ACTS of Prayer

Last updated on: March 10, 2024 at 11:01 am By David Schloss

Is there anything more quintessential to religious faith than prayer? Regardless of the faith tradition, prayer is an essential component of what it means to be a believer in God. Nevertheless, prayer can be, and frequently is, defined in several ways. At its most basic, prayer manifests one’s relationship with God. However, since one’s relationship with God is frequently multifaceted, prayer too often has varying aspects associated with it. In this paper, I will examine four components that comprise prayer.... Read more

The Four Fathers

Last updated on: March 3, 2024 at 11:17 am By David Schloss

Plato once observed that beginnings are the most critical aspect of any endeavor. This principle may be applied to religions as much as to any other enterprise. Doubtless, several factors have led to the growth and enduring success of Catholicism, but the work and sacrifice of many early Catholics cannot be understated. In this essay, I will briefly examine four men whose lives of virtue and holiness made them not only saints but fathers of the Church. It should be... Read more

The Perennial Logos

Last updated on: February 26, 2024 at 6:12 am By David Schloss

It has been said that humans are rational beings whose nature it is to know (Aristotle. The Metaphysics. Penguin UK, 2004). Such an anthropology necessitates intelligibility at both ends of the epistemological spectrum, the capacity of the mind to know, and the presence of intelligibility in the world that allows it to be understood. The concept of intelligibility is critical to the human endeavor. Only because the philosopher, the theologian, and the scientist presuppose the existence of order and intelligibility,... Read more

Thoughts on Ashes, Lent, and The Number Forty

Last updated on: February 18, 2024 at 10:40 am By David Schloss

“Remember man, thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return.” It is the season when the faithful are reminded that they are sinners who will die. While that may not be the most uplifting of concepts, the call to repentance and the reminder of our mortality has a long and meaningful history in the Catholic tradition. In this essay, I will examine three subjects that are vital to the Catholic teachings on repentance and mortality: ashes, Lent, and... Read more

Tropes, Schemes, And Scripture

Last updated on: February 11, 2024 at 10:58 am By David Schloss

A close reading of Scripture quickly reveals the use of various literary devices such as allegories and parables. For Catholics reading the New Testament, it can sometimes be tempting to echo the apostles in Matthew 13:10, “Why do you speak in parables?” After all, what purpose do these rather strange stories serve? Despite their unusual nature, literary devices have a long history in religious pedagogy, as evidenced by their use in the Bible. In this essay, I will discuss the... Read more

The Liturgy As Ritual

Last updated on: February 4, 2024 at 11:28 am By David Schloss

It is no exaggeration to claim that human beings are religious animals. Any exhaustive study of human cultures and societies must consider the various religious practices human beings have created and engaged in. Indeed, it is nearly impossible to divorce anthropology and religion. A consequence of human religiosity is the practice of rituals. The term ritual can denote a vast number of matters, from weddings to funerals, and are ubiquitous in every culture in human history. Ritual, of course, has... Read more

The Trilemma of C.S. Lewis

Last updated on: January 28, 2024 at 11:58 am By David Schloss

Perhaps after the question of the existence of God, no more significant issue faces Catholicism than whether Jesus of Nazareth was Himself God. While the Bible provides the foundation for what Catholics believe about Christ, one of the more intriguing arguments for Jesus’ Divinity was put forth by C.S. Lewis. In his book, Mere Christianity, Lewis develops a kind of hypothetical argument that has become known as the trilemma. In this essay, I will examine the trilemma formulated in Mere... Read more

What Is Open Theism?

Last updated on: January 21, 2024 at 10:24 am By David Schloss

If it is true that theology is the study of the nature of God, that study must also include the nature of the relationship between God and human beings. Open Theism is a school of thought within Christian theology that seeks to explain the effect that human free will has on our interactions with God. In this essay, I will examine Open Theism and review the history of this unique theological perspective. Finally, I will explore whether Open Theism is... Read more

The Devil And Free Will

Last updated on: January 14, 2024 at 9:20 am By David Schloss

Perhaps the most famous work of the English artist John Martin is Satan Expelled from Heaven. As the title of the work suggests, Martin depicts Satan and his followers being evicted from Heaven as punishment for their rebellion against God. While the reality of angels and demons is widely accepted in Christianity, I would like to examine Satan within the context of free will. I will begin by exploring what Catholicism claims about angels, whether these creatures possess free will,... Read more

The Abandonment Of God

Last updated on: January 9, 2024 at 1:38 pm By David Schloss

Did God abandon Jesus on the Cross? For those who profess that Jesus is God, one of the most challenging events in the Bible to understand is the cry of dereliction. In this essay, I will examine Christ’s words and suggest that the most commonly used translation may not be the most helpful in understanding the cry of dereliction. I will then endeavor to explain Christ’s words by placing the cry of dereliction in the light of the hypostatic union.... Read more

Who was high priest when David ate the consecrated bread?