Theology and Classics
Today I am sharing a few pictures from the so called Krimpenerwaard, a river region South of the Dutch town of Gouda. The great scholar Erasmus is claimed by this town as honourary citizen. They must really love him there, but I will save that for another post. Erasmus was born in Rotterdam and actually …
Time to pauze for reflection. Mothers’ Day isn’t a Church feast, but its Christian origins are worth tracing. The history of Mothers Day shows how seemingly irrelevant facts, taken by themselves, may help you to understand the reason for its message. This holds also true for the message of John’s Gospel. The Church Fathers referred …
Not all who wander are lost. Join me for a walk through the gardens and woods around medieval Staverden, last refuge for the grief-stricken countess Leonora who died there from a broken heart in AD1353, after her husband Herman was murdered on his return from the crusades. ‘All that is gold does not glitter, Not …
For a theologian it is hard to miss that secular religion is worse than religion. While climate change is a historical fact, and pollution of our living environment is always bad, the role of man and our power to change the climate at all, remains open to debate. If not arguably scientifically unproven, the small …
Jerome’s Vulgate rejected by Rome after 1600 years Rome – For more than a thousand years the Vulgate was the ‘authorized version’ of Western Christianity. Not anymore.Vatican II initiated a silent revolution which has now replaced the ancient Vulgate with a new translation. This new official Bible is no longer based on Latin manuscripts and …
The Old Testament reading for Wednesday in Holy Week, from the old lectionary, was from the Wisdom of Solomon. Although “Wisdom” used to be included in readings from the pulpit, many Christians today are unfamiliar with its name and contents. For many the word “apocrypha” has the connotation of fishy, wrong or even evil. As …
Arguably the finest musical representation of the life of Christ is Händel’s Messiah. It is a beautiful combination of representative verses from Scripture. The music support and emphasizes its message. Rather than the confusion and disturbance of the present philosophies, the Messiah proclaims beauty and harmony in a fallen world. A moment of reflection in …
De mooiste muziekuitvoering van het leven van Christus is waarschijnlijk de Messiah van Händel. Het is een prachtige combinatie van prachtige Bijbelteksten en muziek die de betekenis ervan versterkt en geen doel is op zichzelf. Even stil worden en luisteren in een tijd van isolatie en virussen. De Messiah werd voor het eerste uitgevoerd in …