Reformation and modernity

Last updated on: September 7, 2017 at 12:03 am By Peter Leithart

In her Sacramental Poetics at the Dawn of Secularism: When God Left the World (Cultural Memory in the Present) , Regina Schwartz describes the collapse of the medieval sacramental system under Protestant assault, and the eventual transfer of longings for a sacred order to secular pursuits: “Instead of leaving God leaving the world without a trace, the very sacramental character of religion lent itself copiously to developing the so-called secular forms of culture and that these are often thinly disguised... Read more

Men are Foxes, Women are Vineyards

Last updated on: September 7, 2017 at 12:10 am By Peter Leithart

Song of Songs 2:15 is a puzzle to most commentators. Cheryl Exum does a good job with it. Like many commentators, she notes evidence that foxes were symbolic of sexual potency and also ancient fables and proverbs that indicate foxes were threats to vineyards. Verse 15 is the woman’s reply to the lover’s request in v. 14 to hear the woman’s voice. She replies in the plural, taking the place of all women, complaining about how men are “foxes” who... Read more

Baptismal meditation

Last updated on: September 6, 2017 at 10:47 pm By Peter Leithart

Romans 6:3-6: do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our... Read more

Structure of Matthew 27-28

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

Following up a suggestion from my colleague, Toby Sumpter: It seems that there’s a chiasm stretching from the beginning of the crucifixion scene to the end of Matthew: A. Jesus mocked as king of the Jews, 27:27-31 B. Soldiers and Jewish leaders at the cross, 27:33-44 C. Jesus cries for His Father, 27:45-49 D. Earthquake, resurrection, and frightened soldiers, 27:50-54 E. Women from Galilee, 27:55-56 F. Joseph of Arimathea approaches Pilate, 27:57-60 G. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, 27:61... Read more

Descent to Sheol

Last updated on: September 6, 2017 at 10:53 pm By Peter Leithart

Whether Joseph knows it or not, he is preparing Jesus for priestly ministry. Clean linen cloth reminds us of the priestly attire at the temple, the linen clothing that the high priest wore on the day of atonement when he entered the Most Holy Place to sprinkle blood toward the ark. The stones of the temple were “hewn” and the stones of the foundation were “large stones,” 8-10 cubits high (1 Kings 7:10). John makes this point very clearly in... Read more

Lord of the dead

Last updated on: September 7, 2017 at 12:10 am By Peter Leithart

The Jewish leaders address Pilate as “Lord” (Matthew 27:63), using the word kurios . That’s the term one would use to show respect to an official. It can mean something as colorless as “Sir.” But throughout Matthew’s gospel, people have generally addressed Jesus as kurios , as Lord. Now the Jews have made their commitment. They have a Lord, and it’s not Jesus. They have chosen Caesar as their king. They want Pilate the Lord to seal a tomb. They... Read more

All Sadducees Now

Last updated on: September 6, 2017 at 10:46 pm By Peter Leithart

Pharisees join the chief priests in sealing the tomb of Jesus (Matthew 27:62). They aren’t sealing it against the possibility of Jesus coming out from within the tomb; they are sealing it to prevent disciples from entering the tomb and stealing the body. Apparently, the Pharisees can no longer conceive of any other way a body could come out of a grave. Certainly, they cannot conceive of any other way Jesus’ body could come out of the grave. With respect... Read more

Apocalyptic’s return

Last updated on: March 19, 2010 at 8:40 am By Peter Leithart

In Natural Supernaturalism: Tradition and Revolution in Romantic Literature , M. H. Abrams notes the influence of the Bible on Romanticism: “A conspicuous Romantic tendency, after the rationalism and decorum of the Enlightenment, was a reversion to the stark drama and suprarational mysteries of the Christian story and doctrines and to the violent conflicts and abrupt reversals of the Christian inner life, turning on the extremes of destruction and creation, hell and heaven, exile and reunion, death and rebirth, dejection... Read more

Apocalyptic’s return

Last updated on: September 6, 2017 at 10:46 pm By Peter Leithart

Prophecy and miracles

Last updated on: September 7, 2017 at 12:03 am By Peter Leithart

Hume thought his arguments against miracles applied to prophecy as well. Miracles cannot serve as proof of the truth of Christianity because miracles violate natural law and because our knowledge of them rests on unreliable testimony rather than direct observation. So too prophecy: “What we have said of miracles may be applied, without any variation, to prophecies; and indeed, all prophecies are real miracles, and as such only, can be admitted as proofs of any revelation.” In a 1999 article in the... Read more