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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Theology: To ask is human

Hans Schaller has some profound reflections on asking in his contribution to Asking and Thanking (Concilium), p. 3.  Disputing Seneca, he says that asking is a fundamental human form of communication, for two reasons.

First, “The strength of trust, whether between God and human beings or between human beings, is always measured by the amount of room which is made for personal weaknesses, imperfections and needs.  It is a special demonstration of trust when we can express our existential needs to other people and to friends. . . . Trust grows in personal relationships where we become free from the pressure of always having to cut a strong, independent, almost impeccable figure.  Where we ask, we venture in a concrete way not to suppress or to cover up such need and inner distress, but to recognize it.”

Second, we ask because we are “spiritual beings,” and that means “Human forms of asking are not a specific consequence of our bodily situation, but arise, rather, from the midst of our spiritual existence.”  Being spiritual beings means that we recognize our need, evaluate ourselves, see our deficiencies, and communicate those to others.

Seneca to the contrary, “weakness and dependence are not unworthy of us.” Rather than a sign of deficiency, they are “a sign of our humanity” and “an opportunity to be human.”