Theology That Bites Back
The main category for book reviews and cultural interaction.
Introduction: Because of my travel schedule, I had to work on all my posting a week and a half ahead of time. Because of this, all my hot takes on Iran will be a week or so out from now, and will be lukewarm takes. Lukewarm, but probably better informed.— Douglas Wilson (@douglaswils) March 1, …
Introduction: Our criminal justice system is one that defiles both the jailers and the jailed. It affects the jailers negatively, and the society the jailers represent, because of its manifest injustice. ...
My selected book this time around is Gray Mirror by Curtis Yarvin. It was provocative in all the right ways and places, and I enjoyed it very much. And by “provocative,” I don’t necessarily mean agreement, although there was plenty of that. It is as though Yarvin were a very talented landscaper, and I admired …
“That is what the substitutionary atonement of Christ did in history—it made all other sacrifices impotent, precisely to the extent that it was a real sacrifice. That is what penal substitution was for.”
“The real problem, the problem of justice and heaven, is resolved in the cross. Christ died as a blood atonement so that God could be both just and the one who justifies. God could be just and send us all to Hell. He could be the one who justifies and let us all into Heaven on a boys-will-be-boys basis. But in order to be both just and the one who justifies, Christ had to bleed. And that is our final theodicy. Christ is the one who bled.”
“If we were a race of innocents, and some arbitrary and capricious god were flipping coins to determine who would be lost and who saved, then there might be something to talk about. But we are not a race of innocents. Look around.”
Introduction: In my book American Milk and Honey (p. 119ff), I presented an argument regarding the covenantal status of the Jews who did not believe in Christ. Following the apostle Paul, as I thought, ...
“In other words, the judgment of God in these matters was not a blind rage, but rather exquisitely just. And the other nations that were wiped out—what were they actually like? We have a controversy with God, and so we assume that they were all peaceful little Canaanites, flowers in their hairs, dancing in green meadows to the music of pan flutes. But that is not what they were like at all.”
Letter to the Editor: Thank you for your ministry to the body of Christ over the years! I serve as an Elder in my local church and am wondering if you have any thoughts and recommendations ...
