The synoptic gospels tell us that, at the moment Christ died, darkness swept over the land for three hours (Mark 15:33, Matthew 27:45, Luke 23:44-45). In manuscripts and painted works of art that depicted this event, color was frequently exploited to illustrate darkness and to create a dramatic setting. The celestial bodies of the sun … Continue reading Christian art: the sun and the moon
Happy Climate Change Christmas
Happy Climate Change Christmas by Reg Mombassa
God of the Moon, God of the Sun
Dia Na Gile, Dia Na Greine God of the Moon, God of the Sun A hymn from the Carmina Gadelica DIA na gile, Dia na greine, Dh’ orduich dhuinne Mac na meine. Muire min gheal air a glun, Criosda nigh nan dul ’n a h-uchd. Is mise an cleireach stucanach, Dol timcheall nan clach stacanach, … Continue reading God of the Moon, God of the Sun
Praise for the wonders of God
Psalm 65:8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.
Song: for the beauty of the earth
Song: for the beauty of the earth For the beauty of the earth, For the beauty of the skies, For the love which from our birth Over and around us lies, Lord of all, to thee we raise This our grateful hymn of praise. For the beauty of each hour Of the day and of … Continue reading Song: for the beauty of the earth
Illustrating the microcosm and macrocosm
Between 1617 and 1621 the English physician and polymath Robert Fludd published his History of the Two Worlds (Utriusque Cosmi), a book split into two volumes and packed with over sixty intricate engravings. The two worlds in question are the microcosm of human existence and the macrocosm of the universe, which includes the spiritual realm … Continue reading Illustrating the microcosm and macrocosm
Praise for the four elements
PRAISE FOR THE FOUR ELEMENTS (light a candle) God, we thank you and give you praise for brother Fire. We walk by Fire’s light. Even through darkened times and places, Fire illuminates each step along the path, Even when the distant view is unclear and in shadow. Fire purifies us, burning away the cluttered underbrush … Continue reading Praise for the four elements
Exploring the Macrocosm and Microcosm
I thought I’d put together a little primer on esoteric Christian anthropology and cosmology. Christian Anthropology In Christian theology, there are two competing views regarding the nature of humanity. The “tripartite view” holds that humanity is a composite of three distinct components: body, soul, and spirit. In contrast the “bipartite view” holds that the soul … Continue reading Exploring the Macrocosm and Microcosm
What Is Natural Theology?
The following explanation of Natural Theology is sourced from the Gifford Lectures. Traditionally natural theology is the term used for the attempt to prove the existence of God and divine purpose through observation of nature and the use of human reason. Seen in a more positive light natural theology is the part of theology that does … Continue reading What Is Natural Theology?
God’s presence in nature
Catholic theologian, Father Edward Leen, expresses in his book, The Holy Spirit, just how intimate God’s presence is in nature: “God’s power is put forth in every pulse of organic and inorganic being, in repose and movement, in every slightest change. Since every being and every aspect of being is the effect of God’s creative … Continue reading God’s presence in nature
My Fear of the Sound of an Axe
Celtic monks left the forest standing at the sites of their monasteries rather than cut them. Adaman, Columba’s biographer, tells the story of how the Irish King Aedh gave a plot of land in Doire to Columba: And he [Columba] had so great a love for Doire, and the cutting of the oak trees went … Continue reading My Fear of the Sound of an Axe
Land and biblical theology
An excerpt from Jesus and the Land by Gary M. Burge "Walter Brueggemann is correct when he suggests that land might be the central theme of biblical faith. “Biblical faith is the pursuit of historical belonging that includes a sense of destiny derived from such belonging.” And if this is so, he continues, land might … Continue reading Land and biblical theology
