God, Humanity and Exile

Last updated on: January 24, 2020 at 4:37 am By Henry Karlson

In the 16th century, Rabbi Isaac Luria presented his own developed insight on the Kabbalah. He established a new tradition which would become one of the most influential representations of the Kabbalah for centuries. He was more systematic than most of his predecessors in his engagement with the Kabbalah, allowing him to establish new ways of discussing the relationship between God and creation. In doing so, he took into consideration and addressed the experiences of the Jewish people in his... Read more

Rooting Out Antisemitism

Last updated on: January 23, 2020 at 7:02 am By Henry Karlson

Meeting with a delegation from the Simon Wiesenthal Center on January 20, 2020, Pope Francis reiterated his concern for the growth of antisemitism in the world. In doing so, he made it clear that antisemitism must be confronted and opposed, wherever it is found: Hatred and the sowing of evil. Even recently, we have witnessed a barbaric resurgence of cases of antisemitism. Once more I firmly condemn every form of antisemitism. To tackle the cause of the problem, however, we... Read more

St. Maximos, The Purpose of Humanity and Universal Salvation

Last updated on: January 21, 2020 at 10:38 am By Henry Karlson

In his works, St. Maximos the Confessor indicated God’s desire for humanity: In the beginning, the human being was created for this purpose: to ascend in desire to the Cause (aitia) and then, accordingly, to descend to the created things that follow the Cause, and thus, having rightly investigates these things with knowledge, to raise them up to their Creator. [1] God intended humanity to be deified. God wanted humanity to join in with him, to partake of the divine... Read more

Speculations: 4 – Multiverse

Last updated on: January 20, 2020 at 4:34 am By Henry Karlson

In many contemporary science fiction stories, as well as in some speculative scientific studies, the idea of alternative realities has been raised. These alternative realities are said to be similar to our own. They contain many of the same people, places and things in them. The difference lies in the choices which are made by the people in each reality. Different choices lead to the creation of different histories, and the more these choices differ, the more the different realities... Read more

St. Antony the Great and God’s Universal Presence

Last updated on: January 17, 2020 at 4:36 am By Henry Karlson

After seeking God through an ascetic life of prayer, St. Antony the Great realized a great truth: God was always there, and will always be there, working for us, doing all he can for us and our benefit. Wherever we are at, God is present, working on our behalf, even if we ignore him or turn away from him. No one is outside of God’s providential care, which is why when someone is ready to turn to him and follow... Read more

Clerical Celibacy: Not Essential to Orders

Last updated on: January 16, 2020 at 7:44 am By Henry Karlson

In the fourth century, perhaps at the Council of Nicea, perhaps at Sardica (which often had its decrees confused with Nicea), there arose a debate concerning married clergy and whether or not those who had been married before their ordination could continue to be with their wives. The Synod of Elvira (which took place before Nicea, perhaps around 305), a local council in Hispania Baetica (now, Southern Spain), had issued in its canons a decree that forbade married clergy from... Read more

Anti-Popes, Anti-Traditionalism, and the Current Attacks on Pope Francis

Last updated on: January 14, 2020 at 1:48 pm By Henry Karlson

The very nature of an anti-Pope is duplicitous, because, on the one hand, it is founded upon the principles of the papacy and the acceptance of the authority of the Pope of Rome, but on the other hand, it usurps that authority and in doing so ultimately denies it by rejecting its legitimate possessor. It is, in this way, a fit representation of many so-called “traditionalists,” because they claim to follow and support the authority of the Pope (because of... Read more

Merkabah and Christianity

Last updated on: January 13, 2020 at 4:34 am By Henry Karlson

Many of beliefs and teachings expressed by Jewish mystics in the first few centuries of the common era were shared by many Christians. This is because the two were still interconnected, even if they were slowly moving towards mutual independence. Christians were interested in what the Jews believed, but they also knew that they had to interpret what they received from the Jews within a hermeneutic which included the coming of Jesus Christ and the Gospel message. To properly understand... Read more

The Pope Apologized

Last updated on: January 10, 2020 at 4:34 am By Henry Karlson

When the Pope was walking through St. Peter’s Square, a woman grabbed his arm as he was passing on by, tugged him in her direction, and would not let go as he tried to get his hand free from her grasp. After a couple unsuccessful attempts to libertate, he slapped the hand of the woman who was holding on to him, trying once again to get free. The video of the event show that Pope Francis was in pain. It... Read more

Speculations: 3 – Artificial Intelligence

Last updated on: January 9, 2020 at 4:35 am By Henry Karlson

In recent times, many theorists have speculated on the possibility of the creation of some sort of artificially created intelligence, that is, some form of intelligence which has been manufactured instead of developed through organic evolution. They have considered various ways artificial intelligence could manifest itself, though most of them are related through some development with computers, whether or not such intelligence will be found contained within a computer, or some sort of machine with a computer brain (like an... Read more

What Christian group is known for its emphasis on "total depravity"?