The first time I heard this hymn was at the funeral of a friend. It instantly became my favourite, to the point that when N.T. Wright criticized it in his "Surprised by Hope" I felt myself turned off from his theology forever (irrational though it might have been). Henry Francis Lyte, the author of this hymn had a fascinating biography. Having studied with the Anglo-Irish … [Read more...]
Hymn History: For All The Saints
William How was an Englishman born to a middle-upper class family in Shrewsbury. He attended Oxford in the heyday of the Tractarians and the Oxford Movement, of conservative Anglican churchmen professing the catholic faith in reaction to the growing Liberalism of Britain. How was ordained the year after Newman's defection to Rome, and no doubt was caught up in the midst of … [Read more...]
Attempted Summary of Theologies on Absolution and Grace
Roman Catholicism: Absolution is the bestowal of God’s grace True contrition is not simply the work of God’s grace but a human choice God’s grace can do nothing without human cooperation What then does grace do? If grace does not convert the will, then it has only a legal reality. Grace is simply the recognition of human merit and the bestowal of a reward upon human … [Read more...]
Modern Man and Original Sin
It's remarkable how often one sees the nature of original sin questioned. It is implicitly questioned every time someone asks why the tragedy in Colorado happened? How could a 'normal' (white, American, bourgeoise, grad student) person do such a thing? Without knowing it, the world seems to be dancing to Aristotle and Rousseau's tune without even realizing it. The great, … [Read more...]
Bach Friday
I'll give any regular readers a break this Friday and recommend some relaxing and historic music from a 'golden age' of the Church's history. Jesu Bleibet Meine Freude J.S. Bach was a great Christian composer from the Lutheran Tradition in Leipzig, Germany. This same tradition continued into the Evangelical Church in 1989 when anti-government protestors began prayer meetings … [Read more...]