Apocalypse Illuminated by Richard K. Emmerson

A focus of my studies in Oxford this past Michaelmas Term was medieval eschatology, particularly the exegesis of the Book of Revelation in illuminated Apocalypses.  I soon discovered this area is more complex than I expected perhaps because the medieval church did not insist on much dogma in eschatology beyond the teaching of the Nicene Creed that Jesus “shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.” Thus there was space for a lot of interesting diversity in the details of eschatology.  And events such as the year 1000 and invasions from Muslims and Tartars certainly goaded speculation on the details of end times.

At the same time, the many failed predictions, especially those that involved dates, assisted more conservative eschatologies to reassert themselves from time to time.  And most of the commentary texts of medieval illuminated Apocalypses reflect more conservative interpretations even as those, too, differ.

In short, medieval eschatology and its artistic expression is a fascinating but not at all easy area of study.  This is reflected in disagreements and occasional errors in modern scholarship.  Speaking of which, I am having to unlearn a thing or two I learned in Oxford!

So I appreciate a recent (and reasonably priced) acquisition to my library, Apocalypse Illuminated, The Visual Exegesis of Revelation in Medieval Illustrated Manuscriptsby Richard K. Emmerson, published just last year.  I’ve come across a number of excellent books in my studies on the subject, but Emmerson’s stands out as the best overview. It certainly well aids and clarifies the study of a complex subject.

Emmerson goes over the similarities and differences between various illuminated Apocalypses very well and uses a multitude of illustrations well in so doing.  His speculations as to what may have motivated bursts of creation of these lavish books, which clustered around certain times such as the third quarter of the 13^thcentury, is also helpful.

And Emmerson is not at all merely derivative but advances scholarship.  One example stood out to me.  He boldly states that a number of very reputable scholars are mistaken in attributing a prediction that the end would come in 1260 to Joachim of Fiore.  He attributes that failed prediction to Joachimite followers instead and noted Joachim himself was adverse to setting dates though he was certainly bold in other respects.

Do be aware that, as Emmerson makes clear, Apocalypse Illuminated focuses on how these manuscripts interpreted the Book of Revelation and on the influences behind those interpretations. Thus, though well illustrated, this is not an art book.

I could praise Apocalypse Illuminated further.  But I will just say this: if I were to lead a seminar on medieval illuminated Apocalypses and accompanying eschatology, I would choose this book as theintroductory text.  If there is a more scholarly, more readable, and more up-to-date overview in this area, I for one am not aware of it.

Oxford and Charles King and Martyr

I will get it out of the way that I am not a devotee of Charles I.  I will leave it at that out of consideration for a number of my Anglo-Catholic friends and because my opinion on his worthiness is not that important anyway.

At the same time, one of the venerable charms of Oxford is its devotion to Charles I.  Statues and portraits of him are all over the University on college quads, in libraries, in dining halls, in chapels, and more.  And that although he “borrowed” most of the colleges’ silver plate to mint coins!  There is even a window in a college chapel in which the face of Jesus looks suspiciously like Charles.

It is as if Oxford, which was Charles’ de facto capital during the Civil War, never really fully recognized defeat in said war.  It is a perpetual, very civilized rebellion of the elite, a refusal to give in to defeat along with a willingness to forgive Charles’ errors, even the silver.  As far as the University of Oxford is concerned, Charles I remains and always will be their king.

And in case one thinks I am waxing a bit much about an unwillingness to bother to take down statues no one cares about anymore, I urge such impious skeptics to repent and get thee to Pusey House tomorrow at 6:30pm for a High Mass for “Charles, King and Martyr.”  See for yourself Oxonian devotion to His Sacred Majesty, King Charles the First, of Glorious Memory.

Thoughts After Holocaust Remembrance Day

We rarely note secular observances at my church.  We do recognize mothers and fathers during Mothers and Fathers Day.  (But we do NOT allow those days to hijack our services as so many churches do.)  And that may be about it.

But during announcements yesterday while leading Morning Prayer, I could not allow Holocaust Remembrance Day to pass unnoted.  For, as I told the congregation, this is personal with me.  About half the kids I went to school with were Jewish.  And I remember as a youth watching documentaries on the Holocaust and thinking the West has learned its lesson; there will never be a revival of anti-semitism in the West again.

I was wrong.  There is a revival of anti-semitism today.  

Although I avoided getting into politics in a church setting, and although I freely admit no political party is immune to anti-semitism, in the U. S. it is the Democrat Party that is enabling a revival of anti-semitism. Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s appointment of the anti-semitic Congresswoman from Somalia, Ilhan Omar, to the House Foreign Affairs Committee where she will be privy to sensitive intelligence is particularly alarming and outrageous.

As I told the congregation, we Christians should pray as to how to combat anti-semitism in our midst.  The best way I can think of is to call it out.  The exposure of the anti-Jewish bigotry of the leaders of the Woman’s March took a while to be effective.  Nonetheless that organization has now lost much of its power and credibility as several prominent Lib/Left women have disassociated themselves, to their credit.

I think similarly we should be unceasing in calling out those who embrace Louis Farrakhan and refuse to disavow him.  I’m talking about you, James Clyburn.

There is more that must be done.  But calling out anti-semitism among political and religious leaders is a good start.

Again, it is sad that we in the West have come to this yet again.

March for Life Confrontation a Classic Leftist Tactic

Once full videos came out of the confrontation between Leftists and Catholic High School students at the March for Life, it became clear to me that what we have here is not nasty racism from a bunch of crackers (although there was really vile racism from the Leftists).  Instead, we have a textbook example of a classic totalitarian Leftist tactic – create a confrontation then play the victim for the cameras and for deceptively edited videos.

Oh, and the Native American who walked up to a student and banged his drum in his face has a history of playing the victim.

Even if the target does not respond or responds peacefully or even passively, the “victim” and Leftist backers carry on as if an outrage has occurred. I’ve seen this tactic first hand.  And here is a famous and enjoyable example [language warning with insane screaming].

Now the gentleman in the above example may not have acted perfectly; likewise for some of the Catholic high school students (They’re TEENAGERS for goodness sake!) And, of course, totalitarian Leftists exaggerate, distort and lie about any such imperfections for their political ends.

I will say the student who passively stood his ground and smiled while the drum was in his face is a hero in my book. 

I was going to write more on this when I found William Jacobson already has with videos and personal examples no less.  So read, watch, learn.  What happened at the March for Life is a frequent way totalitarians target their opponents.

Why the Current American Political Situation is So Dangerous

This is a big picture post so I will cut to the chase.  The United States is in a precarious situation because increasingly we no longer agree on the ground rules for political combat.  We have had our radical politics before, such as during the Great Depression.  But even then, and for over 200 years, there was a consensus on the political ground rules – that the Constitution rules (although there has long been disagreement on its application).  Oh sure, Democrats and the Deep State Establishment have tried, with too much success, to get around the Constitution.  But few have openly suggested trashing it altogether.

But now Beto the Boy Wonder has openly questioned whether the Constitution should rule today:

Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke recently questioned the modern-day relevance of the U.S. Constitution and whether the country should still be governed by “the same principles that were set down 230-plus years ago.”

“I think that’s the question of the moment: Does this still work?” Mr. O’Rourke asked during a taped conversation with two friends, which he aired to thousands in response to President Trump’s Oval Office address to the American people about the border wall, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

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“Can an empire like ours with military presence in over 170 countries around the globe, with trading relationships … and security agreements in every continent, can it still be managed by the same principles that were set down 230-plus years ago?” Mr. O’Rourke reportedly asked.

And it is fair to say Beto is in the mainstream of the Democrat Party today and is popular to boot.  Heck, he gave Ted Cruz a good run in Texas.

Disregard for the Constitution is usually not so openly expressed even in the Democrat Party.  At least not yet.  But by their actions, Democrats have long showed they really do not care much for the Constitution and its principles.  Rampant attacks on free speech are only one example of this disregard.

Whatever one thinks of the Constitution (I am a adamant advocate of it.), it is dangerous for what is now the mainstream of a major party to have such disregard for the basic ground rules of political combat in any country.

Allow me to use American football to illustrate.  Football has a number of complicated rules. The purpose of many of these is to keep the players from maiming each other and worse.  Yes, the players try to get around the rules, but there is agreement that the rules are the rules.  And there is today a player culture that frowns on breaking the rules in order to injure another.  Rules can and do get changed – amended if you will – but they are respected during a game even when broken.

What can happen if the rules are disregarded by the authorities or applied with an obvious double standard (or there is at least the widespread perception thereof)?  Well, you get the Bengals-Steelers game of January 2016.  It. Was. Ugly.

We already have a Bengals-Steelers situation in this country.  In the political realm at least, roughly a third of this country has utter contempt for roughly another third and visa versa.  That has certainly happened before. (And, yes, we did have our Civil War.) But what if, in addition, the rules, the Constitution, gets tossed aside?  What if there is not even agreement on the political ground rules of the Constitution anymore?  Well, increasingly there is not.

And we are therefore in great danger of political combat getting out of hand even into widespread violence as Ace has warned:  

…If you attempt to ditch the Constitution and keep actual Americans enslaved under a no-longer-American government, expect violence.

Because that's straight-up tyranny.

That may sound alarmist.  But what keeps us from each others’ throats most of the time is agreed upon rules of political engagement.  If one side arbitrarily tosses the rules, why should the other side still be nice and obey the rules?

Now probably the other side should still obey the rules, but try explaining that to them.  If a large segment of the population feels their lives and liberty are under threat by tyrants who disregard both and disregard the Constitutional rule of law, we are at great risk of violence and worse.

Trust me that I hope I am being alarmist.  I certainly hope and pray that the tyrannical segment of the population and the totalitarians they are electing are so utterly and repeatedly defeated in coming elections that they will find better things to do than attacking our Constitutional freedoms and the Constitutional rule of law.  I think that the only good and relatively peaceful way out of our current situation.  But given the cyclical nature of politics, I am not optimistic.

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NOTE:  Ace sees a “national divorce” of the United States splitting up as the best way out.  I understand that, but disagree for now and don’t see that happening.  I do agree with him that the current situation is that bad.

Look Who Introduced the House Resolution Against Steve King

First off, I am among those who find Rep. Steve King’s (R-IA) recent comments about White supremacy and White nationalism unacceptable.  And I have said so in another public venue. 

And I am glad to see Republicans in the House acted quickly to strip him of his committee assignments.

But that makes a serious problem in politics today all the more glaring.  Those in the Democrat Party who defend or even associate themselves with racism (usually against Whites) or antisemitism get treated with kid gloves.  Heck, one such Congressman, James Clyburn (D-SC), has shared a stage with the vile racist antisemite Louis Farrakhan and has since refused to condemn him.  And Clyburn is not only a Democrat in good standing in the House; he is No. 3 in the House Democrat leadership.

And look who introduced the resolution condemning King’s remarks – James Clyburn.

Now the resolution rightly passed with almost unanimous support.  Even Steve King, to his credit, voted for it.  But James Clyburn was the wrong man to introduce it.  Once again, the Democrat Party’s double standard on racism and bigotry is glaring.

Democrats Only Respect Elections They Win

I’m old enough to remember when Democrats respected election results.  But, yes, I’m not very young.  In recent decades, Democrat leaders and activists seem to respect only those elections they win. See 2000.  See 2016 and what is really an ongoing attempted coup against that presidential election.  Heck, when was the last election of a Republican President after which Democrats genuinely respected the results? 1988?

Democrats are yet again showing their colors in openly still disrespecting the results of the 2018 Georgia Gubernatorial election in which the Republican Kemp won by over 50,000 votes.  The official twitter account of the Georgia Democrat Party has dubbed him “Georgia’s Asterisk Governor.” That’s not from California, Washington, Oregon, or Vermont.  That’s the Georgia Democrat Party.

And in case one thinks those are just the rantings of a twitter account administrator, the Democrat candidate Stacey Abrams never has respected and fully accepted the results.  And she was joined in that by such mainstream Democrats as Hillary Clinton and Cory Booker.

This pattern from Democrats disturbs.  When one major party persistently disrespects elections and the Constitution when elections and/or the rule of law do not go their way, the very foundations of the country are in danger.  For if a major party does not respect constitutional democracy when the results don’t go their way, then they don’t respect constitutional democracy at all.  And what happens when such a party gains power for any length of time?

What we have here is a major political party that acts more like totalitarians than Americans.  Yes, I said it.  It’s true, and it needs to be said.  A first step out of our precarious situation is for us to open our eyes to what the Democrat Party has become.

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Yes, I have voted for a number of Democrats in the past.  I doubt I can consciously do that again.

Are we at Revelation 13:17?

When I was younger, I took the Book of Revelation pretty literally. I therefore expected Revelation 13:17 to be fulfilled by a world government requiring an actual mark or tattoo of some sort with those not submitting being unable to buy or sell.  Yes, I am a child of 70's American evangelical Christianity.

Now with bar codes and the like (and with several governments making cash more and more unusable), such a literal fulfillment is certainly possible.  But I am beginning to wonder if a less literal fulfillment is happening now.  For both governments and corporations are making doing business more difficult for those who do not submit to lib/left cultural standards.  Robert Spencer of JihadWatch has been banned by Patreon and MasterCard.  The State of New York has made banking difficult for the National Rifle Association.  And this is for starters only.  Those in power, both government and corporate power, with totalitarian tendencies are making life more and more difficult for more and more of those determined to exercise their free speech against various Leftisms and Islam.

Jordan Peterson is so concerned about Patreon’s part in the attacks on free speech that he is leaving that platform.  His announcement of that also summarizes much of the current war on free speech. Give it a good listen.

Bishop Gavin Ashenden has also noted the use of finance to attack free speech.  He, too, wonders if this is Revelation 13:17 happening today.  And really such a less literal fulfillment is more likely. Why should “the Beast” bother with putting physical marks on everybody if invasive modern technology can be used to effectively “deplatform” and defund those who refuse to submit? That certainly seems the direction the beast of tyranny seems to be going today in its attacks on free speech.

And remember this is not the first time corporations have been the willing tools of tyrants.  That is exactly what happened in Nazi Germany and what has been happening in China for years.

And now it’s beginning to happen even in the United States. Whether this is Revelation 13:17 or not, that should alarm all who care about freedom of speech.