Jesus charges in John 5 that the Jews seek glory from one another rather than the Father. It reminds me of a suggestion (I believe it came from Ken Myers) that the New York Review of Books should change its name to the New York Review of Each Other’s Books . It is a peculiar sin of intelletuals to form a community of mutual admiration, one that I’ve noticed (ironically enough) at SBL/AAR conferences. A community of mutual admiration, however, seems poised to dissolve in a Girardian fashion into a community of competitive mimesis. Just as (Augustine says) a true commonwealth is one that shows justice to God, so a true community is one whose honor comes from OUTSIDE the community, from the Father.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Ethics of Rhetoric in Times of War
What we say matters. And the way we say it matters. This is especially true in times…
How the State Failed Noelia Castillo
On March 26, Noelia Castillo, a twenty-five-year-old Spanish woman, was killed by her doctors at her own…
The Mind’s Profane and Sacred Loves
The teachers you have make all the difference in your life. That they happened to come into…
