Trying to describe Peter Leithart’s work is a bit like trying to pin down a definition for “science fiction,” when it is obvious the category is too broad. Peter’s work includes children stories and literary studies, medieval, classical, and modern (i.e. Jane Austen) as well as Biblical and theological studies.

I haven’t read every one of his works yet. Heroes of the City of Man, Ascent to Love, and Miniatures & Morales are all outside my experience. I & II Kings is not published yet (but it is on my wishlist). Here are brief descriptions of three of the books I have read.

The Kingdom & the Power

I am afraid to inquire if P&R still sells this book, but it was a fantastic exposition of the Kingdom of God. Back when I was an intern at Providence in the second half of the nineties I helped write a study guide and we used it to leads women’s Bible studies. This is a tremendous book on the Church and the Kingdom and history and worship and sacraments. It presents a Biblical alternative to “moral majority” views of the Kingdom as well as other desacramentalized visions. It was P&R’s best kept secret and it only sold to a select few fans and their Bible study victims. If you can still get this book, then do so.

Against Christianity

If The Kingdom & the Power tried to save the Kingdom of God from the Religious right and Theonomists, Against Chrisitanity finishes the job and saves it from all theologians, philosophers, and everyone else. Christianity is the heresy of heresies. Here is an early essay that became this book. Notice that it was published in a “TR” cyberjournal. P&R and “the Center for the Advancement of Paleo Orthodoxy were both happy to publish Peter. Times have changed.

A House for My Name

The best survey of the Old Testament in English.