of the more pointed critics of the classical conception of friendship. I think, however, that the classical view is not only viable but taken up and fulfilled…
#13 in Theopolis Papers, Seeking Integration in a Fragmented World It is time for me to “cast off” integration, the way a knitter removes a completed scarf from the needles. I want to bring my quest concerning integration to a decent closure, though my happy quest for reality continues. With…
Below are some notes on a particular sub-theme of Daniel 3, namely the downfall of Babylon’s liturgy. First up, a few words on our text’s literary construction. One of the most conspicuous features of Dan. 3 is its author’s love of lists . Personnel are listed (vs. 2, 3, 27),…
Few things in Scripture, few things in the Christian life, are more familiar than the Lord’s Prayer. Sunday after Sunday, we pray these words together with our brothers and sisters. At home, alone or with our families, we pray this prayer daily, as Jesus taught us (Luke 11:2: “When you…
At the 2019 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America, the denominational delegates considered a number of official overtures (requests for action from the regional parts of the denomination) relating to issues of gender and sexuality. The PCA is conservative. As evidence of this, the assembly passed a resolution…
Showing page 76 of 309
Showing page 37 of 43
Richard A. Burridge, Four Gospels, One Jesus? (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994). Richard Burridge, dean of King’s College, London, has produced an insightful and very accessible introduction to the gospels. The book is straightforwardly organized: After an introduction that treats the various forms of modern New Testament criticism, he offers a…
I found several reviews (and partial reviews) of articles and books on my hard drive, and will post them here. Some of them were posted on a now-defunct web site, so this will make them available on the web, for those who know that this site exists! John Milbank, “The…
Teaching on Basil’s treatise On the Holy Spirit this year, I was impressed again with this wonderful treatise. Some quotations, from the St Vladimir’s edition: On the cosmic role of the Spirit: All things thirsting for holiness turn to Him; everything living in virtue never turns away from Him. He…
In 1 Samuel 12, Samuel gives his farewell speech to the people. He claims that he has not abused his position in any way, and asks the people to confirm this, citing Yahweh and “His anointed” as witnesses in his defense. Who is the “anointed”? Clearly, it is someone distinct…
Sermon Notes for August 31, 2003 Jubilee, Luke 4:1-44 INTRODUCTION At His baptism, Jesus is filled with the Spirit (Luke 3:21-22). As any Jew would know, the next thing that’s going to happen is a battle. Depend on it: When the Spirit comes, somebody’s gonna get hurt. Like Othniel (Judges…
Robert C. Tannehill’s 2-volume work, The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts , is full of sharp insights. At least that’s true of the bit I’ve read. He points out, for example, the basic structural device of using prophetic quotations and long speeches to introduce each of the major figures in his…
Showing page 2207 of 2212
Your weekly digest for all things Theopolis.
