The Rationality of Animal Sacrifice According to Maimonides

Last updated on: August 24, 2022 at 6:26 pm By Jordan Bennett

In the Guide for the Perplexed, Moses Maimonides, the most lauded of all Medieval Jewish philosophers, argues for the inherent rationality of ritual sacrifice, and does so by echoing a familiar sentiment that was common to at least one religious thinker who had come before him. Not unlike the early Antiochene Christian exegete Theodoret of Cyrus (see my previous post here), Maimonides saw the sacrificial system of the ancient Israelites as an institution established by God for the express purpose... Read more

The Purpose of Animal Sacrifice According to Theodoret

Last updated on: August 18, 2022 at 10:08 pm By Jordan Bennett

The ancient theologian and once bishop of Cyrus, Theodoret, begins his series of questions on Leviticus by making a rather confident theological assertion: “I suppose not even a fool would deny that God is without need.” [i] But if the Almighty does not require ritual supplication for His own supernatural benefit, then why establish the sacrificial system for the Israelites? Theodoret suggests the following: 1. He permitted the sacrifices already practiced to safeguard from unholy reverence. Those Israelites who... Read more

Gleanings in Origen’s Homilies on Leviticus

Last updated on: August 17, 2022 at 5:01 pm By Jordan Bennett

“In the Last Days, the Word of God, which was clothed with the flesh of Mary, proceeded into this world. What was seen in him was one thing; what was understood was something else…So also when the Word of God was brought to humans through the Prophets and the Lawgiver, it was not brought without proper clothing. For just as there it was covered with the veil of flesh, so here with the veil of the letter.” [i] In... Read more

Reflections on The Church in Dialogue Pt. 1

Last updated on: November 11, 2022 at 1:32 pm By Jordan Bennett

On this day, the faithful who live in Christ dwell by the river Chebar. They reside among the exiles, for they themselves suffer the same. Yet like the prophet Ezekiel, God’s presence is made known among them; He strengthens and guides them during their moment of disarray. The Bible’s description of Israel’s Babylonian captivity provides not just a historical account of calamity experienced by God’s chosen nation, but it also contributes a fitting metaphor concerning the current condition of... Read more

Dread Moses: The Prophet and Rastafari

Last updated on: August 17, 2022 at 2:35 pm By Jordan Bennett

On the third reverb and incense soaked track arising from The Congos’ revolutionary 1977 recording, Heart of the Congos, vocalist Cedric Myton laments the state of Africans in captivity. To him, and most, if not all, Rastas, the African diaspora is but a suffering group treading upon foreign soil; they are Jah’s children sitting by the rivers of Babylon. Myton and his bandmates are well aware of “where the black man stands,”[i] in the western world, but they do not... Read more

A Most Holy Herb: The Rastafari and Marijuana

Last updated on: August 17, 2022 at 2:35 pm By Jordan Bennett

Nearly all have seen the images, those of the late Jamaican icon, Bob Marley, smoking a mighty substance that was—for a time—bound to the realm of illegality. Indeed, the legendary reggae artist is well known today, not only for his exquisite discography, but also for his noted affinity for marijuana, and unique religious affiliation. In the words that follow, I shall conclude my brief trek into the scholarship concerning sacramental hallucinogens by focusing on the latter two of Marley’s aforementioned... Read more

Beyond the Amazon: Santo Daime and Ayahuasca

Last updated on: August 17, 2022 at 2:34 pm By Jordan Bennett

For some who seek to tear the veil between material reality and what lies beyond, a mere silent mind is of little value. To seize their heart’s desire, to break the surf of the ample oceanic nature of Being, a more potent remedy is required. Although it may seem rather contrary to the quest at hand, the use of visionary plants for sacramental purposes (i.e. entheogens) is a preferred avenue for part of the world’s religious adherents as they pursue... Read more

The Prophet As Mirror: Moses in the Baháʼí Faith

Last updated on: August 17, 2022 at 2:37 pm By Jordan Bennett

In my preceding post, I examined the role of the prophet Moses within the doctrine and literature of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the Israelite lawgiver maintains a place of lasting prominence among Mormons on account of his reputed heroic deeds and proximity to the transcendent. Therefore, to summarize the LDS perception of Moses rather quite succinctly is to simply echo the following description by Bruce R. McConkie: “In prophetic power,... Read more

A Prophet Among Saints: Moses in the LDS Scriptures

Last updated on: November 4, 2022 at 1:30 pm By Jordan Bennett

How many of those among us are capable of conjuring up a mental image after reading the venerated name of the prophet Moses? It is not an arduous task for most; the ancient lawgiver is well embedded within the minds of us westerners for he is a truly praiseworthy figure gleaming seemingly endlessly from the holy books of all three of the world’s most visible Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. But determining just how impactful the Israelite leader... Read more

Who was turned into a pillar of salt?