Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) is my (and I'm sure countless others') favorite Polish musician of the Romantic era. Nocturne No. 20 in C# Minor is special because this was the piece that Władysław Szpilman (1911-2000), the famed Polish pianist of Jewish descent, was playing during the live broadcast of a radio station right at the moment … Continue reading The Holocaust
Mysterious Centrality of Faith
Romans 3:22 (Codex Sinaiticus) Romans 3:22 is a condensate of the Apostle Paul's gospel; he compresses Christianity into this eleven-word construction: δικαιοσύνη δὲ θεοῦ διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς πάντας τοὺς πιστεύοντας "God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe" Romans 3:22 shows that faith is central in Christianity. Faith is also … Continue reading Mysterious Centrality of Faith
Three Perspectives on Paul’s Relationship to Judaism
The traditional view (Old Perspective) presents Paul as being in a hostile relation to Second Temple Judaism; according to the Old, the Apostle Paul left Judaism because Judaism was legalistic. So, in the Old Perspective, Judaism and Christianity parted ways and exist as distinct entities. The so-called New Perspective, too, pits Paul against Judaism, but … Continue reading Three Perspectives on Paul’s Relationship to Judaism