The new Marvel / Disney+ series Loki raises some surprisingly-deep metaphysical and even theological questions. Along the way, it presents a convincing case for why an atheistic vision of the universe as only matter CANNOT be true.
Tag: apologetics
Letting God in to the Broken Parts of Our Lives
In the aftermath of certain types of sins, we can be tempted to close off parts of ourselves: for instance, you sin sexually, and you start to think that your masculinity/femininity (or your body more broadly) is evil. But that’s not what Christianity teaches. We need to remember that sin is a perversion of something good, and our hatred of sin shouldn’t lead us into a hatred of the underlying good, and that God doesn’t just want to heal you when you fall, He wants to heal you where you fall.
What Do We Make of the Biblical Accounts of Demonic Possessions and Exorcisms?
Are the demonic possessions in the Bible just misdiagnosed mental illness? Did the idea of Satan come from Zoroastrianism? And is it possible to still believe in the demonic, in possessions, and in exorcisms in an age of modern science? I was motivated to write this article for Catholic Answers Magazine for three reasons: On… Continue reading What Do We Make of the Biblical Accounts of Demonic Possessions and Exorcisms?
Why Celebrate the “Sacred Heart”?
Why do Catholics celebrate the “Sacred Heart of Jesus” today, and what does it have to do with (a) the Jansenist heresy, and (b) Christ’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane?
Does Conscience Trump Doctrine?
What’s the proper role of “conscience” in decision-making? What should I do if my conscience doesn’t line up with the Church’s teachings? Those are some of the questions that I explored with Cy Kellett on the latest episode of Catholic Answers Focus. Here is a taste of one of the questions he tried to stump me with:
What Science REALLY Says About the Soul (& Life After Death)
If you’re not following the debates on all things scientific and religious, it’s easy to come away with the vague sense that science has “proven” that (a) the ‘mind’ is really just the brain, or (b) that there’s no such thing as life after death, or (c) there’s no such thing as an immaterial soul.… Continue reading What Science REALLY Says About the Soul (& Life After Death)
Why N.T. Wright is Wrong About Purgatory
As I’ve mentioned before, N.T. Wright is one of the most interesting and influential theologians alive today, and I’m generally grateful for his career and his writings and his contributions to Christianity. Having said that, I think that he has some major blind spots and weaknesses in some of his arguments against Catholicism (and particularly,… Continue reading Why N.T. Wright is Wrong About Purgatory
3 Things I Wish I’d Said…
The French have an expression, l’esprit d’escalier (“the spirit of the stairs”), to describe that feeling of knowing just what you should have said … after the moment has passed. In a bit of that spirit, here are three points that I wish I would have said, or said better, or at least said more succinctly in my discussion / debate with Dr. Gavin Ortlund on the papacy.
Is the Papacy True? (Joe Heschmeyer w./ Gavin Ortlund)
I’ve been really excited to share this for days now (we recorded this past Thursday)… some of you may have watched the previous conversation that I had with the Baptist pastor and scholar Gavin Ortlund on the question of whether or not “to be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.” At the… Continue reading Is the Papacy True? (Joe Heschmeyer w./ Gavin Ortlund)
Are There Differences Between the Saints in Heaven?
N.T. Wright argues against Purgatory in part on the grounds that there are no “category distinctions between Christians” after death. What are his reasons for believing this, and what would a biblical response to this claim look like?