I’ve heard it claimed quite frequently that the organized structural Church is a post-Apostolic invention, and that in the early Church, things were much more disorganized. For a long time, I believed this myself, but it turns out, it’s a pretty warrantless assumption. I was reminded of this recently, when I was reading T.S. Eliot’s… Continue reading Was Authority in the Early Church Global or Local?
Tag: Church
Where in the Bible is the Trinity?
In the comments of the last post, there’s a lively discussion between myself and a Mormon lawyer named Murdock Wallis (don’t worry, I’m saying lawyer like it’s a good thing here). He asked: I have a question about something in your last post regarding the Trinity. DOES the New Testament talk about the Trinity? If… Continue reading Where in the Bible is the Trinity?
All Things Mormon
A reader by the name of Seth R. commented on Friday’s post about Evangelicalism, Catholicism and Mormonism. He made a lot of points, which I’d like to give full responses to. Since these are common LDS arguments, it might be worth your while to read them, whether you’re Mormon or not.I. Mormonism, Sola Scriptura, and… Continue reading All Things Mormon
John Armstrong on Catholicism
John Armstrong’s been at his best of late. First off, he nails it with a post on whether or not Catholics are Christians (spoiler: we are). The conclusion’s not what’s worth reading: it’s his reasoning for getting there. The best part, in my opinion, was this insight: The Catholics I know personally love Christ as… Continue reading John Armstrong on Catholicism
The “Middle Church” Argument
In recent years, there’s been a greater emphasis for Protestants, particularly Calvinists, to try and defend their faith by appeal to the Church Fathers. This is great news, although it’s still being done poorly, in my opinion: specifically, there’s a frustrating tendency for Protestants to read the Reformers on the Fathers, rather than reading the… Continue reading The “Middle Church” Argument
Why the Adventist View of Daniel 2 is Wrong
A Seventh-Day Adventist named Kevin Benta has criticized my post on Daniel 2 for misrepresenting the Adventist position. He didn’t say how, exactly, but here’s the only time the original post mentioned Adventism: A lot of dispensationalists (both Evangelicals and Seventh Day Adventists) try and turn the iron/clay toes into another Kingdom, to turn it… Continue reading Why the Adventist View of Daniel 2 is Wrong
The King’s Messenger: A Thought Experiment
I’ve constructed a short thought experiment to explain why “cafeteria-Catholicism” isnt’ a possible option for those wishing to follow Christ: I. The King’s Messenger: The Thought Experiment Imagine that it’s the Middle Ages, and you’ve just learned that your King has sent you official notice via a messenger with detailed instructions on what you are… Continue reading The King’s Messenger: A Thought Experiment
A Distinction With a Difference
Both Protestants and Catholic often refer to the Church as a Body: you’ll frequently hear Protestants use the term “body of believers,” while Catholics use terms like “the Mystical Body of Christ.” Despite using the same (or similar) terms, I think we mean different things. Princeton’s WordNet has these as the top two definitions of… Continue reading A Distinction With a Difference
Marian Days!
Despite growing up in Missouri, I had not until very recently learned that one of the US’ largest Catholic events takes place in my home state. Turns out, sleepy Carthage, Missouri (2000 Census population: 12,668) is home every year to a three-day Vietnamese-American Catholic bonanza called Marian Days in early August. The event averages 50-70,000… Continue reading Marian Days!
Why Mathison is Wrong on Salvation Outside the Church
Last week, two of the issues I addressed were the question of salvation outside the Church and Keith Mathison’s book The Shape of Sola Scriptura, part of an ongoing critique. Well, here’s the perfect storm — it’s Mathison’s attempted critique of the Church for allegedly switching positions on the question of whether non-Catholics can be… Continue reading Why Mathison is Wrong on Salvation Outside the Church