“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 160 “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished” (Pr 27:12). A prudent man sees it coming. A prudent man is not quick to defer maintenance. There are certain things coming …
Quinquennium Neronis
The infamous Nero actually had a good run initially. He took power in 54 A.D. and until 59 (the same year he had his mother killed), Rome enjoyed a mini-golden age, the best since the time of Augustus. That period of time was one remarkable enough to be named the quinquennium Neronis. But between 59 …
And Then There is the Not So Militant Atheism
My daughter has a chuckle or two with some street level apologetics.
The Ancient Church Free of Images
Book 1/Chapter 11 Foolish Evasions (section 11) 1. What is the “wily distinction?” 2. Why does it not work? Art (section 12) 1. Is Calvin opposed to art? 2. What may we paint? The Pure Church (section 13) 1. How long was the Church free from images? 2. What images belong in Church? Nicea (section …
Gravity and Supply and Demand
The law of supply and demand is not a mere cultural artifact. In short, it is not comparable to the decision-making process that the lords of etiquette went through when deciding where the dessert fork should go relative to your plate. A moment’s reflection should tell you that they could have decided pretty much anything, …
Images As Books?
Book I/Chapter 11 Books of the Unlearned (section 5) 1. Who first argued that images are books for the unlearned? 2. What is the problem with this argument? 3. What scriptural passages show this? Contrary Opinions (section 6) 1. Who among the early fathers differed with Gregory’s view? 2. What early church council prohibited images …
The Tyranny of Relativism
I ran across this great observation in the latest edition of The New Criterion. The issue was a symposium on what Pope Benedict called, shortly before his election as pope, the “dictatorship of relativism.” That pregnant phrase almost says it all. At any rate, William Stace said, and I would echo it with bells on, …
What the World Pants After
Book I/Chapter 11 Pictorial Representation (section 1) 1. What does Scripture everywhere contrast God with? 2. What does the world pant after? 3. What corrupts the glory of God? 4. Why were the Greeks “not as bad” as the rest? God’s Being (section 2) 1. What did God make a point of telling the Hebrews …
The World’s Last Conservative Cook
Once there was a man who didn’t believe in flipping hamburgers when he was barbequing. As a result, his wife didn’t ask him to cook very often, but sometimes he would just volunteer, and then, there everybody was. The result of his unique approach was, of course, that either a hamburger was charred on one …
Letting the Wine Affect Us
The first mention of wine in the Bible is on the occasion of Noah’s drunkenness. The last mention of wine in the Bible is in the context of a condemnation of Babylon’s luxuriousness. It is not really surprising that many Christians have come to regard wine with suspicion. Other drinks are safer, less wild, less …