Category: Christian Doctrine
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Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust
"Remember, man, thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return." Memento, homo, quia pulvis es et in pulverem reverteris. This warning, from the Catholic liturgy for Ash Wednesday, is based on Genesis 3, 19: In sudore vultus tui vesceris pane, donec revertaris in terram de qua sumptus es: quia pulvis es et in pulverem…
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A Non-Coercive Attempt to Dissuade Me From Religious Belief
MavPhil Cairo correspondent, Spencer C. writes, I've continued to think on one of our old disagreements, the one about religion and zealotry, and I'd like to continue the discussion. Previously, I'd put forward the argument attempting to show that religious belief is rationally unacceptable. Now, I'm thinking it might be profitable to repackage the argument…
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Giving Thanks for C. S. Lewis
Here. I forgot to mention yesterday that another notable Jack died on 22 November 1963. Aldous Huxley also died on this date.
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Systematic Deracination
To deracinate is to uproot. W. K. sends this: That article about political correctness in the universities you linked to reminded me of David Conway's comments in A Defence of the Realm about the 'systematic deracination' of the citizens of western liberal democracies since World War Two: Through changes in educational curricula, plus other cultural…
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Scriptural Inerrancy Again
The following is from a reader who wishes to remain anonymous but who wants me "to hear a different perspective on the matter than that of the Calvinists who comment on your blog: I don't want you thinking they are the ones rightly interpreting the Christian texts." ………………. Jesus and Paul had a rather liberal interpretation…
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Protestants, Catholics, Purgatory, Inerrancy and Related Topics
My last post drew a number of e-mail responses. Here is one, by Joshua Orsak. Subheadings added. The ComBox is open in case Professor Anderson, or anyone, cares to respond. Purgatory First I'd like to make a quick note on purgatory. Purgatory is found in the Apocrypha, the 10 or so books of…
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The Bible as the Christian Faith’s ‘Constitution’
James N. Anderson has a thought-provoking post entitled Ecclesial Activism. A key idea is that the Bible is to the Christian faith as the U. S. constitution is to the U. S. government. And just as judicial activism is a Bad Thing, so is ecclesial activism. The Roman Catholic Church comes in for a drubbing…
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Atheist Blogger Swims the Tiber
Formerly atheist blogger Leah Libresco reports that she has converted to Catholicism. That's quite a shift. Typically, the terminus a quo of Tiber swimmers is either generic theism or mere Christianity (in C. S. Lewis' sense) or some Protestant sect. Seismic is the shift from out-and-out God denial to acceptance of an extremely specific conception…
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Deserving Immortality
I lately aphorized: Which is better: to inquire whether there is immortality, or to live in such a way as to deserve it? Both are good, but the second is better. A childhood friend and committed Christian offers this well-crafted comment: You are meant for immortality but cannot live in such a way as to…
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Good Friday Meditation: Wittgenstein on Christianity
From Culture and Value, p. 32e, tr. Peter Winch: Christianity is not based on a historical truth; rather, it offers us a (historical) narrative and says: now believe! But not, believe this narrative with the belief that is appropriate to a historical narrative, rather: believe, through thick and thin, which you can do only as…
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Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust
"Remember, man, thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return." Memento, homo, quia pulvis es et in pulverem reverteris. This warning, from the Catholic liturgy for Ash Wednesday, is based on Genesis 3, 19: In sudore vultus tui vesceris pane, donec revertaris in terram de qua sumptus es: quia pulvis es et in pulverem…
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Sudduth, Simplicity, and the Plotinian One
Dave Lull has once again pointed me to a fascinating post, Michael Sudduth Follows His Monad Back to Vaishnava Vedanta. Excerpt: A major problem with Scholasticism is the innate desire that all men have to participate directly and ontologically in their God. We all want that real connection. Sudduth explains, “I pondered this experience for…
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Of Christograms and Political Correctness
Monterey Tom liked my 'Xmas' post and sends this: Many Catholic artifacts related to worship are marked with the Roman letters IHS, which is a partial Latin transliteration of the Greek form of 'Jesus' and can also be read as an acronym for the Latin Iesus Hominum Salvator (Jesus Savior of Man). However, some have…
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What Brought Beckwith Back
Reasons for reversion to Rome.