The Orant

Throughout most of Church history the study of scriptures was not undertaken using the historical critical method that is employed by most of the Biblical scholars today. Today most scholars seek to arrive at an understanding of what the author originally intended. However, in the ancient and medieval Church scripture was read for meaning at a basic level, looking for what the text seems to say on the surface, but than also read with the assumption that the text could be used to show meaning in … [Read more...]

In ancient times there was a commonly held belief by many peoples that gods only had power over certain lands. There might be a god who had power over Chicago, but if you went to Detroit you would have to offer sacrifices to another god. This was certainly the case in the ancient near east, the lands in which the stories of the Bible find their home.In fact one could argue that many near eastern people believed it was easier for a god to be with them in death (Psalm 139:8) then in a foreign … [Read more...]

I recently took a look at a few of Robert Barron's videos dealing with his basic arguments for believing in God:"Why do we believe in God?"The three answering Christopher HitchensHis response to Bill Maher’s film “Religulous" his book by the same name If you don't know who Robert Barron is you can find out more about him and his ministry at http://www.wordonfire.org/. Robert is a prominent theologian in the catholic church. He is the Francis Cardinal George Chair of Faith and Culture at Uni … [Read more...]

Recently the writings of St. Basil the Great have been coming up in my life. There are few christian writers who cut to the heart of the Christian's relationship with money and possessions.This commentary on Matt. 19:16-22 cuts deep. Remember this is the story where someone came to Jesus and said “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him … “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments” … the young man said to … [Read more...]

Today the Church in the west remembers one of my favorite saints, St. Francis of Assisi. Francis lived in 10th century, and is credited with bringing a wide spread renewal into the Catholic Church that in many ways continues to this very day.If you don't know who saint Francis is here are some books. Read them!St. Francis was a man who heard the call of God to rebuild God's church. So he went out and got on his hands and knees and rebuilt the chapel outside of his town. There are so many … [Read more...]

A little while ago I posted a little about Helen Montgomery. {Read Here} I thought I would post a few more thoughts i had from reading the book I quoted. Helen's book was a great resources. It provides a great overview of God's Missio Dei in the world. She does a great job of recognizing important points in the scriptures and bringing them to our attention. Her thesis seems to be: The Bible, in both Old and New Testaments, is the primary textbook through which … [Read more...]

I believe in the Bible. I find it is a beautiful book and when rightly divided it is a reliable rule for what I believe and how I behave. However there is a great deal of things I believe in which are not explicitly mentioned in the scriptures. Chief among these is the doctrine of the Trinity. Although the word trinity is never mentioned explicitly in the Bible the theological underpinnings that it imparts are core to any orthodox understanding of God. The Catholic Catechism is truly accurate … [Read more...]

Recently I was discussing my faith in Jesus with a friend of mine. Now I should mention that this friend is not a Christian, but has come out of a traditional Jewish family (although he is no longer practicing).He told me that he had recently been moving away from theology because, for him, it seemed like it wasn't a useful practice. This intrigued me so we began to discuss why he felt that way. His answer was that theology puts boundaries on God, and how God can be known. He didn't find that … [Read more...]

This week the Eastern Church will be remembering Cyriacus the Anchorite. For those of you who don't know what an Anchorite lets take a little break to go over it.Anchorites are a subset within that tradition of Monasticism. Unlike Monks and Nuns who live within communities of faith (e.g. Monasteries, convents) Anchorites live in solotude. There have been many Anchorites in the history of the church some of which include:Saint Anthony the GreatJulian of NorwichNazarenaAnd of … [Read more...]