“Herodias and Caiaphas could be defined as living allegories of the rite that is forced to return to its nonritual origins, the undisguised murder, by the power of the revelation that forces it out of its religious and cultural hiding places” (Girard, The Scapegoat, p. 140).
The P-38 Era
A brief glance around the blogosphere indicates that the word theonomy got people’s attention. Of course, it always did. Let me put the disclaimers in the first couple sentences so I can continue to kick this particular can down the road. No, this is not going to be done through politics. No, it is not …
History Is A River
“In our individualistic times, we tend to think of previous generations or eras as tthough they were a series of ponds. We used to live around a pond that everyone called ‘the fifties.’ Then later we lived aroaund another pond called ‘the nineties.’ But this is not how the Bible encourages us to think about …
Time and Gump Happen to Them All
“Forrest Gump (1994) and its predecessor Being There (1979) are both popular movies that communicate the idea of a chance world in which events occur without purpose. The use of mentally challenged men in both films is a metaphor for chance itself. They have no ‘intelligent design’ to their lives and yet both of them …
Can’t Help Returning
“Derived from skadzein, which means to limp, skandalon designates the obstacle that both attracts and repels at the same time. The initial encounter with the stumbling block is so fascinating that one must always return to it, and each return becomes more fascinating” (Girard, The Scapegoat, p. 132).
The Great Migraine of Modernity
Andrew Sandlin has prematurely welcomed me to the ranks of the Christian postmodernists. I am afraid he took my deal-busting adjective “theonomic” as something that would actually be welcomed in the ranks of those who are currently calling themselves Christian postmodernists, including one of the gentleman he cites. Of course it would never be accepted …
In Which I Continue Going Postal Modern
If every tribe is an interpretive community, and no tribe ever comes into contact with another one, then the problem does not arise. If there is only one tribe (as interpretive community), then the problem does not arise. But in the contemporary world (I had almost said modern world), all these tribes, interpretive communities, denominations, …
Becoming Human
The Holy Spirit is active in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. This word sacrament that we use comes from the Latin word sacramentum, which in its turn is the translation of the Greek word mysterion, or mystery. In what way is this a mystery, and how does the power of the Holy Spirit come …
Say It Again
You know that God is the only Lord. You know that He is to be worshiped in accordance with His holy Word. You know that the gospel is the only life to be had in this wretched world. But remember also that this gospel proclaims a new creation, a new heaven and new earth. This …
Westminster One: Of the Holy Scripture
1. Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inexcusable; (Rom. 2:14–15; 1:19–20; Ps. 19:1–3; Rom. 1:32; 2:1) yet they are not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of His will, which is necessary …