In philosophy, dialectic means a lot of things to a lot of different people. It is, in its most simple form, the understanding of when two parties engage with one another in an inquiry or conflict that, upon finishing, leads to a closer understanding of the truth. We should avoid applying the Hegelian and Marxist … Continue reading Dialectic in the Hebrew Bible
Christianity
Augustine on the Sacred and the Secular
Part of St. Augustine of Hippo’s enduring legacy is the supposed dialectic between sacred and profane, between the transcendent and the secular. This emerged from Augustine’s writing of the City of God and the distinction between the city of man and the city of God and the unfolding of the two cities to their respective … Continue reading Augustine on the Sacred and the Secular
Typology and Logos in the Gospel of John
The opening prologue of the gospel of St. John is theologically rich, puzzling, and poetic, thereby imbuing it with rich symbolism and imagery. The declaration that “In the beginning was the Word…[and] through him was life, and that life was the light of all humanity. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (Jn. 1:1-5), … Continue reading Typology and Logos in the Gospel of John
Islam, Islamism, and the Crisis of the Political
Is Islam a political threat? That might depend on where you live. Is there a distinction between Islam and Islamism. Some say yes. Others say no. Naive leftists who are anti-political (in the Schmittian sense) believe the universal ark of fraternity triumphs over the tribalisms of politics. The boisterous liberal right, spearheaded by anti-religious libertarians … Continue reading Islam, Islamism, and the Crisis of the Political
Love, Sex, Sacrifice, and Salvation: A Critical Analysis of Sci-Fi Filmography
The Enlightenment mythology usually goes something like this: Humans had been wallowing in darkness and superstition for a long time, then, sometime in the seventeenth century, a few heroic philosophers and proto-scientists broke the chains of religion and freed humanity from the darkness and superstition that had ensnared them since Neolithic times and the more … Continue reading Love, Sex, Sacrifice, and Salvation: A Critical Analysis of Sci-Fi Filmography
Dialectic and the Wisdom of Listening: Reflections on the Book of Job
“You’re not listening.” This simple phrase is one of the most cliché, but poignantly true, sentences concerning human existence. Just a Kohelet stated that there is time for everything under the sun, it is important, then, to know when the time is to speak and when the time is to listen. This is especially true … Continue reading Dialectic and the Wisdom of Listening: Reflections on the Book of Job
The Allegory and Symbolism of Dante’s “Inferno”
In our exploration of Dante’s Inferno I wish to highlight, in some greater detail, what has already been referenced to in our previous posts, but also bring additional emphasis upon Catholic teaching and how it impacts the construction of Hell from Dante’s pen. Why is hell cold and dark? Color and Image Symbolism Dante’s hell is … Continue reading The Allegory and Symbolism of Dante’s “Inferno”
The Love & Friendship of Dante and Virgil in the “Inferno”
In continuing our examination of some of the themes of Dante’s Inferno, we now turn to examine the transformative relationship between Virgil and Dante within the first part of the Divine Comedy. The theme of guide and relationship runs throughout the Divine Comedy. Virgil is Dante’s guide through Hell and Purgatory. Beatrice takes over for Virgil and … Continue reading The Love & Friendship of Dante and Virgil in the “Inferno”
Dante’s Inferno: Understanding Hell
Dante’s three-part epic poem the Divine Comedy, or Commedia, is one of the most influential and dense works of poetic literature in the Western tradition. Building off Homer and Virgil, and influencing the likes of Chaucer, Milton, Blake, and Tennyson, as well as bringing to popular consciousness and form the modern Italian language, Dante’s epic delves into … Continue reading Dante’s Inferno: Understanding Hell
Marx’s “On the Jewish Question”
Karl Marx’s essay “On the Jewish Question,” at the face of it, seems like a typical anti-Semitic piece of writing where Marx decried the god of the Jews as the idol of mammon. However, the essay is of political importance as it details several noticeable things about Marx’s political thought. First is his assertion that … Continue reading Marx’s “On the Jewish Question”
