Wyatt Graham

Faith | Books | Culture

How Ordering Our Grief Helps Us Heal Our Grief

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The Book of Lamentations portrays grief in its darkest form and functions like a mirror to grieving souls. It shows readers how to grief and how to heal this malady of the soul. 

The particular grief that Lamentations underscores is the grief caused by our own sinful choices. In short, it answers the question, “How should I respond when I suffer for doing what is wrong?” Part of the answer to that question involves the form of the poetry itself. [Read more…] about How Ordering Our Grief Helps Us Heal Our Grief

What Is Prosopology?

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To be a good reader and to dive into the theological depth of the Bible, we need to learn about the concept of prosopology. Now, prosopology is simply a technical word, which refers to the act of defining the person who speaks in a text. The Greek word prospon, from which get prosopology, can take the meaning of “person.” Prosopology, thus, studies the person speaking in a text.

At this point, we might be tempted to roll our eyes at this jargon because of how obvious the point is: of course, we read books and recognize who speakers are. Yet as seasoned readers of the Bible will note, sometimes it is not clear who is speaking in biblical texts. And so It takes some effort to determine the identity of a voice in a text.

At this point, we need to look at a couple of illustrations lest the point become so esoteric that we miss how practical it really is. [Read more…] about What Is Prosopology?

Translation and Comments on Oration 29.2 by Gregory of Nazianzus

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Gregory of Nazianzus received the title “the theologian,” only one of three people in church history to receive the accolade (John the Apostle and Symeon being the other two). The title “theologian” meant that he knew God by experience. But his experience of God was matched by his brilliant study of God. His Trinitarian and Christological explanations not only changed the landscape of theology in his day but have stood the test of time. Quite literally, nearly every Christian living today follows Gregory Nazianzen whether they know it or not.

For the last two years, Gregory has been my friend and teacher. Although he is away in body, through his words on the page he has become a close companion. He has lifted my soul to worship the living God and helped me to understand in whom it is that I have placed my trust. For the next few years, I will periodically provide short translations of Gregory’s work with an interpretation for my edification and, I hope, for yours.  [Read more…] about Translation and Comments on Oration 29.2 by Gregory of Nazianzus