Tag: purgatory

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

The Cross and Purgatory

Piero di Cosimo, Crucifixion of Christ (1510)

If you understand the message of the Cross, you’ll see why Purgatory makes sense but also why it’s appealing to want to deny it. St. Peter didn’t want to hear about Jesus being glorified through suffering (Matthew 16:21-22), and he didn’t want to hear about how he would be glorified through suffering, either (John 21:17-21). But as St. Paul reminds us, we have been made “fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Our glorification is through the Cross (His and ours) or nothing at all.

Jewish Purgatory

Ludovico Carracci, An Angel Frees the Souls of Purgatory (1610)

Are Catholics right to pray for the dead, and to believe that such prayers can help to release souls from Purgatory? Many Christians are unaware that these doctrines are Jewish in origin, and that the Jewish practice of praying for the dead continues on to this day. Even fewer are aware that this practice of prayer is tied to a tradition of temporary purgatorial fires after death.

Does Scripture Teach Us to Pray for the Departed, and to Pray to the Saints?

Daniel Chorny, The Bosom of Abraham (15th c.) In regards to prayer and the Saints, Catholics do two things to which Protestants tend to object: Praying to the Saints: Asking the Saints to pray for us, etc. Praying for the Saints: Praying for the dead, commending their souls to God. Yesterday, I talked about some of… Continue reading Does Scripture Teach Us to Pray for the Departed, and to Pray to the Saints?

Did Christ Erase the Need for Purgatory?

Baron Henri de Triqueti,Non Mechaberis (Nathan Confronts David) (1837) A reader emailed me a question about the distinction between the temporal and eternal consequences due to sin  In a nutshell, the Catholic view is that sin incurs eternal damnation, and that Jesus Christ takes this consequence away for believers through His Death on the Cross,… Continue reading Did Christ Erase the Need for Purgatory?

Purgatory and Ghosts

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

Prayers for the Dead: Memorial Day in 2 Maccabees

Since this Monday is Memorial Day, I thought it would be fitting to talk briefly about prayers for the dead.  This is particularly so since the most explicit Scriptural depiction of prayers for the dead involves praying for the souls of dead soldiers.  It comes from 2 Maccabees 12:38-46: Judas rallied his army and went to… Continue reading Prayers for the Dead: Memorial Day in 2 Maccabees

Why Pray for the Faithful Departed?

I had lunch with a Baptist friend of mine, who was troubled about CCC 1271. Yeah, he’d been reading the Catechism (which puts him ahead of a lot of Catholics). He was very uncomfortable with the idea that the Eucharistic Sacrifice is offered for the faithful departed that they might enter Heaven. It had everything… Continue reading Why Pray for the Faithful Departed?