Gregory of Nazianzus

I'm reading Robert Letham's The Holy Trinity these days. Of course, Gregory of Nazianzus plays a huge role in trinitarian understanding in the history of the church, and I'm probably going to tuck into his fiveTheological Orations when I get a chance. Of them, McGuckin says,

In the subsequent history of the ancient Church these five Orations...were...adopted as the ultimate statement of Trinitarian orthodoxy despite what the conciliar creed of 381 had to say. It is a providential irony that the creed, which was itself a clear and explicit rebuke of Gregory's boldness in teaching the consubstniality of the Spirit, has come in the subsequent history of theology to be so strictly interpreted in terms of Gregory's Orations.... He could hardly have invisaged the manner in which his works would become established as the foundations of Christian orthodoxy.... For centuries after him, this sheaf of Orations became the chief trinitarian curriculum of all the Eastern schools, and of almost as great importance to the West.

The five history-making interpretations can be found here.

New Climate Blog

I'm the first to admit I don't know who's telling the truth in the environment wars. I have reasons for doubting both sides. In the mean time, here's a blog by a prominent environmentalist who recently stepped backslid into environmental apostasy by wondering out loud about whether climate change is man-made or not. Interesting reading.

New Vivaldi Discovery

A new Dixit Dominus (his third) of Vivaldi was recently found in a dodgy collection of music, all of which was supposedly by Baldassarre Galuppi. The scholar who found it was going through MSS analyzing hands of copyists when he happened upon a bass line which, he said (in the understated and refined language that befits a musicologist), "yelled Vivaldi at me."

'In terms of sheer musical quality, this is the most important Vivaldi discovery for about 75 years,' says Professor Michael Talbot. 'The new Dixit Dominus outshines the two Dixit Dominus settings by Vivaldi (both of which are likewise in D major) that are already known. Its strongest point is the consistency of its musical inspiration. Its style is that of Vivaldi's late period (roughly, 1730-1741), and it reveals the depth of experience that the composer had by then acquired in the domain of sacred vocal music.'

Find the entire article here. The text of the Dixit is the Latin text of Psalm 109.

How to Read a Judicial Opinion

An essay on how to read a judicial opinion. From Orin S. Kerr, GWU Law school. This is something I've always wondered about, so it's nice to get something so short, to the point, and instructive.

Gibbon on Primary Sources

How's this for a great quote? The thought was actually a radical one at the time.

I have always endeavoured to draw from the fountainhead; my curiosity, as well as a sense of duty, has always urged me to study the originals; and if they have sometimes eluded my search, I have carefully marked the secondary evidence on whose faith a passage or a fact were reduced to depend.

It's just this that gives him claim of being one of the first modern historians.

Biblical Archaeological Find: Pool of Siloam

A very interesting report from over at Drudge (this link will probably be invalid in a few hours):

Biblical Pool of Siloam Is Uncovered in Jerusalem
Tue Aug 09 2005 00:09:33 ET

Workers repairing a sewage pipe in the old city of Jerusalem have discovered the biblical Pool of Siloam, a freshwater reservoir that was a major gathering place for ancient Jews making religious pilgrimages to the city and the reputed site where Jesus cured a man blind from birth, the LOS ANGELES TIMES reports.

The pool was fed by the now famous Hezekiah's Tunnel and is ``a much grander affair'' than archeologists previously believed, with three tiers of stone stairs allowing easy access to the water, according to Hershel Shanks, editor of Biblical Archeology Review, which reported the find Monday.

``Scholars have said that there wasn't a Pool of Siloam and that John was using a religious conceit'' to illustrate a point, said New Testament scholar James H. Charlesworth of the Princeton Theological Seminary. ``Now we have found the Pool of Siloam ... exactly where John said it was.''

A gospel that was thought to be ``pure theology is now shown to be grounded in history,'' he said.

The discovery puts a new spotlight on what is called the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, a trip that religious law required ancient Jews to make at least once a year, said archeologist Ronny Reich of the University of Haifa, who excavated the pool.

``Jesus was just another pilgrim coming to Jerusalem,'' he said. ``It would be natural to find him there.''

The newly discovered pool is less than 200 yards from another Pool of Siloam, this one a reconstruction built between A.D. 400 and 460 by the empress Eudocia of Byzantium, who oversaw the rebuilding of several Biblical sites.

Developing...

Like I said, very interesting, eh?

Brunswick Stew

Looks to be a good (and authentic) recipie for this Virginia classic. Enjoy.