Pneumatology: Studying The Holy Spirit

Last updated on: February 23, 2025 at 12:00 pm By David Schloss

The word mystery has a specific meaning when used in a religious context. It connotes a divinely revealed truth whose possibility cannot be rationally conceived. Rather, it must be divinely revealed and, even after its revelation, cannot be fully understood by the finite mind. The incomprehensibility of revealed mysteries derives from the fact that they are manifestations of God, who is infinite and, therefore, beyond the complete grasp of a created intellect. The Holy Trinity certainly is at the heart... Read more

Insights from Catholic Anthropology

Last updated on: March 4, 2025 at 1:16 pm By David Schloss

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At first glance, the term Catholic anthropology seems rather strange. After all, what does the Catholic religion have to do with excavating some desert site? Of course, anthropology is so much more than that. In this essay, I will examine what Catholic anthropology is, its importance in understanding the Catholic faith, and what anthropology in general, and Catholicism specifically, can teach us about what it means to be human. What Is Anthropology? An overly broad definition is that anthropology is... Read more

Catholic Engagement With World Religions

Last updated on: February 9, 2025 at 11:49 am By David Schloss

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Catholicism is the world’s largest religion, with nearly 1.4 billion adherents to the faith. It is also one of approximately 10,000 religions worldwide. This leads to a question. What is the Catholic Church’s position and attitude concerning these religions? As I can not examine each of these 10,000 religions, I will limit myself to explicating the Catholic Church’s views vis-a-vis Protestantism, Judaism, and Islam. I will also mention the various Eastern religions. It should be noted that this essay is... Read more

The Influence Of The Protestant Reformation On Catholicism

Last updated on: February 4, 2025 at 9:00 am By David Schloss

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Almost without exception, Catholics view the Protestant Reformation as a catastrophe or even as an act of evil. This conclusion is well-founded. However, is it possible for Catholics to find some good in the Reformation? Said differently, did the Protestant Reformation lead to some positive changes in the Catholic Church? In the following paper, I will provide a synopsis of the Reformation and suggest that it did have some positive repercussions for the Catholic Church. The Protestant Reformation When Catholics... Read more

What Are the Key Principles of Following Jesus?

Last updated on: January 26, 2025 at 1:05 pm By David Schloss

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Two thousand years ago, an itinerant Rabbi named Jesus of Nazareth walked the lands of present-day Israel. Today, Christians are asked to follow this very same figure. How is this possible, and what exactly does it mean to follow Jesus; how does one proceed? “Follow Me” Throughout the New Testament, Jesus often utters the phrase “follow me.” Not surprisingly, the phrase is almost always used as an invitation to discipleship. A prime example is taken from Matthew’s Gospel. “As Jesus... Read more

Jesus’ Identity and the Question of Godhood

Last updated on: January 19, 2025 at 11:42 am By David Schloss

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It is a rare occasion indeed when Christians and atheists agree. However, that is precisely the case when it comes to those Christians who deny that Jesus is God. However, for Catholics, the statement of faith that Jesus is God is foundational to the Christian faith. If Jesus is who He says, we all must do everything in our power to follow Him. If He is not, our faith is in vain, and our sins remain. In this paper, I... Read more

What Role Does Catholicism Play in Shakespeare’s Works?

Last updated on: January 12, 2025 at 11:48 am By David Schloss

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“Un-thread the rude eye of rebellion, and welcome home again discarded faith.” – William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare is often at or near the top of any list of the world’s greatest English writers. Author of nearly forty plays and over one hundred and fifty poems, Shakespeare remains the quintessential playwright and poet some four hundred years after his death. What I would like to examine, however, is William Shakespeare’s religious views. Specifically, is it possible to find the influence... Read more

The Intersection of Nihilism, Atheism, and Catholicism

Last updated on: January 5, 2025 at 12:20 pm By David Schloss

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It is a basic tenet of psychology that we are “meaning making machines.” This claim is frequently validated by children, for they are incessantly asking “why”? It is insufficient to simply know what a thing is; human beings must assign it meaning in order to make sense of our world. Simply put, human beings want to know not only what something is but why. In this paper, I will argue that much of our dysfunction and unhappiness is a product... Read more

No Such Thing As Judeo-Christian?

Last updated on: December 29, 2024 at 11:23 am By David Schloss

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“There is no such thing as Judeo-Christian.” So says Father Calvin Robinson, a member of the Anglican Catholic Church. Is Father Robinson correct? In this paper, I will argue that he is not and that the term Judeo-Christian is vitally important to understanding the Bible and the morality that it espouses. However, it may be beneficial first to discuss what the term Judeo-Christian means. Definitions The term can refer to various topics, often with widely diverging meanings. However, Judeo-Christian generally... Read more

Tracing the History and Symbolism of Christmas

Last updated on: December 22, 2024 at 11:53 am By David Schloss

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In a secular world, it can be easy to forget the religious and historical significance of Christmas. To some extent, this is due to Christmas having become a kind of secular holiday, despite its immense religious importance. However, Christmas remains a time rife with religious, historical, and symbolic meanings for Christians. It is the historical and symbolic aspects of Christmas that I will explore in this essay. The History Of Christmas The word Christmas appears to be derived from an... Read more

Who defeated the Midianites with just 300 men?