Oral Tradition According to Great Historic Apologists

October 18, 2019 By Dave Armstrong

Here I present biblical texts having to do with this topic (RSV), followed by commentary from one or more great historic Catholic apologists. These excerpts are all drawn from my 2012 book, Classic Catholic Biblical Apologetics: 1525-1925. Bibliographical briefs of each apologist can be read on that book page. Source information will be added at the end (below). ***** John 3:3-5, 9-10 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of... Read more

C. S. Lewis & Low-Key, Gentle, Subtle Evangelism

October 17, 2019 By Dave Armstrong

From: The Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis, Vol. II: Books, Broadcasts, and the War, 1931-1949, edited by Walter Hooper, HarperSanFrancisco, 2004: (I assumed last night that I was talking to those who already believed). If I’d been speaking to those who didn’t, of course everything I’d said would be different. (To Patricia Thomson, 8 December 1941, pp. 499-500) * Many laymen who believe the Christian doctrines desire to hear them supported and expounded from the pulpit, and are disappointed when... Read more

C. S. Lewis Believed in Vicarious, Redemptive Suffering

October 17, 2019 By Dave Armstrong

It’s a quite biblical theme: redemptive suffering, or joining our suffering with that of Christ (see several papers of mine on it, below); yet Protestants often do not address this scriptural theme, and claim that such a view denies the sole salvific / redemptive sufficiency of the cross and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus. In any event, those who ignore this biblical motif and practice have to alternately explain several Bible passages that explicitly teach it. The Anglican C. S.... Read more

“Solo” Scriptura vs. Sola Scriptura: Reply to Keith Mathison

October 16, 2019 By Dave Armstrong

Words of Keith A. Mathison will be in blue. ***** A fashionable Protestant comeback to the merciless beating that sola Scriptura has been taking over the past twenty or so years from Catholic, Orthodox and conservative Anglican apologists alike, has been the claim that present-day evangelical Protestantism — following the tradition of early Anabaptism and other breakaway sects –, accepts a greatly distorted version of the primal, “magisterial” notion of the mainstream early Protestant leaders (or so-called “Reformers”), regarding the... Read more

Catholic Sexuality: Cordial Dialogue with an Agnostic

October 15, 2019 By Dave Armstrong

Dr. JD Eveland is a very thoughtful and congenial agnostic. He responded to my post, Catholic Sexuality: A “Nutshell” Explanation. His words will be in blue. * * * * * You’ve provided a quite detailed and cogent summary of the Catholic position, most of which I was pretty familiar with and, obviously, disagree with in many ways. I do wish that you had perhaps provided a little less dogma and little more actual engagement with the issues that I raised, because even among... Read more

“New” / Ordinary Form / Pauline Mass: a Traditional Defense

October 15, 2019 By Dave Armstrong

. . . with Massive Historical Documentation, + Summary of Vatican II on Liturgical Reform Sacrosanctum Concilium, or The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, was promulgated at the Second Vatican Council, on 4 December 1963. Pope Paul VI issued Missale Romanum, or Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Missal, on 3 April 1969 (“MR” below). I shall, before proceeding, present some highlights of both of these documents, categorized by topic: ***** 1. Diversity of Liturgical Rites * Lastly, in faithful obedience to tradition, the sacred... Read more

C. S. Lewis: Either Hated or Loved by Readers / Hearers

October 14, 2019 By Dave Armstrong

I have long noted that apologists (including myself) are basically either loved or viewed with contempt and hatred. I think we know (basically) why that is, if we listen to Jesus saying that His disciples would be “hated by all” for His sake. It’s the message that is hated, of course. Since the apologist carries and defends that message (and given that many folks have the hardest time separating persons from opinions and viewpoints), he or she gets the scorn.... Read more

St. John Henry Newman: Photograph & Portrait Page

October 14, 2019 By Dave Armstrong

The following photographs and portraits (above the ten asterisks below) are from The National Portrait Gallery, London: which was founded in 1856. Its purpose is ‘to promote through the medium of portraits the appreciation and understanding of the men and women who have made and are making British history and culture, and … to promote the appreciation and understanding of portraiture in all media’. The license for all of these NPG images is Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).... Read more

Son Matthew’s Miraculous Cure of Lyme & Related Maladies

October 12, 2019 By Dave Armstrong

Matthew, almost 23 (photo from April 2019 above) spontaneously wrote this testimony, this morning. I have played editor a bit. ***** Physical Health update for all those who have had me in their thoughts and prayers this past year. For all those who are unaware, my health has been up and down for close to two years, starting with immense food poisoning on a trip to Florida’s Rainforest Cafe in Disney World. It was so bad that it led to... Read more

Anglican Newman on Oral & Written Apostolic Tradition

October 12, 2019 By Dave Armstrong

As to tradition, I should speak thus: – facts of whatever kind are only known (except by miracle) in two ways – by senses and by testimony. Past facts cannot be known by senses and therefore are by testimony. Tradition resolves itself into testimony. A written or printed book is the testimony of a stranger – and believed because others bear witness to its trustworthiness. Tradition is the succession of testimonies, of each age to the next, of which the... Read more