A grab bag of items (free post)

Icons, Origen, a slew of sermons, and a "pessimist"

As is my wont from time to time, I like to recommend articles, videos, and podcasts that either directly or tangentially relate to the subject matter of this page. Some of you — like me — may be more or less snowbound at home right now, so for you especially some of these items may be welcome. As it happens, I have one article, two videos, and two related podcasts for you, and - not in that order - here they are:

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First, this fine video comes — quite literally — from home. It’s a thirteen-minute introduction to Solrunn Nes’s iconographic work and the spirituality that inspires it. Solrunn, as many of you know, is my wife. Steven HAuse (that is not a typological mistake; it’s how he really and truly spells his name), shot it here right after Christmas. Solrunn explains her work, and both my brother (David Bentley Hart) and I appear and comment in it. The video has already been shared on Solrunn’s Substack page (“Reflections on Christian Iconography”: click here) and on Ben’s (i.e., David’s) page (“Leaves in the Wind”: click here), but I’m sure many of you haven’t seen it. If that’s the case for you:

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Over at Public Orthodoxy, a short article by Taylor Ross, an instructor at Fordham University, on the subject of Origen’s method of biblical criticism is worth a look. As some of you know, Origen has shown up in various posts of mine that have dealt with Scripture, reading ancient texts intelligently, and lectio divina. Here is one paragraph from Ross’s article to whet your appetite:

'According to Origen, in other words, spiritual interpretation is the truth of Scripture, and this in the undeniably radical sense that the textually embodied Word is not yet true—not yet itself, that is to say—until it has been received in the same Spirit by which it was written. Deep calls to deep; like is known by like. So runs the mystery of recognition: “one who ha[s] devoted himself to studies of this kind, with all chastity and sobriety and nights of watching might perhaps through these means be able to trace out the sense of the Spirit of God hidden in profundity and concealed by an ordinary narrative style,” even going so far as to prove himself “an associate in the Spirit’s knowledge and a partaker in the divine counsel” itself. For “the soul cannot come to the perfection of knowledge otherwise than by being inspired with the truth of divine wisdom.” Scripture is only as revelatory as its readers are willing to see.’

You can read the whole article by clicking here.

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When I attended seminary four decades ago, I had as one of my professors Father Patrick Henry Reardon. It’s no exaggeration to say that I have had no teacher who has ever made more of an impact on my education than Fr. Pat. To this day, it’s an honor for me to count him among my friends. I can also say, with no exaggeration, that every sermon or reflection of his is an education in itself. He converted to the Orthodox Church decades ago (he claims that I had a hand in it, along with another seminarian and friend, although I would give the credit to the One to whom the credit is truly due — I still can’t recall what it was we said to him all those years back), and he pastored All Saints Antiochian Orthodox parish in Chicago for many years. He is now retired.

There are two podcast series that feature his sermons and “pastoral ponderings” that I recommend highly. They will certainly give you a taste of the quality of education I received from him, and much of the subject matter will resonate with most of you. One caveat, Fr. Pat is a man of firm convictions and strong opinions (one of the aspects of his character I most admire). In fact, the first conversation I ever had with him was in his office, during which I took issue with one of his opinions. Well, as I recall, he was right and I was just a young upstart in those days anyway, and he quickly let the steam out of me, and I immediately liked him for it. But my point here is that you may find some of his views challenging. I make no apology for that — we all need to be challenged at times so that we can learn to think.

With Fr. Pat’s sermons, I suggest that you start way back with the earliest one and not begin with the last. I promise you that you’ll learn a great deal along the way, challenged or not.

The podcasts can be found on Podbean, Spotify, etc. Or, you can hear them by going to their respective webpages:

All Saints Homilies can be heard here.

Pastoral Ponderings can be heard here.

And, in addition, you can find Fr. Pat’s books here.

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Lastly, here is an interview with Peter Hitchens (the brother of the late Christopher Hitchens), who is quite a different sort than his brother was, though just as sharp. He is a devout old-style Anglican. I haven’t always seen eye-to-eye with him, but in this video with Robin Aitken (for The New Humanum channel), I found myself agreeing with him throughout.

He’s described here as a “pessimist,” but I think he’s clearsighted in a way that’s bound to make some uncomfortable. His opinion that there are changes good and bad throughout human history, but not — overall — progress, is certainly provocative (and I think undeniably true). When he derides the idea that one is either on the “right side” or “wrong side” of history, thereby unwittingly implying that “history” is a morally consistent and objective substitute for a judging God, he’s most certainly right. There may not be a lot in this discussion that we would call “mystical,” but there’s surely in it the critical precision I associate with a genuine pragmatist. As I believe that “Christendom” is a thing of the past and the true Christian of today is a pilgrim once more (and must be a “mystic,” as Karl Rahner stated), so does Hitchens believe. And I think the contemplative person must become pessimistic towards the world, weary of its inane vicissitudes, if he or she is ever to awaken to the lastingly true, beautiful, and good, and shake off delusion.

Sometimes it takes a “pessimist” like Hitchens to jar us out of spiritual somnolence.