Author: Greg Peters
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The Rise of the Scholastic Theological Method
This is post 2 of 4 in a series on the monastic theological method. It looks forward to the publication of Greg Peters’ new book: Monastic Theology as Theological Method: The Superiority of the Monastery to the University. Join us in this article as Dr. Peters discusses the object of scholastic thought, noting key and…
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The Superiority of a Monastic Theological Method
This is post 1 of 4 in a series on the monastic theological method. It looks forward to the publication of Greg Peters’ new book: Monastic Theology as Theological Method: The Superiority of the Monastery to the University. Join us in this article as Dr. Peters distills the differences of approach between monastic and scholastic…
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The Architecture of George Herbert’s Poetry
Introduction George Herbert was born on April 3, 1593, one of ten children. Though his father died when he was only three years old, Herbert’s mother, Magdalen, took responsibility for the education of her children. Moreover, she was decently well-connected, in that she ran a kind of literary and academic salon; that is, she managed…
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The Monastic and Intellectual Ethos of Gerard Manley Hopkins
Gerard Manley Hopkins was born on July 28, 1844 in Stratford, England into what we could consider a middle-class family. Perhaps not surprising given the shape of his poetry, Hopkins had a sensitive nature compared with his father’s demanding nature. As one of nine children, the Hopkins family was large and they were committed High…
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The Discipline of Discipline
As a scholar of monasticism and a Benedictine oblate one of my favorite parts of the sixth-century Rule of Benedict is Chapter 49 – “On the Observance of Lent.” Benedict writes, “the life of a monk ought to have about it at all times the character of a Lenten observance… we therefore urge that during…
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Thoughts on the “Benedict Option” – A Lament
For years Rod Dreher (senior editor at The American Conservative) has been writing about his “Benedict Option.” Now his book of the same title has finally appeared. To be honest, I have not been convinced by his articles addressing the Benedict Option and his book fails to convince me too. James K. A. Smith published…
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Do I need a Job or Vocation?
Every year some untold numbers of students enter their senior year in colleges and universities across the nation. They’ve done it! They have successfully navigated the complexities of earning a bachelor’s degree in their chosen field of study. They have mastered the art of reading, listening, note-taking, test-taking, and essay-writing and demonstrated some amount of…
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On Traveling
Traveling has not always been a big deal but for the past two centuries it has become fashionable to travel. In the early Middle Ages it was difficult to get a lot of places. The old Roman road system had collapsed under the weight of “barbarian” invasions and it was only in the High Middle…
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Olivuccio de Ceccarello’s Works of Mercy (Part 1)
Not much is known about the late fourteenth century painter named Olivuccio di Ceccarello. What is known is that he worked in Ancona, a seaside town on the central eastern coast of Italy, from at least 1388 and was probably born before 1366, dying ca. June 3, 1439. His paintings are characterized by sharp definition…
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Pastoring with Gregory of Nazianzus
I recently read The Pastor as Public Theologian by Kevin Vanhoozer and Owen Strachan in which they rightly recognize that the role of the pastor-theologian has gone by the wayside, replaced, for example, by the pastor-CEO, pastor-therapist and/or pastor-social activist. Should pastors be all of these things? Sure, but not primarily. First and foremost pastors…
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A Theology of Ice Cream
Americans eat more ice cream than any other country – a whopping four to five gallons a year per person! A good chunk of that is eaten by a much smaller portion of the population, present company included. I love ice cream and I eat a lot of it! To justify, perhaps, this nearly sinful…
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The Story of Monasticism; or, What Monastics Can Teach Us
NB: This blog originally appeared as a series of blogs at Baker Academic Blog. Why wouldn’t everyone want to be a monk or nun? These days you will get your own room, never have to overthink the daily “What will I wear?” debate, be allotted plenty of time with God and, if you choose wisely,…