As we approach the end of the year, I wanted to highlight some articles from 2024, especially those articles that anticipate the ascendancy of Christian conservatism and the national downfall of progressivism. I also provide a post-mortem to assist progressives in how they ought to move forward. Have a great and happy New Year. January 2024 Let’s Stop the Extremist Rhetoric – It’s Unhelpful In this article, I started the year with an appeal to political progressives to stop their... Read more
During my research for the current debate with Matthew Graham, I read the Glories of Mary by St. Alphonsus Liguori. Another Protestant pastor friend of mine claims that this work, above all other works on the Virgin Mary, crosses the line from hyperdulia (high honor) to latria (worship). After reviewing St. Ligouri’s work, I do not see idolatry. However, I do see high honor, the highest honor given a creature, due to Mary’s role as the Mother of God. What... Read more
For this article, I wish to respond to Matt’s criticism of my previous article. My goal in this part of the exchange is to unpack the following: Both Protestants and Catholics must address the silence concerning the veneration of the Saints (dulia) and the Virgin Mary (hyperdulia) in the earliest centuries of the Church, especially when compared to the 4th century and beyond. Matt’s contention that Gnostic and Hellenistic paganism infiltrated the early Church (4th century and beyond) and that... Read more
Guest writer: Matt Graham Summary Dennis’s Article In his last reply, Dennis claims that “the veneration of the Saints is directly linked to a proper understanding of the Incarnation.” He cites John Henry Newman saying the “veneration of the Saints grew naturally out of an understanding of the deified nature of gloried man, not out of some accretion from pagan religion or philosophy.” In support of this claim, he quotes St. Athanasius regarding the deification of man. This is followed... Read more
Special thanks to Matt Graham for his very thoughtful and honest contribution to this discussion. I hope we both grow in greater understanding through this continued dialogue. To start, I appreciate that Matt started on where we agree. I also appreciate that Matt sees the difference between latria, dulia, and hyperdulia. However, Matt veers a bit off track in his claim that the veneration of the Saints and the Virgin Mary entered the Church via pagan accretion. For this article,... Read more
Guest contributor: Matt Graham I want to thank Dennis Knapp for asking me to engage with him on this important topic. To kick things off, I would like to start by pointing out those things upon which we agree. This is helpful for friendly dialogue and for avoiding misunderstanding regarding where the disagreement really lies. Where we agree: Those who have distinguished themselves in their love and service to God or have been chosen by God for a special purpose... Read more
I recently watched a series of videos by Dr. Jordan Cooper, a Lutheran theologian and YouTuber, concerning the Catholic practice of venerating (praying to) the Saints and the Virgin Mary. Dr. Cooper considers this practice unbiblical and a historical accretion into Christianity via Roman pagan syncretism. In this article, I lay out the Catholic practice of venerating the Saints and the Virgin Mary and address Dr. Cooper’s criticisms. As an added layer of analysis, my Protestant friend Matthew Graham agreed... Read more
Guest contributor: Todd Flowerday Recently, Dennis identified docility as a trigger word. He cited one dictionary definition: 1: easily taught a docile pupil 2: easily led or managed: tractable a docile pony Docile implies a predisposition to submit readily to control or guidance. A few questions on my part: Does teaching in the Church always go in one direction, popes to Catholics, bishops to dioceses, clergy to laity? Do adults (and even insightful youth and children) have something to teach... Read more
In the US, two words seem to trigger negative emotions among Catholics more than any other: docility and obligation. Now, many US Catholics reading this will think I overstate the situation. They may feel no initial emotional response at all to words like docility and obligation. However, if they take the time to examine the role of docility and obligation in Catholicism, they will inevitably arrive at a strong emotional response. In short, US Catholics do not like others, including... Read more
Before the election, I had the honor of visiting with my good friend, Matt Graham, on the Rational Animal Podcast. We discussed the role of abortion in the 2024 presidential election. Given the outcome of the election, it appears most American Catholics agreed with me that Harris’ extreme abortion views barred her from the Catholic vote. For more on that reality, please click here. Please take a listen. Feel free to comment. Thank you. Click here to listen. Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In