The week of Reformation Day: “Reformation Day and Schism”

Last updated on: November 22, 2020 at 3:51 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

Today begins the week that includes, October 31, the day that Protestants have traditionally called “Reformation Day.” For it is the day that in 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg. We are now only 4 years away from the 500th anniversary of those earth-shaking events that transformed the trajectory of Western Christianity. During this week I will be posting links to several articles in commemoration of Reformation Day. These articles... Read more

Caution! Bill O’Reilly’s “Killing Jesus” is historically flawed

Last updated on: November 22, 2020 at 3:51 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

Read the review of the book over at The Catholic Thing. The reviewer is David G. Bonagura, Jr., who teaches theology at St. Joseph’s Seminary, New York. Several years ago I penned a piece on O’Reilly and his theological acumen. Entitled, “Don’t Know Much About Theology,” you can read it here. Read more

Nothing

Last updated on: August 7, 2022 at 11:26 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

There is literally nothing here. Read more

Bob Dylan’s amazing live version of Mr. Tambourine Man from 1995

Last updated on: November 22, 2020 at 3:51 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

When my brother, Jim, and I saw Dylan in Vegas on May 13, 1995, he sang it just this way during that live performance. Read more

A question I didn’t think anyone was asking: Where did all these Calvinists come from?

Last updated on: November 22, 2020 at 3:51 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

Read all about it at The Gospel Coalition. BTW, I think it’s a great question! Read more

Great cover of Bob Dylan’s pro-Israel song, “Neighborhood Bully.”

Last updated on: November 22, 2020 at 3:51 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

The band is called “Daniel Israel and Blood on the Tracks.” The lyrics to the song follow: Neighborhood Bully (music and lyrics by Bob Dylan) Well, the neighborhood bully, he’s just one man His enemies say he’s on their land They got him outnumbered about a million to one He got no place to escape to, no place to run He’s the neighborhood bully The neighborhood bully just lives to survive He’s criticized and condemned for being alive He’s not supposed... Read more

My cousin Tony Sclafani’s new book: Grateful Dead FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About the Greatest Jam Band in History

Last updated on: November 22, 2020 at 3:51 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

My cousin Tony Sclafani recently published a book, Grateful Dead FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About the Greatest Jam Band in History (Backbeat Books, 2013). Here’s a summary of it: The Grateful Dead rose out of San Francisco’s 1960s underground rock scene with an unprecedented sound and image. The group’s members were steeped in rock, folk, classical, and blues, and their instrumental prowess and refusal to bow to commercial conventions helped originate jam band music. Unapologetic in their advocacy of drug use... Read more

The Underground Thomist: J. Budziszewski’s scholarly website

Last updated on: November 22, 2020 at 3:51 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

J. Budziszewski, professor of government and philosophy at the University of Texas, has a new website, The Underground Thomist. I was perusing it this morning. It is really amazing. You should check it out. Read more

Gerald McDermott: Is Evangelical Liberalism an Oxymoron?

Last updated on: November 22, 2020 at 3:51 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

Just saw this essay this morning on First Thing‘s On the Square. Here is Professor McDermott’s conclusion: The lesson Evangelicals should learn from this new dust-up over evangelical theology and modernity is that sola scriptura is necessary but not sufficient for maintaining theological orthodoxy. Only a “single-source” view of scripture and tradition in which hermeneutical authority is given to the mutual interplay of Scripture and orthodox community—the method that the church practiced for most of Christian history—can protect evangelical theology from going... Read more