Purity again

Mike Bull responds to my comments on Athanasius’ discussion of purity and bodily secretions:

“I agree with Luther, but isn’t the point more that what comes out is ‘worthless”? Moving beyond the Old Testament pedagogical purpose of ceremonial uncleanness, affirming the goodness of bodies does not necessarily include any goodness of bodily secretions. We still judge them to be a stench, not incense. Our food, for instance, like Adam, is ‘broken in two’ to make something new. The sewer, as designated scapegoat, carries the unclean to the abyss. The scapegoat, thus, and every condemned soul at the last day, are the “exhaust” from the process of resurrection. The fact that we believers are not so is incredibly humbling. We get the crystal sea.”