Tag Archives: hellenism

Zizioulas: Being as Communion

Posted on November 18, 2018 by J. B. Aitken

If I criticized Western models of the Trinity in the last post, I am going to push back against some fashionable Eastern models in this one. Zizzy notes that ancient Greek thought maintained a diversity in spite of apparent unity … Continue reading →

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Review: Torrance, Space, Time, and Incarnation

Posted on November 10, 2018 by J. B. Aitken

Torrance, Thomas F. Space, Time, and Incarnation.  Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1969 [1997]. At barely 90 pages of text, Thomas Torrance wrote a book on cosmology that shocked the theological world.  If his arguments in this book obtain, then all … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, Philosophy, theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

the science of god (Alistair McGrath)

Posted on October 21, 2018 by J. B. Aitken

Alister McGrath defends the idea that creation (or “nature”) is a real entity that discloses knowledge in such a way that shapes the knowledge it discloses.  In other words, ontology structures epistemology without negating the latter. Echoing Thomas Torrance, we … Continue reading →

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Semantics of Biblical Language (Barr)

Posted on April 1, 2018 by J. B. Aitken

Docetism is a perennial heresy, and even those who would agree with Barr’s (correct) conclusions, and perhaps even dislike the discipline of biblical theology, would probably find that they, too, practice a form of Docetism.  I’ll put my cards on … Continue reading →

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Live, Hellenization thesis–live!

Posted on June 8, 2017 by J. B. Aitken

I am not going to cite any specific article (it’s at Calvinist International), for if I do my email inbox will be filled with “why did you misrepresent us?”  What is the Hellenization Thesis?  I think it is the claim … Continue reading →

Posted in Church History | Tagged | 4 Comments

Chain of Being (Review)

Posted on October 20, 2016 by J. B. Aitken

Arthur Lovejoy analyzes a powerful if flawed concept’s “control” over Western mind since Plato. The chain of being is the continuum of “substance/essence/stuff” beginning with God (or Plato’s Good) and ending with either inorganic life or nothingness itself. The chain … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, Philosophy | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Review of Reformation Scholasticism (Dooyeweerd)

Posted on October 12, 2016 by J. B. Aitken

Identifying this book is tricky.  I am reviewing Herman Dooyeweerd’s Reformation and Scholasticism volume 1.   Paideia Press, an otherwise outstanding publisher, has released what appears to be several volumes under similar titles.  This volume only covers up to Aristotle (but … Continue reading →

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Origen and the Life of the Stars

Posted on February 18, 2016 by J. B. Aitken

Alan Scott sheds light on key problems in Hellenism by focusing on Origen’s view of the stars’ souls.  Ancient Greece certainly discussed the possibility that the stars are alive (and we will use the phrase” alive,” “intelligence,” and “souls” interchangeably … Continue reading →

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Intro to Systematic Theo (Pannenberg)

Posted on January 4, 2016 by J. B. Aitken

A fantastic read, but ended in a let down. Pannenberg rightly suggests that a lot of our categories for doing systematic theology are not only outdated, but a few are contradictory and wildly at odds with the Hebrew narrative. Our … Continue reading →

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Liturgical Nestorianism (1)

Posted on January 3, 2016 by J. B. Aitken

I picked up Jordan’s treatise rebutting Greenville Seminary’s Worship in the Presence of God.  Disclaimer: I am certainly NOT advocating Jordan’s approach to worship nor really much else associated with the man.  But I do think Jordan neatly summarizes the situation … Continue reading →

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