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March, 2008

On "private" property

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— mariagwyn @ 9:42 am
Mon
24 Mar 2008

Our radical church fathers...

St. Basil the Great, "I Will Tear Down my Barns... wrote:

“But whom do I treat unjustly,” you say, ”by keeping what is my own?” Tell me, what is your own? What did you bring into this life? From where did you receive it? It is as if someone were to take the first seat in the theater, then bar everyone else from attending, so that one person alone enjoys what is offered for the benefit of all in common—this is what the rich do. They seize common goods before others have the opportunity, then claim them as their own by right of preemption. For if we all took only what was necessary to satisfy our own needs, giving the rest to those who lack, no one would be rich and no one would be poor.

Our radical church fathers...

St. Basil the Great, "I Will Tear Down my Barns... wrote:

Hermeneutical Layers

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— mariagwyn @ 11:02 am
Thu
20 Mar 2008

Bizarro

Bizarro - March 16, 2008

The Mother of the Bridegroom

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— mariagwyn @ 1:38 pm
Tue
18 Mar 2008

From Gregory of Nyssa: "No one can adequately grasp the terms pertaining to God. For example, “mother” is mentioned (in the Song) in place of “father.” Both terms mean the same, because there is neither male nor female in God..."

Biblicalia on the "Two Septuagints"

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— mariagwyn @ 10:11 pm
Fri
14 Mar 2008

I have met with some trepidation the upcoming translation of the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures) in to English. So, I read with great interest biblicalia's thorough, insightful, and not-very-flattering review of the recent release, the Two Septuagints.

Suffering, Love, and Human Rights

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— mariagwyn @ 1:46 pm
Fri
14 Mar 2008

Over the last week I have been thinking about uncertainty and language (Gregory of Nazianzus), suffering and responsibility (where does this NOT come up?) and Human Rights (a panel proposal for SCE). In a presentation on icon, ethics and priesthood at this last AAR, I commented John Zizioulas’ and ethics, which he rejects as inherently reductionistic, based on an inevitable “polarity of good and evil.”

Over the last week I have been thinking about uncertainty and language (Gregory of Nazianzus), suffering and responsibility (where does this NOT come up?) and Human Rights (a panel proposal for SCE

Juror 006427

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— mariagwyn @ 6:29 pm
Fri
07 Mar 2008

Newly re-registered in my home state, and called to serve within a month, I am fulfilling my sole legal obligation as a female citizen of the United States (unlike my brothers, I am do not need to register for selective service).  Our orientation to the responsibilities of our patriotic duty was delivered by Judge Janice Wilson.  I use “patriotic” intentionally.  This is one of those few times in my life I feel proud to be a citizen of the United States. 

Location: Multnomah County Circuit Court

Flowers that love us back

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— mariagwyn @ 3:55 pm
Wed
05 Mar 2008

I am surrounded by women who love to grow things. Plants sigh in anticipation of a long drought when I venture near. Yet when these friends and family of mine come along, flora everywhere readies itself for a succulent stretch towards the light. These women love their gardens, and their gardens love them back. Which, if a recent conversation is any indicator, is not a commonly held opinion. After all, only people love, not things. Right? Well, the Theologian doesn’t seem to think so.

Certainty of God

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— mariagwyn @ 12:56 am
Wed
05 Mar 2008

I recently picked up Gregory of Nazianzus’ famous Five Theological Orations (which are actually Orations 28-32) in which the Nazianzen tackles the relationship of God and Christ. My purpose is to understand how Gregory uses metaphors, so I can then better understand his use of both masculine and feminine metaphors in describing his own priesthood. In these Orations, the orator of Nazianzus beautifully undermines our rather modern assumptions about the possibility of objective knowledge and the certainty of our concepts and the language with which we express them. I must admit, I am a bit struck to read a pre-modern thinker who sounds a bit like a post-modern theorist. So, the first part of what could be a short or long series on Gregory of Nazianzus.