This week, Fr. Paul reiterates the importance of hearing Scripture within its historical and sociopolitical context. Beginning with Alexander the Great’s quest for divinity, he illustrates this with references to subsequent events, like the Maccabean Revolt and the resulting Roman domination of Judah. In contrast, he critiques the folly of philosophy in biblical studies, arguing that theology, under the influence of its namesake, Alexander the Great, continues the Macedonian's quest for divinity, recounting the tale of how Aristotle's pupil once halted a battle to embark on a “spiritual journey” into the desert, seeking to understand himself as an incarnate god.