The genealogy of the priestly tribe of Levi (1 Chronicles 6) stands at the chiastic center of the genealogies of 1 Chronicles. At the beginning of that tribal genealogy is a list of the descendants of Aaron the first high priest, framed by references to the three sons of Levi (1 Chronicles 6:1, 18). Starting with Aaron, twenty-three priests are named, and they are divided into two lists by two historical notes. Azariah is named as the priest in Solomon’s... Read more
In an essay in the 1978 collection, Perspectives on Luke-Acts, Donald Miesner explains the chiastic structure of Paul’s missionary journey: A. Jerusalem to Antioch, Cyprus, Asia Minor, 12:25-13:14a B. Paul’s initial address to Jews at Antioch, 13:14b-52 C. Paul is persecuted at Iconium, gives speech at Lystra, 14:1-28 D. Council at Jerusalem, 15:1-29 E. Paul to Antioch, 15:30-16:19 F. Paul and Silas charged and imprisoned at Philippi, 16:20-40 G. Paul in synagogue at Thessalonica, 17:1-15 H. The sermon at the... Read more
In an essay in the 1978 collection, Perspectives on Luke-Acts, Donald Miesner explains the chiastic structure of Paul’s missionary journey: A. Jerusalem to Antioch, Cyprus, Asia Minor, 12:25-13:14a B. Paul’s initial address to Jews at Antioch, 13:14b-52 C. Paul is persecuted at Iconium, gives speech at Lystra, 14:1-28 D. Council at Jerusalem, 15:1-29 E. Paul to Antioch, 15:30-16:19 F. Paul and Silas charged and imprisoned at Philippi, 16:20-40 G. Paul in synagogue at Thessalonica, 17:1-15 H. The sermon at the... Read more
Stephen Greenblatt uses the anthropological theory of Alfred Gell to explain Shakespeare’s universal appeal, particularly Gell’s notion of the “distributed personality”: This refers to “the ability of an artist to fashion something – Gell called it an ‘index’ – that carries agency, his own and that of others, into the world where it can act and be acted upon in turn. A part of the personhood of the creator is detached from his body and survives after he or she... Read more
Stephen Greenblatt uses the anthropological theory of Alfred Gell to explain Shakespeare’s universal appeal, particularly Gell’s notion of the “distributed personality”: This refers to “the ability of an artist to fashion something – Gell called it an ‘index’ – that carries agency, his own and that of others, into the world where it can act and be acted upon in turn. A part of the personhood of the creator is detached from his body and survives after he or she... Read more
In a paper on Academia.edu, Alan Darley of the University of Nottingham examines Thomas’s revision of the Pseudo-Dionysian notion of hierarchy, stressing the importance of Scripture in Thomas’s revisionary efforts. Along the way, following a number of recent scholars, he highlights the central role of Scripture in the Summa. He admits that “a superficial reading of the Summa Theologiae had given some the impression that Thomas used Scripture mainly in a proof-texting fashion as only one amongst a number of... Read more
Matthew Crawford is an advocate for the moral and intellectual value of manual labor. He argues in Shop Class as Soulcraft that “The moral significance of work that grapples with material things may lie in the simple fact that such things lie outside the self. A washing machine, for example, surely exists to serve our needs, but in contending with one that is broken, you have to ask what it needs. At such a moment, technology is no longer a... Read more
Trump and Aristotle may not seem to have a lot in common, Carson Holloway argues that Aristotle’s Politics illuminates the deep source of Trumpism. In Book 5, Aristotle describes the origins of political factions: “In general, he teaches, human beings become factious over equality and inequality. That is, political conflict arises when some think that they are made unjustly unequal or unjustly equal. If they think they deserve to be equal but are held in an inferior position, they engage... Read more
The liturgy provides a rich and holistic model of evangelism and discipleship, holding together dimensions of Christian living that often fly apart. The liturgy begins with a call to enter the presence of God; just so, our entry into Christ is not a product of our diligent efforts but the product of a divine summons. Once called, we are called to confession and repentance; just so, the Christian life is a life of continuous repentance, good news that rests on... Read more
Comparisons of different religious beliefs and practices wasn’t new in the 19th century. At least since the age of exploration, Europeans had been compiling long and detailed treatises comparing Christian with “heathen” religion. What was new in the 19th century was the formation of a discipline of comparative religion. In his massive study of Philology, James Turner recounts how scholarship crystallized into a discipline when the numbers reached a “critical mass,” and they reached a critical mass because of the... Read more
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