The opening paragraph of his latest essay is a fascinating intro involving religiously sanctioned transvestitism, emasculation and beautiful words.
Atargatis, the “Syrian Goddess,” was a demanding mistress. For one thing, her priests (the galli) could win their way into her affections only by emasculating themselves. According to the De Dea Syria, attributed to Lucian of Samosata, any young man disposed to dedicate himself to her service in Hierapolis had to make this first and most extravagant oblation on one of her high holy days, in a fit of divine ecstasy, with a single economic slash of a sacred sword kept at her temple. After that, he would run naked and bleeding through the city streets until he found a home into which he felt inspired to fling the freshly severed jetsam. Any household thus “honored” was then required by religious decency to supply the new initiate with female attire and adornments.
To which Hart, one of the finest essayists active in any field today comments:
Now, admittedly, we all do our best to lay up treasure in heaven, and I suppose one ought not to cast around too many peremptory judgments regarding other people’s pieties; but I think most of us can agree that this was a fairly exorbitant sum to place in escrow on an uncertain bargain.
The rest of the article is a brilliant thought piece on Classical pagan religion, excess, passion, zeal, piety, the role of public devotion and why anyone would ever chop off bits of their penis. And it will make you laugh.
Your Correspondent, Constantly harassing honest citizens with that most annoying expression of happy piety; singing in public
Zoomtard: 
You turned me onto Hart by pointing your readers in the direction of _Gates of the Sea_, which meant a lot to me when the Haiti thing happened. I’ve read a few things by him now. He could be a new C.S. Lewis for our age—or is he too mean? I love his voice. Hey, forgive my prying, but how did you take his sharply critical stance toward Reformed theology in _Gates_? Or was he just going after the caricature? I know Reformed theology isn’t _one_ thing, of course.
Hey Brent. I hope you’re doing well. I love the book and I appreciate the question so I wrote a short blog post in response and it will go live on Thursday. 😉
By the way, I can’t imagine a CS Lewis for our age. Do you think apologists will ever be able to work on so high a level?
Do you actually write your blog posts in advance and release them on a schedule? That’s very impressive.
I’ve been revisiting Lewis in the past couple of years after being away from him for, oh… about 20 years or so. I’ve been to seminary in the meantime, read a lot of theology, studied the Bible in depth, etc. And he still holds up! _The Problem of Pain_ is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful statements of the gospel I’ve ever read. What a writer!
Hart could be an incredibly effective apologist—if he could be bothered to do so!
I try to publish something every week day and that means when I write more than one thing I just push it down the queue.
After trawling through photos of DB Hart looking serious and solemn, I recently said to my wife that if I ever end up being a public theologian/apologist type person she was to remind me to litter the internet with photographs of me smiling. DB Hart seems to be unwilling to play the role of public person that would be required for him to have more of an impact. It’s almost as if a quiet life of worship and teaching is sufficient for him… weird! 😉
Btw, how is someone with as WASPy a name as David Bentley Hart Eastern Orthodox? I assume he converted.