The issue of mythology arises in this article about the responses of Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), and some related thinkers, to neopaganism in modern times. The article tells us: In [the] judgment [of a philosopher supporting polytheism], man always needs myths, and the important thing is that these myths be numerous and open to … [Read more…]
See this for a discussion of Pope Benedict’s speech on 2010/11/07 during his pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. For those who’ve not heard of this place, it’s said by some to be the burial site of St. James the Apostle, brother of St. John the Apostle. The traditions are too recent, Medieval Age, … [Read more…]
From a letter in the Library of America collection of Flannery O’Connor’s works (page 953): To see Christ as God and man is probably no more difficult today than it has always been, even if today there seem to be more reasons to doubt. For you it may be a matter of not being able … [Read more…]
In a recent newsletter, (Letter #50, 2010/09/24, see Inside the Vatican magazine), Dr. Robert Moynihan, a journalist covering the ‘Vatican beat’, discusses a recent meeting in Vienna of high-level church officials from the Catholic and Orthodox churches. At least some of those officials are also theologians. It would seem good that there are serious movements … [Read more…]
So goes the claim in an antiphon somewhere in the “Christian Book of Prayer” (one-volume version of the liturgy of hours, Catholic version). Man was made to glorify God. This statement points to a great truth for sure, but we have to understand that all truths, even the greatest of truths revealed by God are … [Read more…]
I’m going to propose a full-blooded organic understanding of the Body of Christ. This is intended as an expansion of the teachings of St. Paul rather than a new way of thought about that Body. It would seem appropriate to expand those teachings now that we have a deep and wide knowledge of organisms, including … [Read more…]
Once the thought of Plato and Aristotle had a home — the Greek city-state. Once the thought of St. Paul and St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas had a home — Western Civilization. The two situations were different because the Greek philosophers struggled to find the best way to inhabit a home built by their … [Read more…]
Today, August 21, is the feast-day of St. Pius X who was Pope from 1903-1914. A saintly man for sure, he was born into poverty and lived an ascetic and morally disciplined life, being greatly concerned about pastoral issues. He was greatly concerned with the needs of ordinary Catholics and also the needs of the … [Read more…]
Like most Christians, I believe that — if Christ choses me — I’ll be raised from the dead into a world that might be called ‘Heaven’ where I’ll live with Jesus Christ for time without end. I’ll take this as a typical schizophrenic Christian belief. See A Thomistic Take on Madness and Modernism for a … [Read more…]
I’ve included the entirety of an article from the Vatican Information Service. Pope Benedict XVI has spoken publicly about an important issue he addressed in some of his earlier books: Christian philosophy must respond to modernity and theology must also respond, though he apparently believes — plausibly enough — that theology will respond first to … [Read more…]