Theologia et Vita

Basil the Great and the Non-Essential Nature of Mary’s Perpetual Virginity J. Neil Daniels  The belief in Mary's perpetual virginity, while central to later Roman Catholic dogma, wasn’t universally held or considered essential by all the early Church Fathers. In fact, Basil the Great (+379 AD), a revered saint and Doctor of the Roman Catholic Church, didn’t view this doctrine as being of the substance of the faith. He acknowledged that one may believe Mary had other children and that Jesus had siblings (cf. Matt 13:55–56; Mark 6:3) without compromising Christian orthodoxy. As seen in Homilia in Sanctam Christi Generationem (PG 31:1468), Basil writes: “[The opinion that Mary bore several children after Christ]... does not run counter to faith; for, virginity was imposed on Mary as a necessity, only up to the time that she served as an instrument for the Incarnation, while, on the other hand, her subsequent virginity had no great importance with regard to the mystery of t...

Beyond Binary Thinking: The Complexity of Contemporary Theological Discourse J. Neil Daniels Nota Bene : A "Deep Dive" audio overview is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YQQTFLV55zZODUQ7dtVTc_gDg0IdTHQy/view?usp=drivesdk Introduction  Contemporary theological discourse often suffers from an unfortunate tendency toward binary thinking. By binary thinking , I refer to the reduction of complex doctrinal questions into simplistic either-or propositions that fail to account for legitimate diversity within orthodox Christianity. While certain doctrinal matters, such as the deity of Christ or the reality of the resurrection, do indeed require clear and non-negotiable affirmations, many theological debates within the church involve questions of nuance, emphasis, and articulation rather than fundamental departures from truth. Yet these discussions often devolve into false dilemmas that obscure, rather than illuminate, the biblical data, historical testimo...

Beast, Abyss, and Binding: Michael Svigel’s Critique of G. K. Beale’s Amillennial Interpretation of Revelation 20:1–3 J. Neil Daniels In the field of eschatological interpretation, few passages have provoked more theological controversy than Revelation 20:1–3. At the heart of the debate lies the question of the nature and timing of Satan’s binding, a point of division between premillennial and amillennial readings. G. K. Beale’s influential amillennial interpretation, presented in his Commentary on the Book of Revelation , offers a theologically integrated reading in which Revelation unfolds not in strict chronological order, but as a series of recapitulated visions, that is, overlapping depictions of the same events viewed from different angles. Challenging this approach, Michael J. Svigel, writing from a classic Irenaean premillennial perspective, argues here that Beale’s interpretation compromises narrative coherence and fails to account for the broader canonical and historical con...

Nicaea II Reconsidered: Forgery, Contextonomy, and the Quest for Ecumenical Legitimacy J. Neil Daniels Nota Bene : A "Deep Dive" audio overview is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Xh2p7fENtSGEzVS4I1LeGDZ2HMVGKPy5/view?usp=drivesdk Introduction The Second Council of Nicaea (787), traditionally recognized as the Seventh Ecumenical Council in both Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, remains a focal point of theological and ecclesial controversy, particularly concerning its decrees on the veneration of icons. While the Council affirmed icon veneration as a practice rooted in apostolic tradition, this claim has long been rejected by most Protestant traditions, who argue that the evidence marshaled in favor of such a view is historically and theologically unconvincing. The 2020 English edition of the Acts of the Second Council of Nicaea by Richard Price offers a fresh opportunity to reassess the Council’s claims with scholarly precision. P...

Jesus as the Second Adam in Pauline Theology: An Exegetical and Theological Analysis of Gordon Fee’s Argument J. Neil Daniels Introduction Gordon D. Fee’s (1934–2022) magisterial  Pauline Christology: An Exegetical-Theological Study  offers a detailed and methodologically rigorous treatment of Paul’s understanding of Jesus Christ as the Second Adam. This conception, which threads through Paul’s epistles both explicitly and implicitly, serves not only to ground Paul’s soteriology but also to reinforce the apostle’s conviction that Jesus was genuinely human. Fee contends that while Paul does not develop a systematic Christology in the modern sense, his theological references, especially those concerning Adam typology and Christ as the divine image, form a coherent vision of Christ as both truly God and truly man. This essay explores Fee’s exegetical treatment of Adam-Christ typology, Christ as the bearer and restorer of the divine image, and the apostle’s broader presuppositio...

Of Aliens and Astrotheology: Some Musings J. Neil Daniels  Introduction The possibility of extraterrestrial life, long the domain of science fiction, has garnered serious attention in both scientific and theological circles. This subject raises fundamental questions about the uniqueness of life on Earth, the nature of the cosmos, and the theological implications of potential non-human intelligences. While empirical inquiry attempts to calculate the probability of alien civilizations, theology probes deeper issues regarding divine purpose, the scope of redemption, and the anthropocentric nature of Scripture. This essay will explore the scientific hypotheses concerning extraterrestrial life, highlight the varying estimations regarding intelligent life in the universe, and examine the theological implications for Christian thought, especially in light of the emerging field of astrotheology. Scientific Frameworks: The Drake Equation and the SETI Endeavor The scientific inve...

Thoughts on the Asinus  Controversy J. Neil Daniels The asinus controversy,  a term derived from the Latin word asinus meaning "donkey," refers to a speculative theological debate that emerged within late medieval nominalism, particularly among the followers of William of Ockham and his intellectual successors. The controversy centers on the question: Could the Son of God have become incarnate as a donkey (or in some other non-human form) rather than as a man, and still accomplished the redemption of humanity? Background: Nominalism and Divine Omnipotence Within late scholastic theology, particularly in nominalist circles, theologians were deeply interested in the scope of God's absolute power ( potentia absoluta ) versus His ordained power ( potentia ordinata ). According to this distinction: Potentia absoluta refers to what God can do in principle, unrestricted by any particular decree or order. Potentia ordinata refers to what God has willed to do within the ac...

Encouragers and Challengers: John Frame on the Dispositions of Theological Vocation J. Neil Daniels Introduction In On Theology: Explorations and Controversies , John Frame offers a compelling typology for understanding the diverse motivations that animate theologians. He categorizes them broadly into two kinds—encouragers and challengers—while acknowledging that most theologians exhibit a blend of both tendencies. This seemingly simple taxonomy offers profound insight into theological method, vocational posture, and ecclesial engagement. In this essay, I will examine Frame’s distinction, probe its theological and pastoral implications, and draw connections to the broader trajectory of Frame’s work in apologetics and systematic theology. The Encourager and the Challenger: A Functional Typology Frame begins by distinguishing between two general impulses in theological work. The challenger is the reformer, the one who calls the church to reconsider what it has long believed. He warns...

Recovering the Rightful Role of Tradition: Oliver Crisp and the Hierarchy of Authority J. Neil Daniels The Misuse of Sola Scriptura The phrase sola Scriptura has carried a lot of baggage it was never meant to bear. The Reformers weren’t tossing tradition overboard, as if the centuries of faithful reflection counted for nothing. What they were doing—if we actually read them carefully—was staking a claim that Scripture stands as the supreme, final authority. Not the only voice in the room, but the voice that settles the matter when disputes arise. But here’s where things get messy. Certain sects and fringe groups—Socinians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and others—took the principle and twisted it into something more like solo Scriptura (to borrow Keith Mathison’s phrase). That is, Scripture isolated from the historic church, torn away from the corporate memory of the saints. In that scheme, my own reading of the text, however eccentric, becomes just as binding as the testimony of generations....

The Toll-House Doctrine: A Critical Theological and Historical Evaluation J. Neil Daniel Nota Bene: A Deep Dive audio overview is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U3DUX3DjbFLttoeZ-SSSbff9-77j9WhV/view?usp=drivesdk Introduction   The toll-house doctrine, a teaching held by some within Eastern Orthodoxy, posits that after death the soul must pass through a series of aerial toll-houses where demons accuse it of various sins. Angels accompany the soul and, if possible, defend it, either by counterbalancing the sins with good deeds or by appealing to divine mercy. This process is seen as a form of particular judgment before the eschatological judgment seat of Christ. The imagery is vivid and disturbing, evoking a spiritual landscape populated by hostile spirits and perilous spiritual checkpoints. Yet despite its imaginative force and popular appeal, the doctrine remains one of the most controversial and problematic elements in Orthodox theological reflecti...

The Pierced Messiah: A Grammatical and Theological Analysis of Zechariah 12:10 J. Neil Daniels Nota Bene: A "Deep Dive" audio overview is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TSolSl1N_eN1uWVbJFvmzMbAhOHsamS2/view?usp=drivesdk Introduction The messianic interpretation of Zechariah 12:10 has been a subject of intense scholarly debate for centuries. The verse reads: "And they will look at Me whom they pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly for Him as one weeps for a firstborn" (HCSB). This passage presents significant interpretive challenges, particularly regarding the identity of the "pierced one" and the implications for messianic prophecy. While early rabbis and Christian expositors traditionally interpreted this text as messianic, many contemporary scholars have rejected this interpretation, preferring to identify the pierced figure with slain Israelites or Jewish martyrs.¹ The crux of the interpreti...