Randal Rauser, an associate professor of historical theology at Taylor Seminary in Canada, wrote a column on Tuesday for the Christian Post, called “Should Christians believe in ghosts?” He began by showing that the ancient Israelites believed in ghosts (Rauser points to the conjuring of Solomon in 1 Samuel 18), and that the Apostles believed in… Continue reading Purgatory and Ghosts
Tag: justification
Can Classical Protestantism Affirm the Lord’s Prayer?
Called to Communion had a great discussion on this topic in regards to Calvinism, but I wanted to look at the same thing in regards to traditional Lutheranism. Pastor Hemmer of Hope Lutheran Church contrasts the Lutheran position with Catholicism quite neatly: Can you be forgiven of sins you have not yet committed? The answer to… Continue reading Can Classical Protestantism Affirm the Lord’s Prayer?
The Catholic Argument from History
There are a lot of ways of establishing that the Catholic Church is correct. One way is to show that the New Testament Scriptures describe a single, visible, authoritative Church capable of settling disputes. When we find that governance in the Church was headed by the Apostles, with one Apostle (Peter) guiding the other Eleven, that’s… Continue reading The Catholic Argument from History
A Hilarious Way of Proving Baptismal Regeneration
So, there’s a Lutheran Youtube channel, “Lutheran Satire,” run by a conservative Lutheran (LCMS) named Hans Fiene, and it’s hysterical. While presented pretty tongue-in-cheek, the clips often make serious points on everything from theological liberalism to Evangelicalism, points on which we Catholics can readily assent to. A few weeks ago, he posted what may be his best… Continue reading A Hilarious Way of Proving Baptismal Regeneration
“Even Now, Says the LORD, Return to Me with Your Whole Heart”
Today is Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting (one normal size meals and up to two tiny ones, for strength) and abstaining from meat, and the first day of Lent. Last year, I looked at the Scriptural basis for fast days, and gave some tips for a successful Lent. This year, I thought I’d turn towards… Continue reading “Even Now, Says the LORD, Return to Me with Your Whole Heart”
Fr. Most and St. Paul on Justification and OSAS
Fr. William Most wrote a sharp but very insightful piece on Luther, entitled “Luther Writes Obituary of His Own Church.” What makes it worth the read is his use of Luther’s own writings, showing that Luther still clearly struggled with the question that perhaps he was wrong and the Church was right, long after he… Continue reading Fr. Most and St. Paul on Justification and OSAS
Leprosy and Legalism: Luke 17
Paul’s radical Gospel, that justification is through faith, and is not limited to the Jews alone, isn’t Paul’s. It’s Christ’s. And while I generally think of the Gospel of John as focusing more on the idea of justification than the Synoptics, one of my favorite passages on the issue is from Luke. Namely, Luke 17:11-19: Now… Continue reading Leprosy and Legalism: Luke 17
Pharisees, Pelagians, and Catholics on Justification
I’m sure most people reading this blog have heard more than they’d care to about justification this week, but there was one last point I wanted to bring up, both because it’s interesting, and because I said I’d address it earlier this week. The idea is this: many Christians, particularly Protestants, read “Pharisees,” and think… Continue reading Pharisees, Pelagians, and Catholics on Justification
The Catholic View on Justification (and Sanctification)
Almost every Catholic can you tell you stories about Protestants who tell them they’re damned for believing in works-righteousness, and then tell them they’re bad Catholics when they explain that they don’t believe in works-righteousness. If you’ve been reading the comments on the post from a few days ago, you’ll see that my turn has… Continue reading The Catholic View on Justification (and Sanctification)
Some Thoughts on Catholic Tradition and Justification
The 27th Comrade left a four-part comment in response to my last post. He’s clearly given it a lot of thought, and it warrants a thoughtful reply, but if I try and tackle it line by line, this post would be insanely long. So let me hit on a few major themes today, and then… Continue reading Some Thoughts on Catholic Tradition and Justification