The philosopher Immanuel Kant thought that religion could be and should be reduced to ethics. For Kant and the philosophers of the enlightenment, the value of religion was limited to the virtues it inculcated. In this article, the third paper in a series on sin and virtue, I will discuss what the Catholic Church has categorized as the theological and cardinal virtues. Previously, I had endeavored to examine the seven deadly sins and the seven heavenly virtues. I will begin... Read more
Not without reason, religion – including Catholicism – is often seen as a set of rules and things one is forbidden to do. While sin certainly plays a significant role in Catholic thought, so does virtue. Virtue may be defined as traits and behaviors that characterize a good person. Put differently, virtue “is a habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself.... Read more
Sin and virtue are, of course, of great importance to Catholicism. In this work, I will begin a three-part series on sin and virtue. Specifically, I will discuss the seven deadly sins, the seven lively virtues, and the seven heavenly virtues. I will commence with the seven deadly sins. The existence of sin is one of the most ubiquitous aspects of the biblical faiths. Judaism classifies six hundred and thirteen commandments that it identifies as sinful acts. In Islam, too,... Read more
“Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” – Matthew 6:25-26. One of life’s tragedies is the inverse relationship between trust and maturity. It seems the older we... Read more
“Life is precious. Life is sacred. And it ought so to be observed.” – Gordon B. Hinckley. The subject of ending one’s life is, to say the least, a complicated one and one ripe with difficult questions. Such questions must include whether anyone, – the individual or a medical professional – has the right to end a life. This question leads to yet another, what is the difference between euthanasia and suicide? Broadly speaking, euthanasia involves a physician intentionally ending... Read more
Like the books of the Old Testament, which can be categorized according to various criteria (history, prophetic, wisdom, etc.), so too are the New Testament books categorized. The first three books of the New Testament are called the synoptic Gospels. Synoptic (a Greek word that means “to see together”) because Matthew, Mark, and Luke utilize many of the same or similar stories. Gospel, too, is a Greek translation meaning “good news.” Thus it may be said that Matthew, Mark, and... Read more
In the famous prologue to John’s Gospel, we read, “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Of course, John is referring to Christ. In some translations, a very similar statement is made of wisdom. “From that time on, Wisdom appeared on earth and lived among us.” (See Baruch 3:37). In this paper, I will explore what the Bible says about wisdom and how it is often personified. Finally, I will discuss how wisdom is often associated... Read more
A simple conjuring up of God often entails the sense that God is above. Our prayers are directed to the Heavens which exist “up there.” While the concept of God and Heaven being above the earth is simplistic, the symbolism involved is of great value. This symbolism is often seen in the significance of mountains in the Bible. At least part of the reason for this lies in the ancient world’s belief that the summit of a mountain was the... Read more
“Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:15. Tradition has a special place in Catholic thought and is of great significance to understanding the Bible and Catholic theology. In this paper, I will discuss what Tradition means within the context of religion. I will discuss how Tradition provides the foundation for the creation of the Bible. Finally, I... Read more
Theology is replete with questions that may never be answered on this side of the eschaton. One such question is why God chose first-century Israel to become incarnate. Additionally, what did Saint Paul mean when he wrote that God sent His Son in “the fullness of time”? In this paper, I will examine the relationship God has with time. I will begin by reviewing how the Bible understands time. I will then discuss the timing of the Incarnation. Finally, I... Read more
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