I. A Surprise Conversion or TwoFrank Beckwith, head of the Evangelical Theological Society, reverted* to Catholicism in 2007, a wonderful gift from God. This sent shocks throughout Evangelical circles. After all, there’s a negative stereotype that Evangelicals have faith detached from reason, and they’re often portrayed as backwoodsy bumpkins, or at the least, anti-intellectual; that… Continue reading Welcome Home, Joshua Betancourt!
Tag: faith
The Cross is Steady
The catastrophe in Haiti was so shocking that I wasn’t really sure how to react here: what I could possibly provide to the dialogue. Fortunately, Matt from my Men’s Prayer Group sent me this e-mail, which sounds the perfect note: The Carthusian order of monks have a motto: Stat crux dum volvitur orbis, which in… Continue reading The Cross is Steady
101 Questions About the Catholic Mass
This is a great resource: a free 35 page Q&A about the Catholic Mass, full of quotes from the saints. I got it from another good resource, this page about the liturgical year and the colors of vestments (as in, why is the priest wearing x color today?).
Laying Out the Case for Praying to Saints
This is the first in what will probably be a two-part series. Today, I’m going to lay out the affirmative case for why praying to the Saints is Biblically grounded; tomorrow, I’m going to address some of the common objections. If you have any questions or concerns about this, let me know, and I’ll do… Continue reading Laying Out the Case for Praying to Saints
The Witness (a Thought Experiment on Faith + Reason)
Imagine that during the 40s, a witness from Europe comes and tells you of the horrors of the Holocaust. These things, so unthinkable that they hardly seem possible, so evil that Peter Kreeft argues they’re possible only with satanic help, would sound absurd: like war-time propaganda. The Witness will do everything she can to establish… Continue reading The Witness (a Thought Experiment on Faith + Reason)
Natural and Revealed Law (and Faith + Reason)
A reader raised some great questions on Mark Shea’s blog last week about the interplay between Faith and Reason, and Revealed Law and Natural Law. He was trying to rectify two seemingly disconcordant facts: Mark Shea had argued that “all men are created equal” is a proposition rooted in Judeo-Christianity, and not something observable simply… Continue reading Natural and Revealed Law (and Faith + Reason)
What About Civil Unions?
The following post is sort of a hot-button subject, and I’m not sure if I’ve handled it with the amount of tenderness I should have. My concern isn’t that there’s a lurking hatred or anything, but just that this post is one of my more coldly analytical ones (in that I’m talking about canon law… Continue reading What About Civil Unions?
Two Views of Love (or, “Love vs. Luv”)
There are presently two competiting notions of what marriage is. One is the sappy Hollywood version. Marriage is about showing your love for one another, and telling each other you’ll be in love with each other always, forever. To see how successful this is, look at how successful Hollywood marriages are. The other view is… Continue reading Two Views of Love (or, “Love vs. Luv”)
Something to Pray for: The Legal Battle for Marriage
If you’re not aware, the legal battle surrounding California’s gay marriage ban Proposition 8 is inching towards the Supreme Court, and your prayers are very much needly. Briefly: May 2008: The California Supreme Court declared that the California Constitution required that gay marriage be legal. It turns out no one had noticed this part of… Continue reading Something to Pray for: The Legal Battle for Marriage
Two Sides to the Same Coin?
I’m subscribed to Catholic World News’ daily headlines, b/c it’s a quick and enjoyable way to keep up on the news of the Church globally (information I’ve discovered through this channel has been the source of a number of posts here). Anyways, yesterday there were two stories listed one immediately after the other, which left… Continue reading Two Sides to the Same Coin?