Two Enlightenments

Last updated on: September 6, 2017 at 11:50 pm By Peter Leithart

Jonathan Israel ( A Revolution of the Mind: Radical Enlightenment and the Intellectual Origins of Modern Democracy ) distinguishes between a “radical” and “moderate” Enlightenment, locating the main difference in metaphysics rather than national setting or politics: “Beyond a certain level there were and could be only two Enlightenments – moderate (two substance) Enlightenment, on the one hand, postulating a balance between reason and tradition, and broadly supporting the status quo, and, on the other, Radical (one-substance) Enlightenment conflating body... Read more

Changing the liturgy

Last updated on: September 6, 2017 at 10:48 pm By Peter Leithart

People get outraged by changes in liturgy. Christian Smith ( Moral, Believing Animals: Human Personhood and Culture ) points to the studies of Harold Garfinkel from the 1960s and 70s that highlight this reality: “Garfinkel and his students uncovered standards and boundaries of these orders [of micro interactions] through the use of ‘breaching experiments’ that intentionally violated the norms and conventions of conversation in order to observe people’s responses. On the phone, for example, when people said, ‘Hello, how are... Read more

Structure in Zechariah 2

Last updated on: September 7, 2017 at 12:00 am By Peter Leithart

Zechariah 2 seems to divide between verse 5 and 6, as we move from a promise of Yahweh’s dwelling in Jerusalem to an exhortation to “flee from the land of the north.” While I have not been able to discern an overall structure in the passage, there are signs that it’s there. The passage is enclosed by references to the Lord’s choice and inheritance of Jerusalem. In the opening verses (vv. 1-2), Zechariah sees a man with a measuring line... Read more

Jubilee

Last updated on: September 6, 2017 at 11:45 pm By Peter Leithart

Zechariah 2 contains several references to the Jubilee. Jerusalem, the Lord says, will become like an unwalled city (2:4), the kind of city where the Jubilee rules do apply (Leviticus 25). At the end of the passage, the prophet learns that Yahweh will inherit Jerusalem, a unique usage in the Old Testament, which never uses Yahweh as the subject of “inherit.” but the Jubilee is again behind that promise, since the whole rationale of the Jubilee legislation is that the... Read more

Perichoresis

Last updated on: September 7, 2017 at 12:05 am By Peter Leithart

Yahweh promises to be a wall around Jerusalem (Zechariah 2:5), as well as the glory in her midst. Jerusalem dwells within the fiery wall that is Yahweh’s consuming presence. Jerusalem is indwelt by the fiery glory that is Yahweh’s consuming presence. And, if Jerusalem indwells and is indwelt by Yahweh, so Yahweh is indwelt by and indwells Jerusalem. Read more

Length and Breadth

Last updated on: September 6, 2017 at 11:46 pm By Peter Leithart

The Bible typically provides measures of “length and breadth” when it is talking about holy places and cosmic models. The ark’s “length and breadth” are recorded (Genesis 6:15), and so is that of the land (Genesis 13:17). Frequently, this combination appears in relation to the tabernacle and its furnishings, Solomon’s temple, the visionary temple of Ezekiel, the restored holy city of Jerusalem (Zechariah 2:2). Then we have Deuteronomy 3:11, which gives a detailed description of Og’s bed. We learn... Read more

He is Risen!

Last updated on: September 6, 2017 at 11:43 pm By Peter Leithart

An Easter meditation of mine is on the First Things site, here: http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2010/04/04/a-new-beginning/ Read more

First of Sabbaths

Last updated on: September 6, 2017 at 11:41 pm By Peter Leithart

Mary and the other Mary come to the tomb on the day “after the Sabbath,” which is the first day of the new week. It is beginning to dawn and light is beginning to shine. Now, a new week begins, new light breaks. But Matthew’s phrasing is even more emphatic on this point. Literally, the text says that they come to the tomb “after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first of the Sabbaths.” The word Sabbath... Read more

Poetry and prose

Last updated on: September 7, 2017 at 12:04 am By Peter Leithart

From an interview with Vera Pavlova: “Prose is addition in line, poetry is multiplication in column.” Read more

Seated on a stone

Last updated on: September 7, 2017 at 12:02 am By Peter Leithart

The angel rolls away the stone from Jesus’ tomb and takes a seat on it. It’s an enthronement, but there’s something more. In Exodus 17, Moses sits down on a stone while Aaron and Hur hold up his hands. Joshua fights in the valley below, filling the ground with Amalekites. So too, the angel sits on a stone, surrounded by guards who are like “dead men,” as the greater Joshua conquers death. Read more