Catholic Social Dispatches

Last updated on: April 17, 2016 at 10:47 pm By Matthew Tan

With all the intense hypervigilence and dissection of the recent Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Letitia, and equally intense online sabre-rattling over whether the Catholic faith has been transformed beyond recognition because of it, a lot of other stories in the Catholic social media landscape have received scant attention. Deliberately or otherwise, directly or indirectly, the theme of Catholic Social Teaching has figured rather prominently in these more marginal threads. What jumps out is the way in which ecclesiology seems to... Read more

Hangry Eyes: Our Ravenous Seeing

Last updated on: April 11, 2016 at 12:34 am By Matthew Tan

Eric Carmans Hungry Eyes is an awfully corny song which, combined to the dance moves and fashion statements of the movie Dirty Dancing, form the quintessential signpost to the overall corniness of the decade that was the 80s. Corny though it may be, is there some ancient truth buried beneath the refrain, especially the line which goes “One look at you and I can’t disguise I’ve got hungry eyes”? Gifts Glittering and Poisoned, authored by Chanon Ross and referred to in... Read more

When What We See Is What We Worship

Last updated on: April 3, 2016 at 10:40 pm By Matthew Tan

The old saying goes that the “eyes are the windows to the soul”, and many are quick to scoff at the grave implications of a faculty that is used so often for such mundane things that it is taken for granted. Upon examination of the Christian tradition, however, such a claim, though liable to some qualification of being the window to the soul, nonetheless posits sight as one very important access point. Consider how, of all the senses, the Christian... Read more

The Lord’s Descent into Hell

Last updated on: March 26, 2016 at 6:56 am By Matthew Tan

Below is an excerpt from an ancient Holy Saturday Homily entitled “The Lord’s Descent into Hell”, parts of which are included in the Liturgy of the Hours for the day. Something strange is happening- – there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever... Read more

Dance & Transcendance

Last updated on: October 22, 2016 at 1:49 pm By Matthew Tan

There is something uncanny about the subgenre of electronica broadly called “dance music”. In sample after sample, whether it is Ellie Goulding’s “Burn“, Juventa’s “Move Into Light“, Armin van Buuren’s “Waiting for the Night“, Koven’s “Eternal and You” or Seven Lions’ “World’s Apart“, the listener will notice that this musical genre better epitomises the postsecular than any other, for it is the most upfront in bringing in the vocabulary of soul, redemption, transcendence, eternity, light and darkness familiar to many... Read more

A Sin Called Sadness

Last updated on: March 7, 2016 at 12:57 am By Matthew Tan

In the reading of Scripture, we are familiar with the exhortations against committing specific sins. Do not fornicate, do not kill, do not steal, do not cheat your neighbour, and so on. We are warned that to sin is to earn the fruit of sin, which is death. What is less obvious are the exhortations that do not fit into any recognisable schema, most probably due to their isolated mentions in obscure parts of scripture. Key among these more obscure... Read more

Material Simulations & Flat Pack Furniture

Last updated on: March 3, 2016 at 6:13 am By Matthew Tan

After almost seven years of apartment living and relying exclusively on borrowed fixtures and chattels, with nary a stick of furniture to one’s name; and with a new term and resettlement into a new abode rapidly looming, the executive decision was made to acquire some basic new furniture to call one’s own. A few expeditionary shopping trips made it quite evident that such rapid acquisition of interior fixtures was possible, with one notable condition. The only furniture within the... Read more

The Rampage of Sloth

Last updated on: February 21, 2016 at 8:17 pm By Matthew Tan

Nowadays, we tend to associate the capital sin of sloth with laziness and listless inactivity. Because of this association, there is a tendency to associate its opposite, which is vigorous activism, with virtue. The more active, the better one’s moral disposition is. In the face of this, it is interesting to note the writings of the fourth century ascetic Evagrius of Pontus – parts of which will be covered at a course on moral and sexual integrity at Campion College... Read more

New Essay: Sarah Coakley and the Prayers of the Digital Body of Christ

Last updated on: February 15, 2016 at 9:03 pm By Matthew Tan

Janice McCrandal, lecturer in theology at Trinity Theological College in Brisbane, has edited a new volume, published by Fortress Press this year. The new work focuses on the impact of the work of the Norris-Hulse Professor of Divinity at Cambridge University, Sarah Coakley, in the field of Systematic Theology, hence the title Sarah Coakley and the Future of Systematic Theology. The edited book grew out of a symposium on Coakley’s work, held in 2010 at the United Theological College, featuring... Read more

Free Theology PDFs from Syndicate Theology

Last updated on: February 7, 2016 at 8:39 pm By Matthew Tan

The new theological project Syndicate Theology are slowly but surely attracting a growing list of avid readers. As they approach their second anniversary, Syndicate Theology have begun a special offer of their six most popular symposia in 2015, all in PDF format to readers who sign up for their weekly newsletter. Furthermore, Syndicate are offering readers refer their friends to the newsletter (using a unique link after signing up), where Syndicate offers a back issue of their print edition for each friend... Read more