Fear

Passages

Every passage tagged with this emotion in the Vela corpus. Search the body text, narrow by source or register, click through to a book’s profile to see how the passage sits with the rest of the work.

Page 77 of 529 · 20 per page

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  13 So prepare your minds for action, be completely sober [in spirit—steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert], fix your hope completely on the grace [of God] that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 [Live] as obedient children [of God]; do not be conformed to the evil desires which governed you in your ignorance [before you knew the requirements and transforming power of the good news regarding salvation]. 15 But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct [be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage]; 16 because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY (set apart), FOR I AM HOLY .” [Lev 11:44 , 45 ; 19:2 ] 17 If you address as Father, the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in [reverent] fear [of Him] and with profound respect for Him throughout the time of your stay on earth . 18 For you know that you were not redeemed from your useless [spiritually unproductive] way of life inherited [by tradition] from your forefathers with perishable things like silver and gold, 19 but [you were actually purchased] with precious blood, like that of a [sacrificial] lamb unblemished and spotless, the priceless blood of Christ. [Lev 22:20 ] 20 For He was b foreordained (foreknown) before the foundation of the world, but has appeared [publicly] in these last times for your sake 21 and through Him you believe [confidently] in God [the heavenly Father], who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are [centered and rest] in God. 22 Since by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves for a sincere love of the believers, [see that you] love one another from the heart [always unselfishly seeking the best for one another], 23 for you have been born again [that is, reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] not of seed which is perishable but [from that which is] imperishable and immortal, that is, through the living and everlasting word of God. 24 For, “ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS , AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS . THE GRASS WITHERS AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF , 25 BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER .” And this is the word [the good news of salvation] which was preached to you. [Is 40:6–8 ] 1 Peter 2 As Newborn Babes 1 S o put aside every trace of malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander and hateful speech; 2 like newborn babies [you should] long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may be nurtured and grow in respect to salvation [its ultimate fulfillment], 3 if in fact you have [already] tasted a the goodness and gracious kindness of the Lord.

• From How to Deal with Angry People (2023)

  He would take steps, then, to try and prevent anyone else from doing something that might make his dad angry. He would find himself impatient on behalf of his dad, hurrying the waiter along or trying to speed up the person walking too slowly in front of them. He knew his dad’s frustrations and would try desperately to cut them off early or even before they started. He would scold his siblings for being too wild, try to change the subject when they hit a conversation topic his dad didn’t like, and even avoided talking to his dad about personal things that he thought might set him off in some way. It was from this dynamic that his need for control came about. The “misbehavior” of others angered his dad, and that anger scared Nathan. His mechanism for coping with his dad’s anger was to try and prevent it, and sometimes that meant trying to control the people around him. His current girlfriend (and as we later learned, a lot of other people in his life) were bearing the brunt of that. He wanted people to behave in a particular way. He became anxious and frustrated when they didn’t do what he expected or wanted, and so he was unintentionally trying to keep people around him “in line.” Sometimes, like with his girlfriend, he used his own anger to maintain that control. So we get how Nathan became so controlling, but how did Nathan’s dad get so angry? A deep dive into his personality, at least from Nathan’s perspective, revealed that his anger stemmed from a lot of different traits that made him more likely to get angry throughout the day and more likely to express that anger outwardly. He was, for instance, impatient. He wanted things accomplished quickly and correctly. He was also prone to judgement. He had high expectations of those around him and when they failed to meet those expectations, he was very critical of them. Finally, he did not hesitate to tell people what he thought of them. He was very vocal in his criticism and this led to his often loud and aggressive outward expressions of anger. TIP Try to notice some of the complicated factors that might be informing a person’s angry personality. Is it driven by impatience, a need for control, entitlement, or some other factor? G by E Interactions Nathan’s story is an interesting one because we can see some evidence of two different ways that anger was passed on from his dad to him: genetics and upbringing. He was influenced by his father in a variety of ways, some of which started before he was even born. Any conversation about genetics and anger (or genetics and anything really) needs to start with the fact that we can’t really separate our genes from the environment.

• From Becoming Myself: A Psychiatrist's Memoir (2017)

  And that same silence reigns in the homes of all my Jewish friends. D R. Y ALOM: How do you explain that? I RVIN: Probably they want to spare us the horror. I remember the newsreels at the movies after V-E Day showing the camps and the mountains of corpses being moved by a bulldozer. I was in shock—I was entirely unprepared for this, and I’m afraid I’ll never get those scenes out of my mind. D R. Y ALOM: Do you know what your parents want for you? I RVIN: Yes—to be educated and to be American. They knew little of this new world. When they arrived in the United States they had no secular education—I mean zero… except the course to become US citizens. Like most Jews I know, they are “people of the book,” and I believe, no, I know , that they are pleased whenever they see me reading a book. They never never interrupt me when I’m reading a book. Yet, they show no signs of wanting an education of their own. I think they know that possibility has passed—they are so crushed by their hard work hours. They are exhausted every night. It must be so bittersweet for them: they work hard so that I can have the luxury of education, but they must know that each book, each page I read, tugs me farther and farther from them. D R. Y ALOM: I’m still thinking of your eating those Little Tavern hamburgers—that was the first step. That was like the bugle signaling the beginning of the long campaign. I RVIN: Yes, I waged a long war for independence, and the early skirmishes were all about food. Even before the Bar Mitzvah rebellion I ridiculed the orthodox food laws. Those laws are a joke: they make no sense, and what’s more, they cut me off from being American. When I go to a Washington Senators baseball game (Griffith Stadium is only a few blocks from my father’s store), unlike my friends, I can’t eat a hot dog. Even an egg salad or grilled cheese sandwich at the drugstore down the street is forbidden, because, my father explains, the knife that cut the sandwich might have just been used to cut a ham sandwich. I protest, “I’ll ask that it not be cut.” “No. Think of the plate that may have been used for ham,” my father or mother says. “ Traif —it’s all traif. ” Can you imagine, Dr. Yalom, hearing this when you’re thirteen? It’s insane! This vast universe—trillions of stars being born and dying, natural disasters occurring every minute on earth, and my parents insist that God has nothing better to do than to check drugstore knives for molecules of ham? D R. Y ALOM: Really? That’s the way you think at such a young age? I RVIN: Always.

• From Confessions of the Flesh (The History of Sexuality, Vol. 4) (2021)

  Cassian, Institutes, XII, 20 and 21, where the sins against the humility that is owed to God are sanctioned by the most humiliating temptations, those of a desire contra usum naturae for the filthiness of an “impure passion.”76.J. Cassian, Conferences, V, 4.77.J. Cassian, Institutes, VI, 13.78.Ibid., V, 8.79.Conferences, V, 19.80.Institutes, VI, 6.81.Ibid.82.Conferences, V, 11.83.Ibid., XII, 2.84.Ibid. Cassian bases his tripartition on a passage of [Saint Paul’s] Epistle to the Colossians 3:5.85.Didache, II, 2.86.Epistle of Barnabas, XIX, 4. A little higher up (X, 6–8), regarding food prohibitions, the same text interprets the prohibition against eating hyena as a prohibition against adultery, that against eating hare as a prohibition against the seduction of children, that against eating weasel as a condemnation of oral relations.87.Thus Saint Augustine, Sermon 56, 12.88.Didache, III, 3.89.Basil of Caesarea, Exhortation to Renounce the World, 5: “Avoid all commerce, all relation with the young brothers of your age. Flee them like fire. Numerous, alas, are those that through them the enemy has set alight and delivered over to the eternal flames.” Cf. the precautions indicated in The Long Rules (34) and the Brief Rules (220). See also Saint John Chrysostom, Contre les détracteurs de la vie monastique [Against the Detractors of Monastic Life] (P.G., vol. 47, col. 319–386).90.J. Cassian, Institutes, II, 15. Those who violate this law commit a grave sin and are suspected of “conjurationis pravique consilii.” Are these words an allusive way of designating an amorous behavior or do they allude to the danger of privileged relations between members of the same community? Same recommendations in the Institutes, IV, 16.91.Cassian’s term for designating the fact that the mind dwells on these thoughts is immorari. Delectatio morosa will later become one of the important categories in the sexual ethic of the Middle Ages.92.Conferences, XII, 7.93.Ibid., V, 11 and XII, 2. Cf. supra, pp. 221–224.94.J. Cassian, Institutes, VI, 10.95.Ibid., VI, 20.96.J. Cassian, Conferences, VII, 1 and XII, 7. Other allusions to this theme in J. Cassian, Institutes, II, 13 and III, 5.97.Ibid., XXII, 5.98.J. Cassian, Institutes, VI, 11.99.Ibid., VI, 22.100.Ibid., VI, 23.101.Cf. supra, pp. 121–124.102.Cf., in Conference XXII, 6, the example of a “consultation” about a monk who every time he presented himself for communion was the victim of a nocturnal illusion, and so did not dare take part in the holy mysteries. After the questioning and discussion, the “spiritual physicians” diagnosed that it was the devil that was sending these illusions to prevent the monk from achieving the communion he desired. To abstain would thus be to fall into the devil’s trap. To commune in spite of everything would be to defeat him. Once this decision was made, the devil had no further reason to cause that prohibitive impurity.Part III. Being Married1. The Duty of Spouses1.Saint John Chrysostom, 7th Homily on the Epistle to the Hebrews, 4. Cf. also Against the Opponents of the Monastic Life, III, 14.v.2.On this point, cf. [J. Daniélou and] H.-I. Marrou, Nouvelle histoire de l’Église, Paris, 1963, vol. 1, p. 268.3.Cf.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  Be aware that the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested [in your faith], and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful to the point of death [if you must die for your faith], and I will give you the crown [consisting] of life. [Rev 3:10 , 11 ] 11 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God] will not be hurt by the second death ( f the lake of fire).’ [1 John 5:5 ; Rev 20:14 ] Message to Pergamum 12 “And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in g Pergamum write: “ T hese are the words of Him who has and wields the sharp two-edged sword [in judgment]: 13 ‘I know where you dwell, [a place] where Satan sits enthroned. Yet you are holding fast to My name, and you did not deny h My faith even in the days of i Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed (martyred) among you, where Satan dwells. 14 ‘But I have a few things against you, because you have there some [among you] who are holding to the [corrupt] teaching of Balaam, who taught j Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, [enticing them] to eat things that had been sacrificed to idols and to commit [acts of sexual] k immorality. [Num 25:1 , 2 ; 31:16 ] 15 ‘You also have some who in the same way are holding to the teaching of the l Nicolaitans. 16 ‘Therefore repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will]; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war and fight against them with the sword of My mouth [in judgment]. 17 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], to him I will give [the privilege of eating] some of the m hidden manna, and I will give him a n white stone with a new name engraved on the stone which no one knows except the one who receives it.’ [Ps 78:24 ; Is 62:2 ; 1 John 5:5 ] Message to Thyatira 18 “And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in o Thyatira write: “ T hese are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes [that flash] like a flame of fire [in righteous judgment], and whose feet are like burnished [white-hot] bronze: [Dan 10:6 ] 19 ‘I know your deeds, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your last deeds are more numerous and greater than the first.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  6 There the centurion [Julius] found an Alexandrian ship [a grain ship of the Roman fleet] sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it. 7 For a number of days we sailed slowly and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus; then, because the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the leeward (sheltered) side of Crete, off Salmone; 8 and hugging the shore with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea [on the south side of Crete]. 9 Now much time had been lost, and b navigation was dangerous, because even [the time for] the fast (Day of Atonement) was already over, so Paul began to strongly warn them, 10 saying, “Men, I sense [after careful thought and observation] that this voyage will certainly be a disaster and with great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 However, the centurion [Julius, ranking officer on board] was persuaded by the pilot and the owner of the ship rather than by what Paul said. 12 Because the harbor was not well situated for wintering, the majority [of the sailors] decided to put to sea from there, hoping somehow to reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there . 13 So when the south wind blew softly, thinking that they had obtained their goal, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, hugging the coast. Shipwreck 14 But soon afterward a violent wind, called Euraquilo [a northeaster, a tempestuous windstorm like a typhoon], came rushing down from the island; 15 and when the ship was caught in it and could not head against the wind [to gain stability], we gave up and [letting her drift] were driven along. 16 We ran under the shelter of a small island [twenty-five miles south of Crete] called Clauda, and with great difficulty we were able to get the ship’s c skiff on the deck and secure it. 17 After hoisting the skiff [on board], they used d support lines [for frapping] to undergird and brace the ship’s hull; and fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis [off the north coast of Africa], they let down the e sea anchor and lowered the sails and were driven along [backwards with the bow into the wind]. 18 On the next day, as we were being violently tossed about by the storm [and taking on water], they began to jettison the cargo; 19 and on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle (spare lines, blocks, miscellaneous equipment) overboard with their own hands [to further reduce the weight]. 20 Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm kept raging about us, from then on all hope of our being saved was [growing worse and worse and] gradually abandoned.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  [Ps 45:4 , 5 ; Zech 1:8 ; 6:1–8 ] The Second Seal—War 3 When He (the Lamb) broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature call out, “Come.” 4 And another, a e fiery red horse [of bloodshed], came out; and its rider was empowered to take peace from the earth, so that men would slaughter one another; and a great sword [of war and violent death] was given to him. [Zech 1:8 ; 6:1–8 ] The Third Seal—Famine 5 When He (the Lamb) broke open the third seal, I heard the third living creature call out, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse [of famine]; and the rider had in his hand a pair of scales (a balance). [Zech 6:1–8 ] 6 And I heard something like a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius (a day’s wages), and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not f damage the oil and the wine.” [2 Kin 6:25 ] The Fourth Seal—Death 7 When He (the Lamb) broke open the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature call out, “Come.” 8 So I looked, and behold, an ashen (pale greenish gray) horse [like a corpse, representing death and pestilence]; and its rider’s name was Death; and Hades (the realm of the dead) was following with him. They were given authority and power over a fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword and with famine and with g plague (pestilence, disease) and by the wild beasts of the earth. [Ezek 14:21 ; Hos 13:14 ] The Fifth Seal—Martyrs 9 When He (the Lamb) broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained [out of loyalty to Christ]. 10 They cried in a loud voice, saying, “O Lord, holy and true, how long now before You will sit in judgment and avenge our blood on those [unregenerate ones] who dwell on the earth?” [Gen 4:10 ; Ps 79:10 ; 94:3 ; Zech 1:12 ] 11 Then they were each given a white robe; and they were told to rest and wait quietly for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed. The Sixth Seal—Terror 12 I looked when He (the Lamb) broke open the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as h sackcloth [made] of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; [Joel 2:10 , 31 ] 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, like a fig tree shedding its late [summer] figs when shaken by a strong wind.

• From The Decameron (1353)

  It chanced one day that the lady, whose name was Madam Isabella, being gone, as is our custom in summer-time, to abide at a very goodly estate she had in the country and her husband having ridden somewhither to pass some days abroad, she sent for Leonetto to come and be with her, whereat he was mightily rejoiced and betook himself thither incontinent. Meanwhile Messer Lambertuccio, hearing that her husband was gone abroad, took horse and repairing, all alone, to her house, knocked at the door. The lady's waiting-woman, seeing him, came straight to her mistress, who was closeted with Leonetto, and called to her, saying, 'Madam, Messer Lambertuccio is below, all alone.' The lady, hearing this, was the woefullest woman in the world, but, as she stood in great fear of Messer Lambertuccio, she besought Leonetto not to take it ill to hide himself awhile behind the curtains of her bed till such time as the other should be gone. Accordingly, Leonetto, who feared him no less than did the lady, hid himself there and she bade the maid go open to Messer Lambertuccio, which being done, he lighted down in the courtyard and making his palfrey fast to a staple there, went up into the house. The lady put on a cheerful countenance and coming to the head of the stair, received him with as good a grace as she might and asked him what brought him thither; whereupon he caught her in his arms and clipped her and kissed her, saying, 'My soul, I understood that your husband was abroad and am come accordingly to be with you awhile.' After these words, they entered a bedchamber, where they locked themselves in, and Messer Lambertuccio fell to taking delight of her.

• From Girls & Sex (2016)

  “No, it’s not ‘too hard,’” Maddie replied, “I just don’t want to do anything with you.” To spare his feelings, she said it was out of respect for her friend, the one he’d called “crazy.” “She doesn’t have to know,” Josh said. Maddie shook her head. “No. I just don’t want to.” At that, she said, Josh began to pout, acting injured and rejected. Just then, Anthony began honking his car horn. They scrambled into the backseat and Josh brandished a bottle of rum. “I don’t know where the top is,” he said, “and we can’t drive with an open bottle in the car.” He thrust it toward Maddie, adding, “So you have to drink it.” Maddie shook her head. She did not want to drink any more. “Oh, it’s okay,” Anthony explained. “Rum makes your blood alcohol go up, but you won’t feel drunk.” Maybe she was just trying to get through a dicey evening, trying to avoid antagonizing two large, older boys; besides, Anthony wouldn’t start the car until that bottle was empty. “Be cool,” she told herself as they passed it around. “Just get yourself home, get to bed.” She tried faking a few sips, but in the end, she guesses she downed about six shots. After that, her memory fragmented. She recalled crying more over Kyle’s betrayal. She remembered going to a fast-food drive-thru. She remembered Josh pulling her onto his lap. And then she blacked out. Don’t Tell Girls Not to Drink; Tell Rapists Not to Rape

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  11 Indeed, it magnified itself to be equal with the e Commander of the host [of heaven]; and it took away from Him the daily sacrifice (burnt offering), and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down (profaned). 12 Because of the transgression [of God’s people—their irreverence and ungodliness] the host will be given over to the wicked horn, along with the regular sacrifice; and righteousness and truth will be flung to the ground, and the horn will do as it pleases [by divine permission] and prosper. 13 Then I heard a holy one (angel) speaking, and another holy one said to the one who was speaking, “How much time will be required to complete the vision regarding the regular sacrifice, the transgression that brings horror, and the trampling underfoot of both the sanctuary and the host [of the people]?” [Luke 21:24 ] 14 He said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings; f then the sanctuary will be cleansed and properly restored.” Interpretation of the Vision 15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; then behold, standing before me was one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of the Ulai, which called out and said, “Gabriel, give this man (Daniel) an understanding of the vision.” [Dan 9:21 ; Luke 1:19 , 26 ] 17 So he came near where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell face downward; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the [fulfillment of the] vision pertains to [events that will occur in] the time of the end.” 18 Now as he (Gabriel) was speaking with me, I drifted into a deep sleep (unconsciousness) with my face to the ground; but he touched me and made me stand [where I had stood before]. 19 He said, “Behold, I am going to let you know what will happen during the final time of the indignation and wrath [of God upon the ungodly], for it concerns the appointed time of the end. The Ram’s Identity 20 “The ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia. The Goat 21 “The shaggy (rough-coated) male goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the great horn between his eyes is the g first king. 22 “Regarding the shattered horn and the h four others that arose in its place, four kingdoms will rise from his (Alexander’s) nation, although not with his power and heritage. 23 “At the latter period of their reign, When the transgressors have finished, A i king will arise Insolent and skilled in intrigue and cunning. 24 “His power will be mighty, but not by his own power; And he will corrupt and destroy in an astonishing manner And [he will] prosper and do exactly as he wills; He shall corrupt and destroy mighty men and the holy people.

• From Another Country (1962)

  “Well, one thing, Leona, they ain’t going to call the law.” He kissed her. “They ain’t going to think nothing, honey.” “You coming in with me?” “Sure, I’m coming in with you.” He held her away from him. “All you got to do is sort of straighten your clothes”—he stroked her body, looking into her eyes—“and sort of run your hand through your hair, like this”—and he brushed her hair back from her forehead. She watched him. He heard himself ask, “Do you like me?” She swallowed. He watched the vein in her neck throb. She seemed very fragile. “Yes,” she said. She looked down. “Rufus,” she said, “I really do like you. Please don’t hurt me.” “Why should I want to hurt you, Leona?” He stroked her neck with one hand, looking at her gravely. “What makes you think I want to hurt you?” “People do,” she said, finally, “hurt each other.” “Is somebody been hurting you, Leona?” She was silent, her face leaning into his palm. “My husband,” she said, faintly. “I thought he loved me, but he didn’t—oh, I knew he was rough but I didn’t think he was mean. And he couldn’t of loved me because he took away my kid, he’s off someplace where I can’t never see him.” She looked up at Rufus with her eyes full of tears. “He said I wasn’t a fit mother because—I—drank too much. I did drink too much, it was the only way I could stand living with him. But I would of died for my kid, I wouldn’t never of let anything happen to him.” He was silent. Her tears fell on his dark fist. “He’s still down there,” she said, “my husband, I mean. Him and my mother and my brother is as thick as thieves. They think I ain’t never been no good. Well, hell, if people keep telling you you ain’t no good”—she tried to laugh—“you bound to turn out pretty bad.” He pushed out of his mind all of the questions he wanted to ask her. It was beginning to be chilly on the balcony; he was hungry and he wanted a drink and he wanted to get home to bed. “Well,” he said, at last, “I ain’t going to hurt you,” and he rose, walking to the edge of the balcony. His shorts were like a rope between his legs, he pulled them up, and felt that he was glued inside them. He zipped up his fly, holding his legs wide apart. The sky had faded down to purple. The stars were gone and the lights on the Jersey shore were out. A coal barge traveled slowly down the river. “How do I look?” she asked him. “Fine,” he said, and she did. She looked like a tired child. “You want to come down to my place?” “If you want me to,” she said. “Well, yes, that’s what I want.” But he wondered why he was holding on to her.

• From Lost Christianities: Christian Scriptures and the Battles over Authentication (2002)

  79 Christians began to emphasize, instead, the salvation of the soul in the world beyond. Heaven and hell then became centrally important categories. This transformation of emphases can be seen in the Apocalypse of Peter. The book was unknown until it was discovered in a monk’s tomb in 1886. But it was mentioned by authors of the late second century; thus, it was written possibly within ¿ fty years of the Revelation of John. The account begins with Jesus teaching his disciples on the Mount of Olives, and the disciples asking when the end will come. Jesus then describes the future—his return as judge of the earth and the torments and ecstasies awaiting people at his judgment—in such a way that gives one the sense that he is actually taking his followers on a tour of the places of the damned and blessed. The torments are particularly lurid and show that the punishments of the damned match their crimes (blasphemers are hanged by their tongues over eternal ¿ re; adulterers, by other bodily parts; and so on). The blessings are less graphic but are clearly meant to convey the sense of eternal bliss for those who experience them. The author of this ¿ rsthand narrative (allegedly Peter himself) had several major points to make with his account. Anyone who sides with God will reap a reward; anyone who opposes God will pay an eternal and horri ¿ c price. Ultimately—appearances notwithstanding—God is in control of all that happens in this world. In other words, this account, like other early Christian apocalypses, is not meant merely to scare people into avoiding certain kinds of behavior—lying, committing adultery, blaspheming, relying on wealth, and so on—but also to explain that the evil and suffering of this age will be resolved in the next; that what happens here will be overturned there; that those who succeed by being wicked now will pay an eternal price later. In contrast, those who suffer for doing what is right now will be vindicated forever, as God shows once and for all that he and he alone is sovereign over this world. Ŷ The Apocalypse of Peter … was unknown until it was discovered in a monk’s tomb in 1886. 80 Lecture 18: The Apocalypse of Peter J. K. Elliott, Apocryphal New Testament, pp.593–612. Martha Himmelfarb, Tours of Hell: An Apocryphal Form in Jewish and Christian Literature. Edgar Hennecke and Wilhelm Schneemelcher, eds., New Testament Apocrypha, vol. 2, pp. 620–638. 1. What other kinds of theodicies (explanations of how there can be evil in a world controlled by an all-powerful and all-loving God) have been put forth to make sense of suffering? How does the apocalyptic mode of theodicy compare and contrast with other kinds? 2. Why do you suppose apocalyptic thinking survives in some Christian circles still today but appears, for the most part, to be absent from the “mainstream” churches? Questions to Consider Essential Reading Supplementary Reading

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  23 “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and f does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will]. [Matt 17:20 ; Luke 17:6 ; 1 John 5:14 ] 24 “For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you. 25 “Whenever you g stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him [drop the issue, let it go], so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions and wrongdoings [against Him and others]. 26 h [ “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions.” ] Jesus’ Authority Questioned 27 They came again to Jerusalem. And as Jesus was walking in the [courts and porches of the] temple, the i chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him, [Matt 21:23–27 ; Luke 20:1–8 ] 28 and began saying to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question, and you answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 “Was the baptism of John [the Baptist] from heaven [that is, ordained by God] or from men? Answer Me.” 31 They began discussing it with each other, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 32 “But j shall we say, ‘From men?’ ” —they were afraid [to answer because] of the crowd, for everyone considered John to have been a real prophet. 33 So they replied to Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” Mark 12 Parable of the Vineyard Owner 1 J ESUS BEGAN to speak to them [the chief priests, scribes and elders who were questioning Him] in parables: “A man PLANTED A VINEYARD AND PUT A a WALL AROUND IT , AND DUG A PIT FOR THE WINE PRESS AND BUILT A TOWER ; and he rented it out to tenant farmers and left the country. [Is 5:1 , 2 ; Matt 21:33–46 ; Luke 20:9–19 ] 2 “When the harvest season came he sent a b servant to the tenants, in order to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 “They took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 “Again he sent them another servant, and they [threw stones and] wounded him in the head, and treated him disgracefully.

• From The Decameron (1353)

  From these things and many others like unto them or yet stranger divers fears and conceits were begotten in those who abode alive, which well nigh all tended to a very barbarous conclusion, namely, to shun and flee from the sick and all that pertained to them, and thus doing, each thought to secure immunity for himself. Some there were who conceived that to live moderately and keep oneself from all excess was the best defence against such a danger; wherefore, making up their company, they lived removed from every other and shut themselves up in those houses where none had been sick and where living was best; and there, using very temperately of the most delicate viands and the finest wines and eschewing all incontinence, they abode with music and such other diversions as they might have, never suffering themselves to speak with any nor choosing to hear any news from without of death or sick folk. Others, inclining to the contrary opinion, maintained that to carouse and make merry and go about singing and frolicking and satisfy the appetite in everything possible and laugh and scoff at whatsoever befell was a very certain remedy for such an ill. That which they said they put in practice as best they might, going about day and night, now to this tavern, now to that, drinking without stint or measure; and on this wise they did yet more freely in other folk's houses, so but they scented there aught that liked or tempted them, as they might lightly do, for that every one--as he were to live no longer--had abandoned all care of his possessions, as of himself, wherefore the most part of the houses were become common good and strangers used them, whenas they happened upon them, like as the very owner might have done; and with all this bestial preoccupation, they still shunned the sick to the best of their power.

• From The Well of Loneliness (1928)

  Honour, good God! Was this her honour? Mary, whose nerves had been strained to breaking! A dastardly thing it would be to drag her through the maze of passion, with no word of warning. Was she to know nothing of what lay before her, of the price she would have to pay for such love? She was young and completely ignorant of life; she knew only that she loved, and the young were ardent. She would give all that Stephen might ask of her and more, for the young were not only ardent but generous. And through giving all she would be left defenceless, neither forewarned nor forearmed against a world that would turn like a merciless beast and rend her. It was horrible. No, Mary must not give until she had counted the cost of that gift, until she was restored in body and mind, and was able to form a considered judgment. Then Stephen must tell her the cruel truth, she must say: ‘I am one of those whom God marked on the forehead. Like Cain, I am marked and blemished. If you come to me, Mary, the world will abhor you, will persecute you, will call you unclean. Our love may be faithful even unto death and beyond — yet the world will call it unclean. We may harm no living creature by our love; we may grow more perfect in understanding and in charity because of our loving; but all this will not save you from the scourge of a world that will turn away its eyes from your aoblest actions, finding only corruption and vileness in you. You will see men and women defiling each other, laying the burden of their sins upon their children. You will see unfaithfulness, lies and deceit among those whom the world views with approbation. You will find that many have grown hard of heart, have grown greedy, selfish, cruel and lustful; and then you will turn to me and will say: “ You and I are more worthy of respect than these people. Why does the world persecute us, Stephen? ” And I shall answer: “ Because in this world there is only toleration for the so- called normal.” And when you come to me for protection, I shall THE WELL OF LONELINESS 345 say: “ I cannot protect you, Mary, the world has deprived me of my right to protect; I am utterly helpless, I can only love you.” ’ And now Stephen was trembling. In spite of her strength and her splendid physique, she must stand there and tremble. She felt deathly cold, her teeth chattered with cold, and when she moved her steps were unsteady. She must climb the wide stairs with in- finite care, in case she should inadvertently stumble; must lift her feet slowly, and with infinite care, because if she stumbled she might wake Mary. 4

• From The Well of Loneliness (1928)

  And yet she was utterly helpless, and she knew it. All that she did seemed inadequate and childish: ‘ When I was a child I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child.’ Remembering Saint Paul, she decided grimly that surely she had remained as a child. She could sit and stare at them — these poor, stricken lovers — with eyes that were scared and deeply re- proachful: ‘ You must not let anything spoil your loving, I need it, her eyes could send them that message. She could love them in her turn, possessively, fiercely: ‘ You’re mine, mine, mine, the one perfect thing about me. You’re one and you're mine, I’m fright- ened, I need you!’ Her thoughts could send them that message. She could start to caress them, awkwardly, shyly, stroking their hands with her strong, bony fingers — first his hand, then hers, then perhaps both together, so that they smiled in spite of their trouble. But she dared not stand up before them accusing, and say: ‘I’m Stephen, I’m you, for you bred me. You shall not fail me by failing yourselves. I’ve a right to demand that you shall not fail me!’ No, she dared not stand up and speak such words as these — she had never demanded anything from them. Sometimes she would think them quietly over as two fellow creatures whom chance had made her parents. Her father, her mother — a man, a woman; and then she would be amazed to dis- cover how little she knew of this man and this woman. They had once been babies, and later small children, ignorant of life and 92 THE WRPUL OF LONELINESS utterly dependent. That seemed so curious, ignorant of life — her father utterly weak and dependent. They had come to adolescence even as she had, and perhaps at times they too had felt unhappy. What had their thoughts been, those thoughts that lie hidden, those nebulous misgivings that never get spoken ? Had her mother shrunk back resentful, protesting, when the seal of her woman- hood had been stamped upon her? Surely not, for her mother was somehow so perfect, that all that befell her must in its turn, be perfect — her mother gathered nature into her arms and embraced it as a friend, as a well loved companion. But she, Stephen, had never felt friendly like that, which must mean, she supposed, that she lacked some fine instinct.

• From The Canterbury Tales (2009)

  When Arcite had finished his prayer, the rings that hung upon the doors of the temple began to shake; the doors themselves trembled with some unearthly power. And Arcite became afraid. The fires upon the altar flared up, and the whole temple was filled with brightness. A sweet scent issued from the ground, and wafted through the trembling air. Arcite raised his hand and sprinkled more incense upon the flame. When he had finished all the rites of worship, he waited with head bowed. The statue of Mars began to move, and the god’s coat of arms rattled. There was a sound as of low murmuring, and one word was whispered. ‘Victory!’ Arcite rejoiced and, having paid homage to Mars, returned to his lodgings with high hopes for the coming battle. He was as exultant as a lark ascending. Yet now, as a result of these events upon the earth, there sprang up strife among the gods above. Venus and Mars were opposed, the goddess of love against the god of war. Jupiter attempted to resolve their dispute, but it was really Saturn who restored their harmony. Saturn is the pale and cold god, but he was experienced in all the foibles and adventures of the other divinities. He knew how to bring unity to the chambers of heaven. Age has its advantages, after all. It is a sign of wisdom and of long practice. You can outrun the old, but you cannot outwit them. It may not be in the nature of Saturn to quell strife and dispel terror, yet on this occasion he found the means to satisfy both parties. ‘Venus, my granddaughter,’ he said. ‘My wide orbit extends much further than humankind can understand. Mine is the drowning in the dark sea. The prisoner in the dark cell is also mine. I am the lord of strangling and of hanging by the throat. I am the leader of revolt and rebellion. I provoke the loud groaning. I administer the secret poison. When I am in the sign of Leo, then I deal out vengeance and punishment. I stand in triumph above the ruined halls. I throw the walls down on masons and on carpenters. I slew Sampson as he shook the pillar. I am the master of shivering ague. I direct the treasons and the secret plots. I smile upon pestilence. So listen to me now. Weep no more. I will look after you. Your knight, Palamon, will win the lady just as you have promised to him. Mars will in turn help Arcite and save his honour. Nevertheless there must now be peace between the two of you. I know that you have different temperaments, and that as a result there is division between you, but enough of strife. I am your grandfather. I am ready, and willing, to help you. Dry your eyes.’ So spoke dread Saturn.

• From How to Deal with Angry People (2023)

  moment. One day, through sobs and tears, he said “I don’t want to be this way. I don’t want to be a tyrant. I don’t want people to be scared of me.” Nathan had grown up with a tyrant. His father was an angry person, but in a very different way than Nathan was. Nathan’s anger was largely situational. To use Allport’s terminology, it was a secondary trait. He got angry in a specific set of circumstances and it seemed to be rooted in jealousy and a desire to control his girlfriend. He was scared of losing her and that fear came out in a really awful way. Nathan’s dad, though, wanted to control everything and everyone. He was quick to snap, not just at Nathan, but at anyone he interacted with. For Nathan’s dad, the anger was a central trait. His anger was wildly unpredictable. You could essentially count on it to be two things: frequent and intense. Otherwise, Nathan had a hard time knowing when or why that anger would come up. He would encounter a situation he didn’t like and he would get angry about it. He also tended to voice that anger in a way that was really scary to Nathan. He would yell and he would swear. Sometimes at Nathan, his siblings, or Nathan’s mom, but often just at strangers. Nathan told me that he spent his entire life scared of his dad. Whenever they were together, he was worried his dad would snap – maybe at him or maybe at someone else around them. He told me that both of those things were scary to him. He hated the sound of his dad yelling, even when it wasn’t at him. He spent his life on eggshells* anxious that he would do something that made his dad angry. Worse yet, he would worry that someone around him would do something to make his dad angry. It was an odd fear for him because he knew that he couldn’t control what the people around him did, yet he spent quite a bit of time thinking about it. He would go to a restaurant with his dad and he would start to panic if it seemed like the waiter was taking too long, scared it would make his father angry. He would start to get anxious if one of his siblings was doing something that might frustrate his dad, worried his dad would yell at them. He would take steps, then, to try and prevent anyone else from doing something that might make his dad angry. He would find himself impatient on behalf of his dad, hurrying the waiter along or trying to speed up the person

• From Paul and Palestinian Judaism (40th Anniversary Edition) (2017)

  If a man is like a father to orphans, God will be like a father to him (4.10). 1] Ben Sirach And the Lord will not delay, neither will he be patient with them, till he crushes the loins of the unmerciful and repays vengeance on the nations; till he takes away the multitude of the insolent, and breaks the sceptres of the unrighteous (adikoi); till he repays man according to his deeds, and the works of men according to their devices; ... (35.18-19; Greek 35.19-22) 337 We have already seen that the wicked may expect to suffer at the time of death. Ben Sirach also regarded other afflictions in life to be the result of sin; see 10.13 and 12.6, where the wicked are said to be afflicted and punished. He is confident, however, that the righteous, on the other hand, escape affliction: Blessed is the man who does not blunder with his lips and need not suffer grief for sin. ( 14. 1) No evil will befall the man who fears the Lord, but in trial he will deliver him again and again. (33. I) Although the Lord will not delay avenging the righteous when they pray and is then not patient with the wicked (35.18, immediately above; God's haste is in response to the prayer of the humble), he is generally long- suffering with man. His slowness to anger may mislead the wicked into thinking that their sins will go unpunished (5.4). Although, as we saw above, God's mercy is thought of as being shown to those who obey him, he is mindful of man's evil plight and therefore inclined to be patient: What is man, and of what use is he? What is his good and what is his evil? The number of a man's days is great ifhe reaches a hundred years. Therefore the Lord is patient with them and pours out his mercy upon them. He sees and recognizes that their end will be evil; therefore he grants them forgiveness in abundance. The compassion of man is for his neighbour, but the compassion of the Lord is for all living beings. He rebukes and trains and teaches them, and turns them back, as a shepherd his flock. He has compassion on those who accept his discipline and who are eager for his judgments. (18.8-9, I 1-14) His patience and forbearance, however, will not prevent his punishing the sinner strictly for his transgressions. Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha [III Atonement But what of atonement? Is the sinner irrevocably doomed to suffering in life and torment at the time of death? Apparently not, since Ben Sirach shared the general belief that atonement is possible. Among good deeds, two are singled out which atone for transgression. They are honouring one's father and giving alms.

• From Another Country (1962)

  There were many things she could not demand of Eric. Their relationship depended on her restraint. She could not go to him now, for example, at two in the morning: this liberty was not in their contract. The premise of their affair, or the basis of their comedy, was that they were two independent people, who needed each other for a time, who would always be friends, but who, probably, would not always be lovers. Such a premise forbids the intrusion of the future, or too vivid an exhibition of need. Eric, in effect, was marking time, waiting—waiting for something to be resolved. And when it was resolved—by the arrival of Yves, the signing of a contract, or the acceptance, in Eric, of a sorrow neither of them could name—she would be locked out of his bed. He would use everything life had given him, or taken from him, in his work—that would be his life. He was too proud to use her, or anyone, as a haven, too proud to accept any resolution of his sorrow not forged by his own hands. And she could not be bitter about this, or even sorrowful, for this was precisely why she loved him. Or, if not why, the why of such matters being securely locked away from human perception, it was this quality in him which she most admired, and which she knew he could not live without. Most men could—did: this was why she was so menaced. Therefore, she too, was marking time, waiting—for the blow to fall, for the bill to come in. Only after she had paid this bill would she really know what her resources were. And she dreaded this moment, dreaded it—her terror of this moment sometimes made her catch her breath. The terror was not merely that she did not know how she would rebuild her life, or that she feared, as she grew older, coming to despise herself: the terror was that her children would despise her. The rebuilding of her own life might have reduced itself, simply, to moving out of Richard’s house—Richard’s house! how long had she thought of it as Richard’s house?—and getting a job. But holding the love of her children, and helping them to grow from boys into men—this was a different matter. The cab driver was singing to himself, in Spanish. “You have a nice voice,” she heard herself say. He turned his head, briefly, smiling, and she watched his young profile, the faint gleam of his teeth, and his sparkling eyes. “Thank you,” he said. “We are all singers where I come from.” His accent was heavy, and he lisped slightly. “In Puerto Rico? there can’t be very much to sing about.” He laughed. “Oh, but we sing, anyway.” He turned to her again. “There is nothing to sing about here, either, you know—nobody sings here.” She smiled. “That’s true. I think singing—for pleasure, anyway—may have become one of the great American crimes.”