Love, eros, agape

February 26, 2024 Mark Brians

It is a curious thing when a Lutheran theologian and Friedrich Nietzsche are fond to be in agreement. Nietzche bemoaned the ways in which Christ (his great enemy) had spoiled and ruined eros —that is erotic love. Jesus the Galilean had come and ushered-in an age of charity and had done away with the dark and alluring erotic core of heathenism. Anders Nygren, writing later, agreed. Eros is for Nygren something that no Christian should have anything to do with —really and truly. Sure, we may experience romantic affection but the real core of the world was agape —selfless charity.

Notes on confessing your sins with your priest

December 11, 2023 Mark Brians

p/c: *Shalone Cason via usplash…* *https://unsplash.com/@shalone86*

A commentary on the 2019 Book of Common Prayer’s service for the “Reconciliation of Penitents”.

First, you enter. You have been waited upon. You are welcome in this space, have a seat.

Idly do people talk about “leaving the world at the door.” That is not true here. Bring the world with you —your cares, problems, stresses, sins, failures, collapsing dreams, the smell of where you just were, the thoughts which occupied you from your car to this little room, the screaming of children (yours or someone else’s), and the million things you need to do when you leave here —all of that bring with you. Leave none of it out.

The Cross is the heart of the world

May 8, 2023 Mark Brians

Reality is cruciform. It takes the shape of the Cross.

The theology of the "The Office" at a local high school

October 25, 2022 Mark Brians

In a talk I gave on “The Office” earlier this week I suggested that this convicting and humorous force of awkwardness works in the show like the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was sent into the world, after all, to bring “conviction concerning sin, righteousness, and judgement” (Jn. 16:8). A chief part of what occurs in those uncomfortable awkward silences is a convicting work.

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