Sola Scriptura: Church Fathers (?), & Myself (?), by Analogy

October 17, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

This idea came to me as I was responding to a claim that St. Gregory of Nyssa was an advocate of sola Scriptura. A bunch of quotes from that great Church Father were produced, where he talked about the authority of Scripture. I remarked on the Lutheran comment board where the original citations were posted (italics added presently): It’s easy to pretend that these Fathers believed as Protestants do when you only cite one aspect of their beliefs and writings and omit equally important portions about... Read more

Dialogue w Agnostic on Common Objections to Christianity

October 15, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

The following exchange of amiable private correspondence is reproduced with my opponent, Matt Fahrner’s permission. He has expressed a desire that his letter to me be available in its entirety, for contextual reasons. I have not omitted any part of it below. I thank him for this opportunity to clarify my own beliefs and to present to my website visitors a congenial (and I think constructive and instructive) discussion between a Christian and an agnostic. Matt’s words will be in blue. Indented... Read more

Dialogue: Church Fathers on Perspicuity & Sola Scriptura

October 15, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

Perspicuity is a fancy word for “clearness” / ease of understanding of Scripture. Carmen Bryant is a Baptist missionary and Bible scholar (M.A. and Th.M. from Western Seminary). Her words will be in blue. ***** The Views of the Early Church in General A study of the development of the doctrine Perspicuity of Scripture will show that it was not a teaching invented during the Protestant Reformation but a resurrected one. This I deny. I affirm precisely what Carmen denies,... Read more

St. Augustine’s Belief in the Substantial Real Presence

October 11, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

The great Church Father makes many statements which have been traditionally seized upon as evidence of his adoption of either a purely symbolic or Calvinistic notion of the Lord’s Supper. This consideration will be dealt with first, before consulting the primary materials: I. Ludwig Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, translated by Patrick Lynch, edited by James C. Bastible, Rockford, Illinois: TAN Books, 1974 (orig. 1952 in German), 377-378: The Eucharistic doctrine expounded by St. Augustine is interpreted in a purely spiritual... Read more

Homosexual Sex: In-Depth Dialogue with an Atheist

October 11, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

Words of “drunkentune” will be in blue. Rated “R” for subject matter; not for the faint of heart. Don’t come complaining to me about the paper; those of you who don’t care for the discussion. Just stop reading now if you are in that category. * * * * * How is homosexuality (not homosexual sex) “deficient”? It’s an arbitrary distinction that you make. Mere love between the same gender is fine; nothing wrong with that. But eros (of the four loves: the... Read more

Justification: Classic Catholic & Protestant Reflections

October 10, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

[see book and purchase information; only $2.99 for e-book] I. DEFINITIONS 1. Justification: Catholic Definitions A. Ludwig Ott (On Trent) “On the negative side it [justification, according to the Council’s teaching] is a true eradication of sin; on the positive side it is a supernatural sanctifying and renewal of the inner man . . . The Reformers’ teaching of the merely external imputation of Christ’s justice was rejected, by the Council of Trent, as heretical.” (3:250) B. Servant of God... Read more

Distribution of Divine Graces by Mary & Other Human Beings

October 10, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

In my paper, Mary Mediatrix vs. Jesus Christ the Sole Mediator?, I wrote: My argument (in the paper, Mary Mediatrix: A Biblical & Theological Primer must not be taken to prove more than it intends to prove. It was basically an exercise in creating what I call a plausibility structure and to show that the notion of Mediatrix is not immediately able to be dismissed as contrary to Scripture in the sense that it blatantly contradicts it. In no way do I claim that Scripture Alone proves Mary... Read more

John Calvin Misunderstood Trent’s Doctrine of Grace

October 10, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

1 Corinthians 3:9 (RSV) For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. The following is from John Calvin’s commentary on Corinthians: 9. For we are fellow-laborers with God. Here is the best argument. It is the Lord’s work that we are employed in, and it is to him that we have devoted our labors: hence, as he is faithful and just, he will not disappoint us of our reward. That man, accordingly, is mistaken who looks to... Read more

Semi-Pelagianism and Arminianism: An Introduction

October 9, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

The position of many Protestants (particularly many Calvinists) on this issue is hopelessly contradictory and incoherent, with regard to the soteriology of Arminianism and/or Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism. The definition of the latter is as follows (from two highly authoritative non-Catholic sources): [Semi-Pelagianism], while not denying the necessity of Grace for salvation, maintained that the first steps towards the Christian life were ordinarily taken by the human will and that Grace supervened only later. (Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, edited by F.... Read more

Man’s Grace-Enabled Cooperation w God (1 Cor 3:9)

October 9, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

Dialogue from a public Internet Discussion Board with a Protestant, whose words are in blue. * * * * *If the Holy Spirit “inspires,” “enables,” “prompts,” “causes,” “initiates” (or whatever synonymous term you like) our good works, how then, can it be said (of Catholic theology) that they originate with us? All we’re saying is that the human being in good graces can cooperate with God. This is — it seems to me — an explicit, undeniable, Pauline doctrine. God begins... Read more