One of the discussions currently being addressed on at least two blogs is on the question of free will, human nature, and grace. I think there is considerable good will going on in the discussion, despite the norm. It is in this spirit I want to address this discussion. The people involved, in general, have not had a rigorous study in theology, and in that sense, one must understand what they say as contemplative reflections, not as final statements, and... Read more
Blogging-about-blogging is often annoying to read. It is also a drag to write. But sometimes it needs to be done. Please bear with me as I point to an important concern. (more…) Read more
Avril Pyman, Pavel Florensky: A Quiet Genius (New York: Continuum, 2010); 304 + xxii pgs. Pavel Florensky (1882 – 1937) is the kind of theologian that the world desperately needs today. He was able to embrace a wide range of methodologies in his search for truth. He understood the results of such searches, as they are to be done by different means, will lead to different conclusions. A philosophical exploration will reveal something different than an empirical scientific exploration, but... Read more
Over the past number of weeks, we have seen a number of enraged comments from Church officials relating to the role of the media in the sex abuse crisis. And sure, much of the reporting is motivated by anti-Catholicism, and much of it is simply unfair and inaccurate. But the venom directed against the media will surely backfire, and give the impression that the Church can get more passionate defending its institutional structure than the victims of abuse. But in... Read more
They’re attacking the Pope. That is what many Catholics are saying right now. It’s not about the Pope, it’s about the children who were abused. That is what many other Catholics are saying right now. Both of these can, in their own way, be true. (more…) Read more
One of the issues that is recurring is the insistence that I (or others) confess that I am liberal or of the left. For some, you will find the allegation absolutely hilarious. Others will offer some variation of the expression “duh.” I would have considered being called a liberal or a leftist a few years ago fighting words, as would many of my fellow contributors. At one time, I think almost every single one of us was a regular listener... Read more
It has often been asked, what would happen if some animal, such as a mouse, were to get a piece of communion and consume it. St Thomas Aquinas, representing the Western tradition, provided one way to answer this question. In it, we see an indication that Thomas wanted to keep the sacramental benefits for humanity alone. He follows a typically Western approach through his understanding of transubstantiation, and tries to find a well-crafted answer so as to explain why the... Read more
There are four resurrection accounts, a fact that causes some considerable consternation. The differing details seem to be the problem, something I’ve never quite understood. From an epistemological point of view, we expect great certainty and precision toward objects that are poor in donation. Objects, mathematics: these provide certainty, yet unlike persons, they are poor in donation. That which is given does not saturate to the degree that persons or events do. Of course, this is why persons are so... Read more
Jesus and Money: A Guide for Times of Financial Crisis by Ben Witherington III Brazos Press / $18.99 US (list) [Amazon] [Brazos] [A slightly edited version of this review appeared in the Catholic Register (Canada).] Ben Witherington brings biblical teaching on money to bear on the current economic crisis in Jesus and Money. Witherington is a well-published Evangelical biblical scholar whose works cover a wide range of scholarly debates, presenting them in accessible ways for lay Christian audiences. In this... Read more
As we find ourselves in the midst of another discussion of sex abuse by priests within the Church, and the covering it up or mishandling of it by our bishops, one of the things we have yet to explore in its fullness is the role social structures as they exist in and outside the Church have had in this problem. This is not to say there has been no discussion on this point, but what we have mostly seen is... Read more
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