[Vision2020] “My head! My head!”

[News of Christ Cult]

Tuesday, January 22, 2008  "My head! My
head!"<http://federal-vision.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-head-my-head.html>

Here is an excellent book review of Peter Leithart's commentary on 1 & 2
Kings<http://www.amazon.com/Kings-Brazos-Theological-Commentary-Bible/dp/1587431254/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201041578&sr=1-4>;
it appears in *Interpretation <http://www.interpretation.org/>*, a
theological journal published by Union Theological Seminary. Without even
opening the commentary, it's clear from this review that James Jordan shaped
Leithart's hermeneutic. Indeed, reading this makes me cry, *"My head! My
head!"* (2 Kings 4:19).

*Review of Peter Leithart's commentary on 1 & 2 Kings*
*Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology*, 62.1 (January 2008) 98–99

*1 & 2 Kings*
By Peter Leithart
*Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible*, Brazos, Grand Rapids, 2006.
304pp. $29.99. ISBN 978-1-58743-125-8.

This commentary on the books of Kings by Peter Leithart is part of the *Brazos
Theological Commentary on the Bible*. The aim of this series is to produce
commentaries that interpret the Bible using the Nicene tradition as the
"proper basis for the interpretation of the Bible as Christian Scripture"
(p. 10). Commentators are chosen for "their expertise in using the Christian
doctrinal tradition," not for "historical or philological expertise" (p.
10). Commentators use whatever translation of the Bible and method of
interpretation suits them. The only unifying element of this series is the
premise that "doctrine provides structure and cogency to scriptural
interpretation." (p. 12).

Leithart's method is rather eclectic. He draws here and there from
historical and literary criticism, but typological analysis is clearly his
preferred method of interpretation. Typology may have served the early
church well, but we are not the early church. Is it really possible to do
typology today without the philosophical and hermeneutical underpinnings
that dominated the early centuries of Christianity? For Leithart, every use
of the number "three" becomes an allusion to resurrection, every body of
water a reference to baptism, and every anointing is messianic. The most
tenuous of similarities lead to typological comparisons: David/Jacob;
Adonijah/Adam; Solomon/Joshua, Solomon/New Adam, Solomon/Christ;
Jehu/Christ; sacrificial animals/Israel, ritually clean wild animals/Gentile
"God-fearers"; Saul/Ahab; Jesus/Judah; Elijah/Jesus; Elisha/Jesus;
Elisha/Joseph; and judgment against Ahab's house/eschatological judgment of
the world/judgment passed against all nations in the cross of Jesus. No
quotation better sums up his approach than "Moses is Elijah is John; Joshua
is Elisha is Jesus. Yet also, Moses is Elijah is Jesus, and Joshua is Elisha
is the church" (p. 172). I was amused to discover that Elisha's floating ax
is a sign of Christ's resurrection (pp. 200, 203) and that "the inclusion of
Gentiles into the new Covenant is signaled symbolically by many of the
apostles being [Jewish!] fishermen" (p. 73).

In addition to spurious typologies, Leithart often uses the biblical text to
leap into contemporary discussions that defy any logical connection to the
book of Kings, e.g., a discussion of church/state/secularity/Locke with the
notice that Solomon built other buildings (1 Kgs 7:1–12); modern and
Christian views of the self and the condemnation of Solomon (1 Kgs 11:1–43);
public/state/church relations and the Queen of Sheba's visit (1 Kgs
10:1–29); Pope John Paul II's speech on the culture of death and the Elisha
stories (2 Kgs 4:1–44); and rationalists' views of Jesus and Jehu's
rebellion (2 Kgs 9:1—10:36).

Other problems with this book include: misrepresenting his sources (e.g.,
Walsh, p. 43; Nelson, p. 69; Blenkinsopp, p. 227); the anachronistic use of
the term "Gentile(s)" throughout the book; a superficial discussion of
violence and God; an odd discussion of idolatry, chiasms with no point, a
frightening view of God as an "equal opportunity trapper" (p. 180), the
nature of God and evil; God as trickster, and vengeance against the wicked
as "dear to Yahweh's heart" (p. 223). Space prevents me from elaborating
further. I have gained a much greater appreciation of the
historical-critical method and of the literal sense of the text from reading
this commentary. The literal sense is, after all, what God inspired the
author to actually say and it contains enough theological depth that I do
not have to imaginatively reconstruct the "hidden meaning" or make
artificial connection where none exist. I am also now more firmly convinced
that commentaries on the Bible should be left to biblical scholars.

Pauline A. Viviano
Loyola University
Chicago, Illinois


On a personal note, I have several friends who have Peter Leithart's knife
ware stuck firmly in their backs. And they don't wear it well. Liethart
operates as one of Wilson's silent assassins, befriending members of the
Kult who are suspects in Wilson's paranoid mind. Leithart counsels them.
Prays with them. Shows kindness to them. And then reports their every word
back to Wilson, who sees to a bullet in the back of their heads, shot in the
darkness of Anselm's basement. Leithart was a primary instrument in this
family's<http://federal-vision.blogspot.com/2007/10/would-jeffrey-meyers-sign-this.html>demise.
What a friend.

At one time you could say that Leithart brought detergent to Moscow to help
sanitize Wilson's PR, but you can't disinfect raw sewage without spillage
contaminating your person; you can't bring sanity to the insane; and in the
end St. Paul's axiom holds true: "Evil company corrupts good habits." If
Peter ever had any good, it's all gone now. So on that note, here's a king
whose end Peter Leithart should contemplate: *"And the king of Babylon slew
the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah
in Riblah. Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon
bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till
the day of his death."* (Jer. 52:10–11.)

Thank you. (HT: Anon)

Posted by Mark T.  at 3:25
PM<http://federal-vision.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-head-my-head.html>  2
comments<http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=9097408555576085021&postID=9214439992686632205>

<http://www.blogger.com/email-post.g?blogID=9097408555576085021&postID=9214439992686632205>
<http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=9097408555576085021&postID=9214439992686632205>

Labels: Fœdero Culto<http://federal-vision.blogspot.com/search/label/F%C5%93dero%20Culto>,
Fœdero Facts<http://federal-vision.blogspot.com/search/label/F%C5%93dero%20Facts>


-- 


Juanita Flores
Advocate for the Truth from Jesus
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20080123/6f2ffea4/attachment-0001.html