In a previous essay (read here) I outlined the benefits of inculturation and why this is a major factor to understand how Christianity spread into Pagan Europe so quickly and so effectively. If you haven't read that essay yet, I strongly advise you do so before continuing here. For convenience sake, I'll provide a link... Continue Reading →
There is a word in the Catholic lexicon, and most Catholics are unfamiliar with it. It's called ultramontanism. Briefly, the word means "beyond the mountains" and it's a European reference to the Italian Alps that act as a natural northern border between Italy and the rest of Europe. Following the Protestant Revolution, wherein great portions... Continue Reading →
I am a Catholic. The reason why I go to mass is pretty simple. I go to mass solely for one reason and one reason only. It is to worship God. I don't really go for any other reason. That's pretty much it for me. I go to mass because I know that is the... Continue Reading →
It's a popular narrative from the eighth chapter of John's gospel (John 8:1-11). A woman is caught in the very act of adultery. She is dragged before Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees, so as to put Jesus to a test. They wanted to see what he would do with her. The Torah (Law of... Continue Reading →
It seems like there are Dummies Guides for everything these days. Browse any book store or library and you'll find them. There is "Religion for Dummies," and "Auto-Repair for Dummies," and "The Internet for Dummies," and "Football for Dummies." The list goes on and on. The point of Dummies Guides is to just simplify seemingly... Continue Reading →
What if I told you that much of Protestant Christianity today is currently in the midst of an identity crisis? I say "much of" because not all Protestants fall into this. There are still a few left who actually know who they are, but sadly, most Protestants today, particularly those living in the Bible Belt,... Continue Reading →
The Vatican presented something important today, 8 June, at a press conference: the Preparatory Document for the upcoming 2019 Pan-Amazon Synod in which there is now talk about giving women some “type of official ministry” and of making “courageous” and inculturated proposals with regard to the Church’s “inclusive ministerial action.” One of the leading organiziers... Continue Reading →
In our modern age (within the last 100 years or so), there has been a deliberate push to pit science against religion and vice-versa. This conflict primarily exists in the Protestant world, but bleeds over into Catholicism as well. Nowhere is this more evident than in the ongoing conflict between evolution and creationism. The players... Continue Reading →
"Bless me Father, for I have sinned..." These words mark the beginning of the confession rite for Roman Catholics, as well as some Anglicans and Lutherans. When I was an Evangelical, I scoffed at the whole thing. "Why confess your sins to a man?" I would ask "when you can confess your sins directly to... Continue Reading →
