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.
Tag: 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)
Why I Think the Pope is Worth Defending
Yesterday, LifeSiteNews had published an article on me with the misleading title “Catholic Answers, Word on Fire author spills the beans on why he stopped defending Pope Francis,” which begins by saying that I “recently explained the moment when [I] realized that [I] could no longer defend the Francis pontificate.” I didn’t have a chance… Continue reading Why I Think the Pope is Worth Defending
How Strong is “the STRONGEST Argument Against Catholicism”?
I have a new blog post up at Word on Fire, and an accompanying podcast at The Catholic Podcast, addressing the argument that Dr. Jerry Walls calls “the STRONGEST Argument Against Catholicism.” Here’s a taste from the article: The crux of Walls’ claim goes something like this: Christ establishing the papacy upon Peter is the… Continue reading How Strong is “the STRONGEST Argument Against Catholicism”?
What *Doesn’t* Papal Infallibility Look Like?
From my interview with Catholic Answers’ Cy Kellett: Joe Heschmeyer:Yeah, I think that the reason we get this wrong is because we think of something like papal infallibility as something belonging to the pope or for the pope’s own good, and that’s just wrong. That’s not the way that papal infallibility works and it’s not… Continue reading What *Doesn’t* Papal Infallibility Look Like?
The Distinctly Catholic Doctrine
Discussions between Catholics and Protestants can turn into an overwhelming “shotgun-style” approach to apologetics, jumping from one topic to another, without really getting anywhere. But there’s a better way: the one doctrine that will determine whether or not you should be Catholic.
I Have A Second Book Out!
I know that I just announced (now-imminent) release of my first book, Who Am I, Lord?: Finding Your Identity in Christ, but I have actually been quietly working on another book for a long time. It’s called Pope Peter: Defending the Church’s Most Distinctive Doctrine in a Time of Crisis and it’s out today. Surprise!… Continue reading I Have A Second Book Out!
A Simple Case for the Papacy
The “make-or-break” doctrine for the Catholic Church is the papacy. If Catholics are right about the papacy, we should all be Catholic. If we’re wrong about the papacy, none of us should. So here are just a couple of Biblical passages to get to know (and to pray over) well, and a bit of background / answers for the debate around them.
Reformation Day Ironies, 500th Anniversary Edition
This year, in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, I’ve decided to do another round of “Reformation Day Ironies.” This year’s theme is “Luther against the Reformation,” looking at the various ways that Martin Luther spoke against the Reformation he helped to spark, including what he had to say on the papacy, teaching authority, and schism.
Why Do We Suffer?
Why do we suffer? Pope St. John Paul II explores one of the hardest questions facing Christianity.