A.C.Grayling is one of London’s chattering class who espouse a shallow secularism and dress it up as philosophy. I commented on his most recent outing the other day. Carl Olson at Ignatius Insight has engaged with Grayling’s thought, and written an excellent counter argument. Take time to read this. Carl’s work is thorough, modest, incisive and well written. His article shows why secular atheism–rather than being on the ascendent–is a weary, shallow and ageing creed. I am not particularly... Read more

I love this quotation from Cardinal Newman’s Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine;If Christianity is both social and dogmatic, and intended for all ages, it must, humanly speaking, have an infallible expounder, else you will secure unity of form at the loss of unity of doctrine, or unity of doctrine at the loss of unity of form; you will have to choose between a comprehension of opinons and a resolution into parties; between latitudinarian and sectarian error…you must accept... Read more

The Telegraph of London gives space to secularist A.C.Grayling, who argues that religious believers are dangerous kooks. Grayling dishes out the weary old argument that all religion is dangerous because of the atrocities committed in it’s name. What I can never quite grasp is that these arguments come from guys who, on paper, seem to be quite intelligent. OK, atrocities have been committed in the name of religion, but you have to set against the atrocities all the good things... Read more

Over at Pontifications there is an interesting thread about Anglicans converting to Catholicism. It is easy to compare the two churches, thinking that they are pretty much the same, and forgetting that the Catholic Chuch is simply much, much larger than the Anglican Church. Fr. Newman chucks out this statistic: there are more Catholics at Mass in the three largest parishes in Greenville, SC (hardly a hotbed of Catholicism) than there are Episcopalians at every Episcopal parish in South Carolina... Read more

There is a telling comment by Anglican theologian Ephraim Radner. He finally admits that those who wish to follow the historic Christian faith are not welcome in ECUSA. So that’s news? Anyway, Fr.Al Kimmel has a good post in reply with a good stream of comments about the future for orthodox Anglicans. I know many individual Anglicans, both clergy and laity, are looking at their options. There are really only four: A. Stay within the Anglican Church and try to... Read more

I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to post on St Joseph on Monday. Fr Christopher has a beautiful St Joseph story. He tells how St Joseph got him into the Catholic Church. Here’s one from our family: My younger brother, Daryl had become a Catholic. My older brother, Don (Yes, all five of us have names beginning with ‘D’. I know it is very Brady bunch, but this was the 1950s) was trying to sell the family business and... Read more

Check out Auntie Joanna if you would like to visit a typical British town on a Saturday night… … arrived in Manchester late on Saturday night, and the city centre was lively with shrieking, shouting young people, many drunk, a few vomiting or slumped in pub doorways. With intermittent blasts of driving rain, it was a vivid but depressing scene. Several thumped on the doors of my taxi as it took me to what was once the Free Trade Hall,... Read more

Lenten Incense The boy kneels as the Father prods the coalsthat glower in the thurible. The grayash sticks, then crumbles, shifts and falls away.The embers surge orange before the granules,like tiny jewels, are spooned onto the fire.It is a simple ritual—almost quaint–done with ancient courtesy and restraint.In the burnt brass bowl, like a little pyre,the fire and fuel co-mingle and producea waft of smoke that lifts to curl and cling,and break the chains of human suffering.It’s a burnt offering; Pentecost–... Read more

If you love C.S.Lewis, T.S.Eliot, J.R.R.Tolkien and all that gang, pick up Thomas Howard’s latest book. It’s a collection of essays and talks that he has given over the years. In his witty, inimitable style, Howard takes you into the imagination of Lewis and Tolkien. He shows you what they thought, why they thought it, and why they almost singlehandedly kept alive the Christian imagination in a world going quickly down the drain of nihilism. It’s one of my best... Read more

Go ahead. Tell me Catholics don’t have the best headgear. (Hat tip to Dappled Things) Captions please… Read more