Between Babel and Beast
(America and Empires in Biblical Perspective)

The Glory of Kings: A Festschrift for James B. Jordan

Fyodor Dostoevsky
(Christian Encounters Series)

Athanasius
(Foundations of Theological Exegesis and Christian Spirituality)

The Four: A Survey of the Gospels

Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of Christendom

From Behind the Veil: The Epistles of John

Deep Exegesis:The Mystery of Reading Scripture

Jane Austen
(A Biography)

Solomon Among the Postmoderns

The Baptized Body

1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary

The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter

A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons

Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature

Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen

The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism

A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel

Against Christianity

From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution

Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy

Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper

A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament

Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature

Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays

Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life

The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church

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Classics: Greek thanks

At the end of a highly technical 1966 article in the Journal of Hellenic Studies, JH Quincey contrasts Greek expressions of thanks to modern English expressions: “The Greeks’ habit in accepting an offer, service, etc. was to confer praise and not thanks. The difference between their usage and ours is not just a verbal one but reflects a fundamental difference in outlook.  The Englishman with his ‘Thank you!’ is content to express his feelings, the Greeks, although no less sensible of the force of charis, saw an obligation created by a favour received and sought, in their practical, direct way, to discharge it. And since praise was a commodity of which all men had an infinite supply and which all men valued, the obligation could always be discharged immediately.  A service rendered in the ordinary world of business might need to be recorded . . . .; the debt created by a service between friends could be settled on the spot.”

Quincey cites the Republic where Socrates objects to payment for lessons by hinting “that payment between friends for services of this sort is unseemly.”  Yet Socrates doesn’t reject the notion to compensation for favors as such, and he does think that “‘feeling gratitude’ is an adequate return.”  Instead, Socrates “accepts the propriety of some kind of repayment, charin ektinein; only, he asserts, it should be a repayment of ‘praise.’”  The import is “first, that a favour calls for immediate recompense” and “second, that the normal recompense between friends is ‘praise.’”