11 Jun
“Each pleasure reserves to the end the greatest delights which it contains. Life is most delightful when it is on the downward slope, but has not yet reached the abrupt decline.”
Seneca, Epistles of Seneca 1-65, “Epistle XII. On Old Age” (pg. 67 – LCL)
10 Jun
“The young character, which cannot hold fast to righteousness, must be rescued from the mob; it is too easy to side with the majority.”
Seneca, Epistles of Seneca 1-65, “Epistle VII. On Crowds” pg. 33 (LCL)
9 Jun
“I am glad to learn in order that I may teach. Nothing will ever please me, no matter how excellent or beneficial, if I must retain the knowledge of it to myself. And if wisdom were given me under the express condition that it must be kept hidden and not uttered, I should refuse it. No good thing is pleasant to possess, without friends to share it.”
Seneca, Epistles 1-65, Epistle VI. “On Sharing Knowledge” pg. 27.
31 May
I thought Seneca had a clever little bit that was easily applicable to graduate students, and more than a few undergraduates as well.
“I warn you, however, not to act after the fashion of those who desire to be conspicuous rather than to improve, by doing things which will rouse comment as regards your dress or general way of living. Repellent attire, unkempt hair, slovenly beard, open scorn of silver dishes, a couch on the bare earth and any other perverted forms of self-display, are to be avoided.”
Seneca, Epistles “V. The Philosophers Means”
30 May
“It is the superfluous things for which men sweat, – the superfluous things that wear our togas threadbare, that force us to grow old in camp, that dash us upon foreign shores. That which is enough is ready to our hands. He who has made a fair compact with poverty is rich.”
Seneca, Epistles 1-65, “IV. On the Terrors of Death”
22 May
“But if you consider any man a friend whom you do not trust as you trust yourself, you are mightily mistaken and you do not sufficiently understand what true friendship means. Indeed, I would have you discuss everything with a friend; but first of all discuss the man himself. When friendship is settled, you must trust; before friendship is formed, you must pass judgment.”
21 May
“Those who maintain, ‘There was a time when the Son was not’ rob God of his Word, like plunderers.”
Known as “Black Dwarf” by his opponents, Athanasius was a tireless champion of orthodoxy in the 4th century. Best known for his opposition to Arius in the Christological controversies of the 4th century Athanasius made a number of key contributions to Christian theology in his day.
1. Helped formulate the Christian belief in the dual nature of Christ, namely that Jesus was both fully human and fully God. Furthermore, Athanasius provided the internal logic for this doctrine arguing that only by assuming humanity could Jesus save it.
2. Athanasius influenced early Christian monasticism through his recording of the life of St. Antony, the famous desert monk. Athanasius’ work Life of St. Antony was immensely popular and became an influential work on the spiritual life of Christians.
3. Athanasius was influential, albeit incidentally, in the formation of the Protestant canon. In a paschal letter he remarked that “In these [27 writings] alone the teaching of godliness is proclaimed. No one may add to them, and nothing may be taken away from them.”
One other thing should be said regarding the Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, and that is his incredible perseverance. Athanasius was exiled five times during the course of his life and spent 17 of his 45 years as bishop in exile. Yet he did not relent either to theological heresy or to political power. For him we are grateful and to him we are indebted.
Suggested Reading: On the Incarnation
Bibliography: See Mark Galli & Ted Olsen eds. 131 Christians Everyone Should Know (Nashville: Christianity Today [Holman Reference]): 17-19.
21 May
“Be careful, however, lest this reading of many authors and books of every sort may tend to make you discursive and unsteady. You must linger among a limited number of master-thinkers, and digest their works, if you would derive ideas which shall win firm hold in your mind. Everywhere means nowhere. When a person spends all his time in foreign travel, he ends by having many acquaintances, but no friends. And the same thing must hold true of men who seek intimate acquaintance with no single author, but visit them all in a hasty and hurried manner.”
Seneca, The Epistles of Seneca, “II. On Discursiveness in Reading”
20 May
“Make yourself believe the truth of my words, – that certain moments are torn from us, that some are gently removed, and that others glide beyond our reach. The most disgraceful kind of loss however, is that due to carelessness. Furthermore, if you will close heed to the problem, you will find that the largest portion of our life passes while we are doing ill, a goodly share while we are doing nothing, and teh whole while we are doing that which is not to the purpose.” –
Seneca, The Epistles of Seneca, I. “On Saving Time”
25 May
I am not generally a picky person. A glaring exception to this is female vocalists. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I can rarely sing along with them, so if I am going to have to sit and listen to someone, their voice needs to absolute capture me. All this makes Karin Berquist one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity, or at least to me (ok, slight overstatement there). Not that Berquist is a solo flyer in the best musical group to come out of Ohio in the last decade. Linford Detweiler is a capable songwriter and musician who adds a Southern sensitivity to Over the Rhine’s music.
I have known of Over the Rhine for about four years now but when I was introduced to them I lacked an appreciation for the more sophisticated and somber songwriting that permeated their music. Back then, in 2006 Ohio had put them on the map and they were a shooting star in the indie scene. Drunkard’s Prayer had already come along and was garnering praise for its intimate and intricate sound. During the intervening years I drifted away from following Over the Rhine and so missed the debut of The Trumpet Child which is the most diverse and delightful album the duo has produced to date.
Ohio maintains a mood of modest melancholy throughout the album, tackling issues of forgiveness, death, love and leaving. Drunkard’s Prayer, remains the only complete Over the Rhine album I own and it is so largely because of the sleep seriousness of the album, which makes it one of the best late night albums I own, the kind of sweet and serene album which can soothe you to sleep. The Trumpet Child adds some brass and some bravado to a band that seems to have thrived on the understated quality of their musical simplicity. Adding horns and some fantastic jazz elements, spiced up the customary dish of Southern, home spun music driven by guitar, keyboard, lap steel and of course Berquists’s soaring lyrics. If anything the diversity of styles Over the Rhine displays in The Trumpet Child allows Berquist’s voice to soar to new heights, and their customary contemplative sound to become even more effective. One can only hope Over the Rhine’s forthcoming project proves to add to the complexity and quality that their fans have come to demand.
C512 