Those who objected to the Christian gospel ridiculed it, mocking it because of its absurdity. For there is nothing more ridiculous than the word of someone who preaches that the Son of God was born and brought up by Jews, who rejects neither the cross nor death, who says moreover not only that Christ rose from the dead but that he ascended to heaven as Lord of all, that he will raise everyone else from the dead, and other things the apostles preached. The pagans mocked these things and ridiculed them, thinking that they would make the apostles shut up. Therefore St. Paul, feeling obliged to reply to this opinion of the apostles, began his teaching thus: I am not ashamed of the gospel.
Gennadius of Constantinople
Commentary on Romans
Our items of interest for the day:
- Peter Lawler, a contributor to our Winter 2008 issue, writes on President Obama’s Inaugural Address. Yuval Levin does the same at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
- Charles Kesler writes in the Claremont Review of Books on Obama’s writings and his Lincolnesque imagery.
- Terry Mattingly writes on another large gathering of people this week in Washington, D.C. which will receive far less attention in the media, despite it figuring in Obama’s first act as President.
- This is perhaps unsurprising, given Howard Kurtz’s insightful piece on the narrowing of media publications for a more niche audience.
- A noteworthy review in Books & Culture of Adam Zagajewski, the poet in exile.
