On this episode, we attend to the sobering themes of Holy Innocents, a feast commemorating the baby boys murdered by Herod’s regime in its failed effort to stamp out the promised Messiah of Israel. This event is covered in the still-popular Coventry Carol. We discuss the theology of babies, innocency, martyrdom, the biblical imagery of evil regimes, and the recapitulation of Israel’s Old Testament story in the Gospel of Matthew. We also note how the ethics of Herod are still with us, particularly in the contemporary scourge of abortion.
Participants:
- The Rev. Barton Gingerich
- The Rev. Richard Tarsitano