What Do Catholics Believe?

Last updated on: June 29, 2022 at 6:17 am By David Schloss

Everyone has beliefs. The atheist or skeptic might prefer to call them presuppositions or axioms, but whatever term one wishes to use, beliefs provide the foundation of every philosophy or worldview. Catholicism is no different. Indeed, if one accepts that belief is synonymous(or at least, analogous) with faith, then belief is the sine qua non of Catholicism. In the following article, I will examine what Catholics believe and what some of the misconceptions about Catholicism are. Before commencing, however, it... Read more

The Works of Mercy

Last updated on: June 26, 2022 at 7:36 am By David Schloss

“If our church is not marked by caring for the poor, the oppressed, the hungry, we are guilty of heresy.” – Saint Ignatius of Loyola. As Catholics, we are called to work toward bringing about the Kingdom of God. This is done through prayer, it is done through participation in the Sacraments, and it is done through works of mercy. In the following paper, I will delineate and discuss the corporeal and spiritual works of mercy. I will then seek... Read more

The Myth That Happened

Last updated on: June 22, 2022 at 6:52 am By David Schloss

Is Christianity built upon a myth? One of the enduring claims of atheists and skeptics is that Christianity rehashes the ancient world’s stories of gods dying and rising. In this work, I will discuss the subject of mythology and examine the stories of dying and resurrecting gods in pagan thought. I will then explore what relationship the biblical world had to myth. Finally, I will juxtapose Catholicism with mythology. Of Dying And Rising Stories of kings and gods dying and... Read more

I Believe (The Athanasian Creed)

Last updated on: June 19, 2022 at 3:57 pm By David Schloss

This paper is the third and final in a series on the Creeds of the Catholic Church. I have previously expounded on the Apostles and Nicene Creeds. The third is the Athanasian Creed. In this work, I will provide a history of the Creed and the text itself. Lastly, I will endeavor to analyze the Athanasian Creed. History And Purpose Of The Creed The purpose of the Athanasian Creed is to summarize those essential doctrines for salvation affirmed by the... Read more

I Believe (The Nicene Creed)

Last updated on: June 15, 2022 at 6:14 am By David Schloss

In my previous paper, I commenced a series on the Creeds of the Catholic Church. Having treated the Apostles Creed, I now turn to the Nicene Creed. I will begin by reviewing the history of the Nicene Creed. I will include the Creed in the text and, finally, analyze the Creed. History And Controversy The Nicene Creed (or the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed) appears to have been a product of the Council of Constantinople in 381. However, it would not be officially... Read more

I Believe (The Apostles Creed)

Last updated on: June 12, 2022 at 9:47 am By David Schloss

“Our profession of faith begins with God, for God is the First and the Last, the beginning and the end of everything.” – Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 198. What we believe matters. Much more than science or syllogisms does the content of what we believe inform how we live. Of course, what one believes is particularly important when speaking of faith. So to properly instruct Catholics on the content of the Catholic faith, the Catholic Church has developed... Read more

The Holy Trinity

Last updated on: June 8, 2022 at 6:22 am By David Schloss

“There is but one unbegotten Being, God, even the Father; and one only-begotten Son, God, the Word and man; and one Comforter, the Spirit of truth.” – Ignatius of Antioch. Any discussion about God is a discussion about a great mystery. And at the core of this mystery is the rather extraordinary Christian claim that God is a trinity. In this work, I will endeavor to provide an introduction to this mystery. I will discuss each of the three persons... Read more

Spiritual, But Not Religious?

Last updated on: June 5, 2022 at 8:18 am By David Schloss

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” – Matthew 5:17. In the three hundred years following the Enlightenment, organized religion has steadily declined in affiliation and popularity. While a rise in atheism has accompanied this decline, there has also been an increase in the nones. The nones are people who do not identify with any religion. Within the category of the nones are those... Read more

Beauty, Art, and Image in Catholic Thought

Last updated on: June 1, 2022 at 6:31 am By David Schloss

The beauty of the Catholic faith has inspired and created some of the greatest works of art in history. From the art of Michelangelo and Donatello to crucifixes and rosaries, the use of art and symbols are an indispensable part of understanding Catholicism. Often too, art and images provide a path to bringing people to the Catholic faith as well as disposing individuals to worship. Yet, their use has also been met with criticism and controversy. In the following exposition,... Read more

Theological Virtues And The Soul

Last updated on: May 29, 2022 at 8:50 am By David Schloss

Virtue, like common sense, is a quality we all think we possess in abundance. But what exactly is virtue? For Aristotle, virtue was the habit of both knowing what is good and acting toward achieving that good. Interestingly, Aristotle thought that virtue involved the action between two extremes. For example, courage is virtuous in that it is the median between cowardice and rashness. (See Aristotle. Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. University of Chicago Press, 2012). The Catholic Church enumerates seven virtues; four... Read more

What was the primary marriage dowry in Biblical times?