Prior to Vatican II, or so I’m told, the primary emphasis in the Church’s celebration of the Eucharist was on its sacrificial aspect – The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Then, for a few decades after the council, people were much more comfortable talking about the Eucharist as a meal of fellowship. We talked more about tables than altars, about presiders than priests. Now, it seems to me, the pendulum is beginning to swing back the other way. Many people... Read more
Like many moderates, Barron seems to have been taken to task for his appreciation of various figures beyond the pale of orthodox Catholicism. I once gave a talk that included undisputed sociological data from Father Andrew Greeley and was castigated for this indiscretion by some of orthodoxy’s defenders in the audience. But this attitude is the opposite of Catholic. It is sectarian. Father Barron is right to have nothing to do with it. Brett Salkeld is a doctoral student in... Read more
In this sense, union activity undoubtedly enters the field of politics, understood as prudent concern for the common good. However, the role of unions is not to ‘play politics’ in the sense that the expression is commonly understood today. Unions do not have the character of political parties struggling for power; they should not be subjected to the decision of political parties or have too close links with them. In fact, in such a situation they easily lose contact with... Read more
Is overpopulation a problem? An honest answer is it may well be. This is a situation that we need to address but many parts of the Church has failed to do so. Indeed, some members of the Church actively deny there is a problem. First, some basic facts. Currently, world population is just short of 7 billion; demographers tell us that the 7th billion person will be born some time in 2011. At the dawn of the 20th century, world... Read more
The rights of workers are underpinned by collective bargaining. This is an essential first principle. According to Catholic social teaching, these rights include: (i) a just wage, (ii) rest, (iii) a working environment not harmful to either physical health or moral integrity, (iv) respect for conscience and personal dignity, (v) subsidies for unemployed workers and their families; (vi) a pension and insurance for old age, sickness, and work-related accidents; (vii) social security connected with maternity. It’s not just wages – benefits are equally important.... Read more
Today I had the honor of giving my first chapel talk at Wabash College, entitled “White History Month.” In it I talk about the imagination, race, and make a proposal that our college institute “White History Month.” If you’re interested, you can watch it on YouTube. Read more
The brothers praised a monk before Abba Anthony. When the monk came to see him, Anthony wanted to know how he would bear insults; and seeing that he could not bear them at all, he said to him, ‘You are like a village magnificently decorated on the outside, but destroyed from within by robbers.’[1] It is easy to put on a show for others. So many people live their life so as to fit in with others. They want to... Read more
Along the theme of addressing difficult biblical passages, which I’ve also done here and here, I would like to address some of Paul’s words about women. I’ll start with 1 Corinthians 11: Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 2 I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions, just as I handed them on to you. 3 But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and... Read more
It is an odd fact in the history of Christian doctrine that the Church has never produced an official theology of atonement. All orthodox Christians believe that Christ’s death on the cross was constitutive of our salvation, but there are dozens of different theories and variations of theories to explain exactly how Christ’s cross, that is, his death, is saving. Unlike the great Christological and Trinitarian debates in the early Church, this question has never disturbed the Church’s life in... Read more
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is a difficult man to reach. His political opponents say he will not communicate and will not return calls. Unless, that is, you are David Koch. Or call and pretend to be David Koch, as this blogger did. Not only did he get through to Walker, but he had a long friendly conversation, where it becomes clear that the union-busting strategy is being enacted with strong support from Koch, and indeed, is part of a larger... Read more
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