In his Grace and Christology in the Early Church (Oxford Early Christian Studies) , Donald Fairbairn lays out some helpful distinctions that clarify what was at stake in the Nestorian controversy. He initially lays out a distinction between “composite” understandings of the unity of Christ and “synthetic” understandings: “By a synthetic union,I mean a union in which God the Logos added humanity to his own person, so that the one prosopon of Christ is the Logos himself. In this view... Read more
INTRODUCTION Isaiah’s earlier series of woes against the nations climaxes with woes against the “cousin” nation Moab (Isaiah 25:10; cf. Genesis 19:30-38). His second series of woes climaxes with a prophecy against another close relative – Edom, the descendants of Esau (Isaiah 34:5-15). With Edom’s fall, a whole world collapses, making room for a new one. THE TEXT “Come near, you nations, to hear; and heed, you people! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world... Read more
In a sermon on the life of Abraham, James Jordan made several points that clarify what is happening to Abram and Sarai when they sojourn in Egypt. He noted parallels between Sarai and Helen of Troy to highlight the fact that it was not unknown for ancient kings to seize beautiful women, even at the cost of catastrophic war. He also noted that Abram is a great prince, coming to Egypt from Ur of the Chaldees, with an entourage of... Read more
sunset across bare hills lights the treetops on the far side of the road Read more
In the highly sensible opening chapter to his Creator Spirit: The Holy Spirit and the Art of Becoming Human , Steven Guthrie asks what makes “art” seem “spiritual” to so many people. Many, he notes, find that art is spiritual because both “art” and “spirit” are mysterious, unsayable. He notes that the Spirit in Scripture is mysterious, a boundary-breaker, plan-disrupter, a surprise-bringer. But he also rightly insists that it is simplistic to say that the Spirit is simply “unsayable”.” Citing... Read more
I organize some scattered thoughts on the good of authority over at http://www.firstthings.com/ . Read more
The second half of Song of Songs 3 is arranged in a chiasm, centering on the gibborim who are expert in war: A. What is coming?, v 6 B. Traveling coach of Solomon, v 7a C. mighty men, vv 7b-8 Ca.mighty men of the mighty men Cb. grasp sword Cc. expert in war (more…) Read more
Who is this coming from the wilderness? It’s traveling couch, born by sixty burly men. And it’s described as a sacrifice. It “comes up” from the wilderness ( ‘alah ). It is surrounded by pillars of smoke and is itself “smoked” ( mequtteret , from qatar , “turn to smoke,” Exodus 29:13, 18, 25; 30:7, 8; Leviticus 1:9; etc.). It bears the pleasing aroma of myrrh and frankincense, like a tribute offering of rbead (Leviticus 2:2, 15, 16). It is... Read more
Given the sharp separation of spheres between men and women in 19th-century America, one would not expect women to play much of a role in the expansion of American power. Empire-building was man’s work, while women tended the heart-fires back home. In an award-winning 1998 article (pointed out to me by my colleague Chris Schlect), Amy Kaplan showed that the spheres were not divided in this fashion, that imperial symbols and rhetoric were employed in American discussions of domesticity, and... Read more
Arthur Golding is usually credited with translating Seneca’s de Beneficiis into English, but in a 1961 article H.H. Davis described an earlier English translation: “there was an earlier translation by Nicholas Haward of this same moral essay, printed nine years before Golding’s, entitled The Line of Liberalitie Dulie Directinge the Wel Bestowing of Benefites and Reprehending the Comonlie Used Vice of Ingratitude . Anno 1569. Imprinted at London in Fletestrete Neare to S. Dunstones Church by Thomas Marshe. Haward translated... Read more
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