by Carl Prine
This is a meditation on three words -- "hearts and minds."
Many modern scholars believe that the phrase is from Templer, but it isn't.
It's from Paul and the literal translation from the Greek is exactly what the words imply, the psychological division of a man's soul betwixt that which is emotional, the heart, and the thoughts that circulate in the brain.
It appears in Chapter 4, Verse 7 of Paul's epistle to the Philippians: "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
To Paul, the words are designed to show that God and his church, like soldiers guarding the gates of a city, shall remain committed to defending their spiritual revolution against Roman persecution.
Entrusting his smuggled letter to Epaphroditus, Paul uses the language of war to describe the messenger, calling him a "fellow soldier."
That's not unusual. Paul's epistle is suffused with the language of battle and revolution, which is appropriate because he considers Philippi-- a military town garrisoned with Roman warriors — worthy of subversion, and his battle against Rome's empire is akin to war, a war that shall kill him several years later.
Much more over at Line of Departure
See also SWJ's own Dave Dilegge's 2007 entry Hearts and Minds