Typology
Contributed by Stephen Wickman, St. Thomas Episcopal, McLean
Every time I want to have my education and intellect humbled – humiliated even – I tune into BBC Radio 4, and Good Friday morning was no exception. Melvyn Bragg explored “typology,” a method of biblical interpretation that aims to meaningfully link people, places, and events in the Hebrew Bible, what Christians call the Old Testament, with the coming of Christ in the New Testament. BBC Radio 4 – In Our Time, Typology Old Testament figures like Moses, Jonah, and King David are regarded as being ‘types’ or symbols of Jesus, a way of thinking that became hugely popular in medieval Europe, Renaissance England and Victorian Britain, as Christians sought to make sense of their Jewish inheritance – sometimes rejecting that inheritance with antisemitic fervor if not violence.
My wife, who is Jewish, felt the full force of this when she sang with my choir that evening. On the way home after a powerful service, she said she felt like apologizing: “John really had it in for the Jews!” The Passion narrative, of course, is meant to be a history, and the typological elements sometimes emerge only subtly. At other times the Gospel writers make it explicit in a parenthetical note. And the other have the same effect. Isaiah (52:13-53:12), where the servant is “despised and rejected…wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.” And Psalm 69, where the poet reports “They gave me gall to eat, and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.”
The stunning Radio 4 discussion between Bragg and his guests, Miri Rubin, Professor of Medieval and Early Modern History at Queen Mary, University of London; Harry Spillane, Munby Fellow in Bibliography at Cambridge and Research Fellow at Darwin College; and Sophie Lunn-Rockliffe, Associate Professor in Patristics at Cambridge is mostly devoted to the positive sides of typology.
But then there are the nastier bits of historical and contemporary antisemitism, which the authors of the Book of Common Prayer seem to have realized when they add this line the portion of the service devoted to prayers for “all who have not received the Gospel of Christ.”
“For those who in the name of Christ have persecuted others.”
If you are interested in further reading, the BBC provides a daunting list:
A. C. Charity, Events and their Afterlife: The Dialectics of Christian Typology in the Bible and Dante (first published 1966; Cambridge University Press, 2010)
Margaret Christian, Spenserian Allegory and Elizabethan Biblical Exegesis: The Context for ‘The Faerie Queene’ (Manchester University Press, 2016)
Dagmar Eichberger and Shelley Perlove (eds.), Visual Typology in Early Modern Europe: Continuity and Expansion (Brepols, 2018)
Tibor Fabiny, The Lion and the Lamb: Figuralism and Fulfilment in the Bible, Art and Literature (Palgrave Macmillan, 1992)
Tibor Fabiny, ‘Typology: Pros and Cons in Biblical Hermeneutics and Literary Criticism’ (Academia, 2018)
Northrop Frye, The Great Code: The Bible and Literature (first published 1982; Mariner Books, 2002)
Leonhard Goppelt (trans. Donald H. Madvig), Typos: The Typological Interpretation of the Old Testament in the New (William B Eerdmans Publishing Co, 1982)
Paul J. Korshin, Typologies in England, 1650-1820 (first published in 1983; Princeton University Press, 2014)
Judith Lieu, Image and Reality: The Jews in the World of the Christians in the Second Century (T & T Clark International, 1999)
Sara Lipton, Images of Intolerance: The Representation of Jews and Judaism in the Bible Moralisee (University of California Press, 1999)
Montague Rhodes James and Kenneth Harrison, A Guide to the Windows of King’s College Chapel (first published in 1899; Cambridge University Press, 2010)
J. W. Rogerson and Judith M. Lieu (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Studies (Oxford University Press, 2008)
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
Contributed by Andra Baylus, Regional Director of the Meher Baba Spiritual Community
April 14th in Sikhism marked the creation of the “Khalsa” by Guru Gobind Singh. This is celebrated as Vaisakhi. Vaisakhi is a major festival for Sikhs and is also a harvest Festival in the Punjab region of India.
On Vaisakhi of 1699, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, established the Khalsa, a community of baptized Sikhs who adhere to strict codes of conduct and wear the Five Ks.
The Five K’s:
The 5 K’s (Panj Kakkars) are five symbolic articles of faith in Sikhism worn by initiated Sikhs (Khalsa) to represent their commitment to the faith and its principles. These are :
- Kesh (uncut hair):
This signifies submission to God’s will and rejecting artificiality. Men wear their hair long and cover it with a turban, while women may also choose to keep their hair uncut and wear a turban. - Kangha (wooden comb):
This is a symbol of cleanliness and self-discipline. Sikhs use it to comb their hair daily and maintain its neatness. - Kara (steel bracelet):
This is a continuous steel bracelet worn on the right wrist, representing the oneness of God and the cyclical nature of life, without beginning or end. - Kachera (cotton undergarment):
This symbolizes self-control and adherence to moral principles. It’s worn as an undergarment, typically white cotton shorts. - Kirpan (small sword):
This symbolizes courage, justice, and the duty to defend the weak and oppressed. It’s a reminder of a Sikh’s commitment to fighting against injustice and tyranny.
Vaisakhi is a time of joy and celebration with Sikhs participating in religious services, Nagar Kirtan (parades with devotional singing) and other communal activities. It is also a time to reaffirm commitment to the principles of Sikhism.
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
Contributed by Stephen Wickman, St. Thomas Episcopal, McLean
We had finished rehearsing the anthem for Palm Sunday, “Love Bade Me Welcome,” when the diminutive and pleasant soprano sitting next to me turned and whispered: “I really hate this piece.” I said: “Not the music, right? It’s great. You must not like George Herbert.” She nodded.
George does not fit everyone’s taste. As the Poetry Foundation tells it (George Herbert | The Poetry Foundation) the Anglican clergyman is “nestled” squarely (or maybe roundly) in the age of Shakespeare and Milton, though his poetry would have later influence on the likes of Coleridge, Emerson, Dickinson, Hopkins, Eliot, Auden, Bishop, Anthony Hecht, and, “perhaps Robert Frost—although these later poets are more abstract in their devotion to Herbert than were his 17th-century followers.” They attribute much of Herbert’s early popularity—there were at least 11 editions of his major work, published ironically, after he died—to the carefully crafted persona of “holy Mr. Herbert” put forth by his custodians.
The most famous musical setting of this poem — the last in the compilation known as The Temple — is by Ralph Vaugh Williams (https://youtu.be/JcmkXuZyRz8). We sang an even more modern setting last Sunday, and I don’t know about you, but in this Passover/Easter/Ramadan season, the last line packs a wallop, especially for Episcopalians like me. It is so difficult for modern folks to understand, that the Poetry Foundation has even included a guide! Love (III) | The Poetry Foundation. Here is the poem.
LOVE bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lack’d anything.
‘A guest,’ I answer’d, ‘worthy to be here:’
Love said, ‘You shall be he.’
‘I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,
I cannot look on Thee.’
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
‘Who made the eyes but I?’
‘Truth, Lord; but I have marr’d them: let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.’
‘And know you not,’ says Love, ‘Who bore the blame?’
‘My dear, then I will serve.’
‘You must sit down,’ says Love, ‘and taste my meat.’
So I did sit and eat.
Here’s some of what the “guide” says about it, ending with one of my favorite words, “ambivalence.”
The poem’s last line, “So I did sit and eat,” seems unequivocal: Herbert has found his place at God’s table. Herbert’s almost interchangeable use of “Love” for “Lord” in this poem is worth noticing: “Love (III)” is the ultimate poem in a triptych on the subject. The earlier poems attempt to reclaim the term “love,” which has been sullied by secular usage. “Love (I)” opens by praising “Immortal Love, author of this great frame,” and mourning that “mortal love doth all the title gain”; “Love (II)” also addresses itself to “Love,” distinguishing between God’s “Immortal Heat” and the “usurping lust” we mortal humans mistakenly call love. As the culminating poem in the series, “Love (III)” seems to firmly settle which kind of “Love” Herbert intends to celebrate. But the poem also purports to show how God is Love—through its emphasis on God’s role as host.
Herbert’s portrait of God-as-Love has long been admired as the crowning achievement of The Temple. The philosopher Simone Weil famously had a religious experience as she recited “Love (III): “Often, at the culminating point of a violent headache,” she wrote in her Spiritual Autobiography. “I make myself say it over, concentrating all my attention upon it and clinging with all my soul to the tenderness it enshrines… It was during one of these recitations that, as I told you, Christ himself came down and took possession of me.” Yet despite the “tenderness” Weil noted, much of the poem remains equivocal, even stubbornly so. A reader looking for a tidy—or happy—ending to Herbert’s project might end up troubled by the poem’s surprising and insistent ambivalences.
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
Contributed by Stephen Wickman, St. Thomas Episcopal, McLean
Just in time for Passover and Holy Week, after Ramadan, and just as we face earth-shattering tariff and other wars, the 2025 World Happiness Report reminds us what we already know from our various faith traditions: money isn’t everything WHR Dashboard.
While there is a strong correlation between GDP and happiness, Finland, number 15 in the GDP per capita parade, is once again the world’s happiest country for seven years in a row.
The United States (number 4 in income per capita) has fallen out of the top twenty, behind Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Netherlands, Costa Rica, Norway, Israel, Luxembourg, Mexico (ole!), Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland, Lithuania (!), Austria, Canada (maybe we should become the eleventh province or even a territory), Slovenia, Czechia, United Arab Emirates, Germany, and even our ex-colonial master, the UK.
The snarky “Economist” magazine admits that gender equality, trust in national institutions and fellow citizens, and low corruption are all important factors in Finland’s happiness rating, and it is fitting that in Finland became the first country in the world to give women both the full right to vote and to run in parliamentary elections. And when Reader’s Digest “lost” 12 wallets containing cash and contact details to test the honesty of citizens in 16 cities around the world, Helsinki was tops.
Oh, and Finland has excellent free education, universal health care and family-friendly policies. Health services are not totally free, but they are affordable.
The authors find that caring and sharing, especially socializing with others, maintaining connections, sharing meals, living with others, stressing family bonds, supporting others through prosocial behavior, trusting others, and giving to others, all lead to greater happiness. Unhappiness and social distrust, however, lead to a destructive form of “populism.”
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
Contributed by Susan Posey, Redeemer Lutheran, McLean
This past week I watched with wonder as spring really made its presence known. The sprays of yellow, pink and white blossoms on the trees and pushing up through the ground, the warmer temperatures, all served to remind me that no matter our human challenges and travails, our Creator (and nature) is constant. I look forward to long walks, working in the garden and even reading on my porch again. Oh, and baseball started again. All good for the soul.
And speaking of gardening, I found in our Fairfax County Supervisor, Jimmy Bierman’s newsletter, a segment on spring gardening and growing which links to a county webpage entitled Think Spring! 12 Ways to Get Ready for Gardening and Growing Season. This page contains links to all sorts of things, such as how to get advice from a Master Gardener, how to get free mulch, and a list of local farmers markets.
The temperatures may continue to go up and down for a while, but there is no doubt that the rebirth of nature is upon us, thanks be to God. May the season bring hope and rejuvenation to us all.
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
Contributed by: Anonymous
On Sunday, February 9, 2025, about 35 people gathered for a multi-faith devotional organized by members of the Tysons Interfaith group. Held in the home of one of the members in Alexandria, the gathering honored the victims, first responders, and families affected by the recent air crash in Washington, DC.
Representatives from Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the Baha’i faiths shared prayers and reflections on life’s purpose and humanity’s spiritual journey. As prayers were offered, a deep sense of unity, compassion, and peace filled the room, highlighting our shared values and common spiritual aspirations.
The evening was a reminder that in honoring our diversity, we can also find strength, harmony, and hope in building a more united world.
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
Contributed by Andra Baylus, Regional Director of the Meher Baba Spiritual Community
You will enjoy this story which has become a classic during interfaith gatherings for Ramadan:
Years ago, before I retired, I taught ESOL ( English Speakers of Other Languages) in a middle school in Fairfax County. I had 15 children in one of my English classes, most of whom were Muslim. When I looked out at my ESOL English class, it was as though many of the people whom we associate with the religion of Islam were sitting right in front of me studying at their desks: Muhammad, Qadir, Kadija, Ali, Yusuf, Musa, Mariam, etc.
Ramadan had arrived and my Muslim students who were fasting were invited to come to the library to avoid the tempting aromas of the delicious food they otherwise would be eating. I felt they would be far more comfortable coming to their own ESOL classroom where they would be relaxed, as if they were in their own homes. It dawned on me, however, that it would be terribly insensitive of me to invite them to my classroom and then proceed to eat my lunch in front of them. At that moment, I decided that the most thoughtful thing to do was to fast along with my Muslim students. So, I began fasting….
I was friends with Negat, the ESOL teacher across the hallway, and knew that as an Egyptian Muslim she would find it interesting that I was fasting for Ramadan. So, before classes began one morning, having embarked upon fasting for Ramadan for the first time in my life, I eagerly approached her and happily shared that I was joining her and was fasting for Ramadan. I excitedly shared that I had not had anything to eat or drink in 3 days. Instead of being as encouraging as I had hoped for, she quickly responded, seemingly in shock, “You haven’t had anything to eat or drink in 3 days?” I proudly answered, “No, of course not, I made a commitment to fasting for Ramadan just like you.” Negat burst out laughing and said, “Andra, we don’t do it that way! We eat breakfast before the sun comes up and eat dinner after the sun goes down!” I let out a sigh of relief saying, “Oh my goodness Negat! I was not going to eat or drink anything for 30 days! I felt if you could do it, so could I.” This was a moment in time Negat and I will always cherish.
I continued to fast, this time more intelligently than before since I was inspired to learn more about Ramadan. During my fasting experience, I noticed some interesting changes. I actually felt closer to every human being ~ especially those suffering food scarcity. I wanted all the more to help them and did whenever I saw the opportunity to donate to a worthy cause. My heart seemed more open and I became more sensitive to the world around me and even more appreciative of the Divine orchestration of life with all of its creative forms and species. I found myself not wanting to harm any creatures whether large or small. I began taking even better care of my plants making sure they had appropriate water and pruning. Regarding everyday tasks, not being distracted by the concerns of preparing or imbibing food, actually opened up more time to focus and accomplish tasks previously put aside. Most especially, Ramadan became a time to rethink my perspective in areas of my life which I had not considered as carefully during other parts of the year. I thought about the myriad of roles I play with family, friends and colleagues and how I might enhance those relationships.
The beauty of our varied religious paths is that embedded within our respective religions are ways the Divine has ensured moments when we are encouraged to rethink and refresh our lives in order to enhance the years that we have upon this earth. One of these spiritual practices is fasting, which I have personally experienced yields many benefits. Though I fasted for 15 years and stopped for 3, once again I am going to fast during this most challenging year and beseech the “Divine By All Names” to ~ “ Guide us on the right path…” as is written in the Fatiha, the most sacred prayer in Islam. So far, the good news is that, having fasted for just one day, I am more at peace with global events and reinvigorated to be a better family member, friend and colleague and to live a more purposeful life using my gifts, skills and talents to bless the world.
What a blessing Ramadan is!
To learn more about the special holiday of Ramadan in Islam, you may find this information helpful:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ramadan
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
I went to church last Sunday. The Gospel reading was the words of Jesus in Luke 6: 27-38.
“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (New Revised Standard Version of the Bible)
That is a lot to process. Especially here and now when so much of what I hear in today’s news upsets and angers me. Things that are happening are painful to me and do not jibe with, indeed are opposite of my understanding of God and country. So, how am I supposed to incorporate this text into my life?
Helping me to grapple with this question comes big, strapping Max Miller, a not yet thirty-year-old seminarian with a Duke Divinity degree. This wise-beyond-his-years soul whom I have known since he was a child growing up in our congregation is now on his way to becoming a called and ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Max delivered for me.
In his sermon on this Gospel text, Max reminded us that the practice of loving your enemy has already moved mountains in our country! He used the examples of Jackie Robinson, Reverend Pauli Murray, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., all of whom helped us to evolve as a country by their example of love for ALL of their fellow humans. This radical love did not mean that they were doormats or were silent in the face of evil. Rather, it meant that they confronted these challenges not with violence or degradation of others, but with love. God’s love. And you can’t beat that.
The text of Max’s sermon can be found here and a video recording of his sermon can be found here.
I hope this Gospel text and Max’s observations on it give you food for thought and encouragement as they did me.
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
Contributed by: Lois Herr– First Church of Christ, Scientist, McLean
Many people set aside time in their day for prayer, reflection, or meditation. As a Christian Science practitioner, I often find inspiration in daily audio reflections, called the Daily Lift, and presented by members of our church.
A recent timely Daily Lift by Karen Neff, a Christian Science Practitioner from Mystic, Connecticut, is entitled, “Infinite good is always available.” In this segment, Karen shares about her own experience in life, and how she came to understand that even in challenging times we always have access to all that we need as God’s beloved spiritual creation.
The Daily Lift is comprised of audio presentations contributed by Christian Science church members worldwide – with the majority coming from the U.S. This particular Lift will remain on the website for thirty days before being retired.
May this segment bring you peace and encouragement.
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
Contributed by Andra Baylus, Regional Director of the Meher Baba Spiritual Community
I recently became aware of the Islamic observation of Barat. Because I love to learn about the observations of different faith traditions, I did some research and learned the following:
Shab-e-Barat or “The Night of Forgiveness” is one of the most sacred nights in Islamic tradition, celebrated by millions of Muslims worldwide. It has various names worldwide, such as Cheragh-e-Barat, Berat Kandili or Nisfu Syaaban.
Shab-e-Barat is believed to be the night in which Allah (SWT) grants forgiveness and mercy to all his believers who repent for their sins and wrongdoings.
This holy night occurs on the 15th of Shaban, the eighth month of the lunar calendar in Islam. The Persian word “Shab” means “night” while “Barat” is an Arabic word meaning “forgiveness” or “salvation.” The term together represents the night in which Muslims turn to Allah (SWT) for salvation, mercy, and forgiveness.
It is a period of spiritual reflection, praying, and remembrance and is regarded as a chance for everyone to call for redemption from their past sins and start a new reformed life. It is one of the most sacred nights in Islam, similar to the nights of Laylat al-Qadr.
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.