Reply to James White: Penance & Redemptive Suffering

Last updated on: May 23, 2020 at 3:45 pm By Dave Armstrong

Original Title: James White’s Critique of My Book, The Catholic Verses: Part VI: Penance [full book and purchase information] *** (1-2-05) *** My Introduction to the Series [12-29-04] Part I: Binding Tradition [12-30-04] Part II: Rabbit Trail Diversion [12-30-04] Part III: Ad Hominem [12-31-04] Part IV: I’m an Ignorant Convert? [12-31-04] Part V: Deceiver Dave [1-1-05] Part VI: Penance and Redemptive Suffering [1-2-05] *** [White’s URL’s: Part I / Part II / Part III] His words will be in blue: *** Chapter Nine of The Catholic Verses deals... Read more

Reply to James White on Binding Tradition

Last updated on: May 23, 2020 at 3:42 pm By Dave Armstrong

Original Title: James White’s Critique of My Book, The Catholic Verses: Part I: The Binding Authority of Tradition [full book and purchase information] *** (12-30-04) *** My Introduction to the Series [12-29-04] Part I: Binding Tradition [12-30-04] Part II: Rabbit Trail Diversion [12-30-04] Part III: Ad Hominem [12-31-04] Part IV: I’m an Ignorant Convert? [12-31-04] Part V: Deceiver Dave [1-1-05] Part VI: Penance and Redemptive Suffering [1-2-05] *** [White’s URL] I reproduce his entire argument (in blue): *** The Catholic Verses: 95 Reduced to 91 Dave Armstrong lists... Read more

Total Depravity (“None is Righteous”): Reply to James White

Last updated on: March 7, 2017 at 9:29 pm By Dave Armstrong

Calvinism and Romans 3:10-11 (“None is Righteous . . . No One Seeks For God”) Photo of James White in the You Tube video, “Dr. James White Can’t Respond To Our Documentary” (3-11-15) [standard You Tube license] *** (4-15-07) *** See James White’s article, C. Gordon Olson and the Many “Mistranslated” Texts on Calvinism (4-15-07) Before I begin, I would like to make it very clear that I am not advocating or defending Pelagianism (the doctrine that man can do anything... Read more

Reply to James White on the Papacy & Soteriology

Last updated on: March 7, 2017 at 4:25 pm By Dave Armstrong

. . . His So-Called “Review” of My Book, The One-Minute Apologist [see full book and purchase information] ***** (6-14-07) ***** Previously, I wished to press home a point of not responding to White’s critique unless and until he was willing, for a change, to have a bona fide discussion about it. But since he has made it clear (I’m so surprised that I almost fainted) that he will not (“Armstrong . . . is beyond dialogue or discussion”), my... Read more

“Luther” Film (2003): Detailed Catholic Critique

Last updated on: March 6, 2017 at 2:50 pm By Dave Armstrong

Luther at the Diet of Worms (1877), by Anton von Werner (1843-1915) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] ***(10-28-03; abridged with revised links on 3-6-17) ***I. Cinematically Excellent ***I watched Luther a few hours ago. Some visitors to my blog might be familiar with my many articles about Martin Luther, from the Catholic perspective. I would like to comment on the movie itself and then on some related historical and theological issues. First of all, the movie qua movie was superb. The... Read more

Heads Up on the #Ashtag Controversy

Last updated on: March 6, 2017 at 12:35 pm By Dave Armstrong

Atlantic Ocean (Feb. 6, 2008) Electronics Technician 3rd Class Leila Tardieu receives the sacramental ashes during an Ash Wednesday celebration aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1). U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brian May (Released) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] ***** At the beginning of Lent, in recent years, the #ashtag controversy (regarding posting pictures of one’s forehead ashes received on Ash Wednesday on social media) has increasingly grown. My initial take is: why... Read more

Importance of Interpreting Martin Luther in Context

Last updated on: March 4, 2017 at 3:56 pm By Dave Armstrong

(For example, His Views on Marriage and Sexuality) Diptych with the Portraits of Luther and his Wife (1529), by Workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (2-22-07) *** A friend of mine wrote me a letter, asking: Where can I find the context of this quote from Luther? I found it in Degenerate Moderns [E. Michael Jones] p.146 and it is quoted from [19th century Catholic biographer of Luther] Denifle p. 290 (not sure... Read more

Critiquing Martin Luther (My Motivations & Purposes)

Last updated on: March 4, 2017 at 3:22 pm By Dave Armstrong

Portrait of Martin Luther (1570), by Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515-1586) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (9-19-04) *** Protestant historian Roland H. Bainton (Here I Stand) is obviously very fond of Martin Luther (biographers generally are fond of their subjects). But he (like all fair and thorough historians) is not averse to reporting facts that reflect negatively on Luther. The fact that an admirer does so (and a reputable scholar to boot) gives the report more credibility and believability,... Read more

“Reply to Calvin” #2: Infallible Church Authority

Last updated on: March 6, 2017 at 1:05 pm By Dave Armstrong

Historical mixed media figure of John Calvin produced by artist/historian George S. Stuart and photographed by Peter d’Aprix: from the George S. Stuart Gallery of Historical Figures archive [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license] *** This is an installment of a series of replies (see the Introduction and Master List) to much of Book IV (Of the Holy Catholic Church) of Institutes of the Christian Religion, by early Protestant leader John Calvin (1509-1564). I utilize the public domain translation of... Read more

“Reply to Calvin” #1: The Elect

Last updated on: March 6, 2017 at 1:05 pm By Dave Armstrong