The Apostles Creed contains a remarkable claim that would astonish us if familiarity had not dulled our senses. In the fourth paragraph of the Creed, we are told that Jesus descended into Hell. In this paper, I will review the basis for this assertion and what, within the context of the Apostles Creed, is meant by Hell. Lastly, I will examine the purpose of Jesus’ descent into Hell. What Is The Basis For The Claim? The Apostles’ Creed was primarily... Read more
To be sure, Jesus’ words and teachings often surprised, stunned, or even angered His listeners. The breaking in of the Kingdom of God into this world is often unsettling and even shocking. Among the more disturbing and astonishing words of Jesus are those involving the family. In this paper, I will examine two events that seem to suggest Jesus’ disdain for families. After reviewing these two occasions in the Bible, I will attempt to interpret them by placing Jesus’ words... Read more
“Upon this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” – Matthew 16:18. Jesus’ promise to build His Church would be fulfilled on Pentecost, and some two thousand years later, the Catholic Church remains. In this paper, I will seek to provide a brief overview and history of the Church and its structure. I will conclude by examining the purpose of the “mystical body of Christ.” History In a very real... Read more
In one of the most emotionally wrenching and theologically complex events depicted in the Gospels, Jesus’ cry of dereliction seems to suggest that either God abandoned Jesus or that Jesus was not God. In this paper, I will seek to explain what the cry of dereliction means and seek to explain Jesus’ death cry. I will begin by showing that it is a mistake to construe Jesus’ words on the Cross as evidence that God the Father abandoned Jesus. I... Read more
“An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” – Hammurabi’s Code. A frequent criticism of the Bible is the presence and even the condoning of violence. While this critique fails to appreciate the need to distinguish between what is in the Bible and what the Bible teaches, it is impossible to deny that the ancient world was a violent place. One of the concepts underlying the violence of the ancient world was the principle of lex talionis. ... Read more
If materialism and secularism are true, human beings are essentially accidents of biology. They are, to paraphrase Shakespeare, “poor players, that strut and fret their hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more.” Of course, this is not the teaching of the Bible or Catholicism. Instead, the biblical and Catholic view is that everything is created by God and that all living things are endowed with a soul. But what exactly is a soul, and what is it... Read more
The central tenet of Catholicism – and the foundation of the New Testament – is the belief that God became a human being. This belief, known as the Incarnation, is essential to understanding who Jesus is and His work of salvation. I will begin by asking why the Incarnation was necessary and what it means that God became a man. Lastly, I will explore the purposes and effects of the Incarnation. Why Was The Incarnation Necessary? To properly set the... Read more
The German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz is known for, among other ideas, the principle of sufficient reason. A truncated version of the principle is that everything has a reason or a cause for its existence. In this paper, I would like to extend the principle of sufficient reason to human nature. I shall like to argue that there exists something called human nature, that God creates such a nature, and – in applying the principle of sufficient reason – human nature... Read more
What does it mean to be “good”? Are the concepts of good and evil an artificial edifice imposed on us by society, or is there an objective standard by which actions can be judged? While these questions can appear abstract and philosophical, they are of no small importance to Catholics. In the following paper, I will examine these questions and argue that the concepts of good and evil are predicated upon our memory of original justice. On Good And Evil... Read more
“The name angel belongs to his office, not to his nature. You ask what is the name of his nature. He is a spirit. You ask what is the name of his office. He is an angel.” – Saint Augustine. The idea of angels has often captivated people through the ages. For most, the word angel conjures up images of Valentine’s Day and of rotund babies with bows and arrows. Yet this image of angels is very far from how... Read more
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