Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
The chronology of the Kings of Judah and Israel can be divided into three periods with clearly defined boundaries. The first period begins with the death of Solomon and the accessions of Rehoboam in the south (Judah) and Jeroboam in the north (Israel). It ends with the deaths of Ahaziah…
Most modern people regard the arts as essentially decorative. They are hardly very important, as compared to business, politics, or religion. Yet, from a Biblical point of view, the arts lie close to the heart of human life. The universe that God created is itself an artistic masterpiece by the…
Before we move into a detailed survey of the history and chronology of the kings of Israel and Judah, let us review the chronological information that leads from creation to the kingdom. This will be helpful both to new readers of these essays, and a reminder for those who have…
We have completed our overall survey of Biblical chronology, and now turn to a detailed examination of the Biblical information regarding the chronology of Israel’s kings. The first piece of chronological information we have regarding Israel’s kings is very cryptic, and it serves as an guide to the interpretation of…
Jonathan Z. Smith, To Take Place: Toward Theory in Ritual (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987). Reviewed by Peter J. Leithart. The philosophes of the 18th century often attacked Christendom using the tools of anthropology and comparative religion. Rousseau contrasted the idyllic equality of primitive, natural peoples with the bondage…
Valerie I. J. Flint, The Rise of Magic in Early Medieval Europe (Princeton University Press, 1991). Reviewed by Peter J. Leithart. Valerie I. J. Flint, Professor of History at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, is refreshingly candid about her reasons for undertaking a study of The Rise of Magic…
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Amos Funkenstein observes ( Perceptions of Jewish History , 11-12) that “To ancient or primitive societies, in which antiquity or a long pedigree makes for a true aristocracy, youth is a sign of inferiority, and a memory of youth calls for compensatory elements, all the more so if this memory…
Unclean spirits are conspicuous by their absence in the Old Testament, but the one direct reference gives us a clue to their activities. The Lord promises to open a fountain to cleanse the house of David and the city of Jerusalem, and adds “I will also remove the prophets and…
In a classic essay on the defiling force of sin in Studies in Sin and Atonement (258-9), A. Buchler observes that David asks twice for Yahweh to wash Him in Psalm 51 (vv. 4, 9). The reason has to do with the ritual background to David’s plea for cleansing. When…
In his excellent contribution to The Second Vatican Council , Paul Murray makes a crucial distinction between ecumenical optimism and Christian hope. Optimism, he argues, is “reality-denial,” an assurance that “things are not really bad as they might seem and will all inevitably work out well,” while hope “takes reality…
Tim Nichols describes local ecumenism in Englewood, Colorado, at the Trinity House site .
The prophets promise that a new David will arise to reign over a united kingdom. Judah and Israel will be bound back together under a single king. That sounds like a prophetic extension of David’s story, but in fact it’s something more like a simple repetition. David was first anointed…
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