novels, comets, movies
I recently reread the Gospel of Mark and noticed, with appreciation, how many of the people in this Gospel, including Jesus' closest disciples, are shown as confused, uncomprehending, and fearful. Fear, then, became a theme for me in this rereading, partly prompted by Rowan Williams' book, "Meeting God in Mark". I made the lists below, … Continue reading Fear and courage in Mark’s Gospel
For all that has been said about Milton creating a relatively sympathetic Satan in "Paradise Lost," there is no question that Satan becomes less sympathetic as the poem progresses. In short, we have less sympathy for him as we get to know him. His lies become more transparent, for one thing. And he does his … Continue reading Adam and Eve’s undiscovered country
If I knew little about "Paradise Lost" before reading it this past summer, I knew nothing about "Paradise Regained". I guessed that it would deal with the Second Coming, but I was off by at least two thousand years. "In the Wilderness," artwork by Ron DiCianni "Paradise Regained" is a short retelling of Jesus' temptation … Continue reading Paradise Regained
And God saw all that He had done, and, look, it was very good. Genesis 1, verses 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31 This is not a statement so much as a loving word. There is no single correct way to respond to it, no obligation even to make a specific reply. But it … Continue reading Look, it is good
I don't know how I've never read John Milton's "Paradise Lost," but I'm here for it now and it's already blowing me away. The first two of its twelve parts are densely filled with poetry that's surprisingly easy to read, and with so many dramatic images that I've lost count. The first surprise for me … Continue reading Discovering Paradise Lost
Ivan Karamazov issues the following challenge to his devout brother Alyosha, before sharing with him the now-famous parable about the Grand Inquisitor, in Fyodor Dostoevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov": Tell me straight out, I call on you—answer me: imagine that you yourself are building the edifice of human destiny with the object of making people happy … Continue reading The Grand Inquisitor and Rebellion
I've recently finished "The Brothers Karamazov", a book that's tough-to-chew, frustrating, blasphemous, hilarious, delirious and puzzling: in short, a great book. I want to start with just a few *brief* remarks about the Grand Inquisitor story, the parable that Ivan Karazamov composes and shares with his brother Alyosha. The parable is so well-known that I … Continue reading The Grand Inquisitor and Exodus
Jesus -- Freed us from death by dying (and conquering death): Rom 5.18, Heb 2.14-17, 1 Cor 15.21 Freed us from daily sacrifices by becoming a sacrifice: Heb 7.27 Freed us from the Law's curse, by becoming a curse: Gal 3.13 Freed us from the Law, by being born subject to the Law: Gal 4.4-5 … Continue reading After reading Hebrews
My ten most memorable reads of 2022, fiction and nonfiction, out of my 42 first-time reads: 1. The Book of Job -- Robert Alter's translation “Oh, let that night be barren, let it have no song of joy.Let the day-cursers hex it, those ready to rouse Leviathan.Let its twilight stars go dark.Let it hope for … Continue reading Favorite reads of 2022
Huck Finn's dilemma: send his friend Jim back to slavery as he has been taught he must do, or go against his church's teaching by helping Jim to escape, and then go to eternal hell as punishment I've started reading David Bentley Hart's "That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell and Universal Salvation." It is … Continue reading That All Shall Be Saved