Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
This essay is adapted from my articles in Theopolis’s In Medias Res as a series of Holy Week meditations. Like many celebrities such as Kanye or Beyoncé or Adele, Josquin des Prez (d. 1521) was often known only by his first name, in his own time as now. “Josquin” is…
Sight is a major theme in the scriptures. The church has long identified sight’s relationship to the future fulfillment of the eschaton. As Paul says, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face” (1 Cor 13.12). Sight is associated with…
What is the chief end of man? —yes, to glorify God and enjoy him forever. But how ought man–and all creation–so glorify him? I propose a Theopolitan addition to the catechism, question and answer number 1.5, begun in the last question and answered as follows: Earth’s inhabitants were created to…
Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words. Genesis 49:21 Frederick Buechner once said, “We move into the extraordinary by way of the ordinary.” In poetry, this happens by way of a compressed code of analogs; often, two or more very ordinary things begin to reveal something that…
The evangelical milieu of America has often lost a vision of the fruit of repentance. We tend to simplify repentance by asking for forgiveness. After all, Jesus tells Peter to forgive 70 times 7. This verse must be paired with Paul’s scoffing at the question: why not sin more so…
I. The hemorrhaging woman. En route to Jairus’ house, Jesus is touched by a woman with a hemorrhage of blood (Matt 9:18–26; Mk 5:21–34; Lk 8:40–48). The story is one that many of us know very well. She has been yoked to her illness for twelve years, all of her…
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Micah 6:5: My people, remember now . . . from Shittim to Gilgal, in order that you might know the righteous acts of Yahweh. We’ve seen this morning that Micah is presenting the covenant lawsuit against the people of Israel and Judah. He is bringing Yahweh’s indictment, his “case” against…
Last Sunday was the Christian feast of Epiphany, which commemorates the visit of the magi to worship Jesus. The word “epiphany” means “manifestation,” and the theme of this season is Jesus’ manifestation to the world. Jesus comes as the seed of Abraham, but He also comes, as Simeon said, as…
According to a National Academy of Sciences survey, twice as many mathematicians believe in God as biologists. And a large proportion of mathematicians are self-conscious Platonists.
In his recent history of neoconservatism, Jacob Heilbrun, a one-time neocon himself, points out that neoconservatism is not only a movement populated by Jews but one whose main agenda and interests are influenced deeply by Judaism. In the NYT book review, Timothy Noah says, in part: “To be neoconservative is…
In Luke 24:49, Jesus says that the disciples should expect the coming of the promise of the Father. This is clearly a reference to the Holy Spirit, but the terminology is interesting. Augustine said that the Spirit is both “Gift” and “Love,” and Luke 24 adds “Promise.” And since it’s…
“Violence” has been inflated dramatically in recent social and political rhetoric. It can refer to everything from a mugging to a classification system that excludes some marginal group. But there is some biblical ground for seeing violence even where there’s not blood. Micah condemns the rich men of Jerusalem for…
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