Wikipedia has been my true alma mater in so many ways, however there are days when something irks me in its endless pages. If we understand Evangelical to mean one who is a Christian and places their faith in the saving life, death, and resurrection of Jesus who meritted their salvation, then Evangelicalism can hardly be said to have emerged in the 17th century. The Middle … [Read more...]
A Few Early Fathers on Peter, The Rock, and Matthew 16:18
There has been a flurry of Evangelical conversions to Roman Catholicism recently (I did it once when I was young and foolish) in the Blogosphere. That seems as good an occasion as any to return to the early fathers of the Christian Church between which and the current RCC there is a great gulf fixed. Far from having any real consensus, at times, the consensus of the fathers … [Read more...]
The Power of Prayer in the Life of St. John Chrysostom
*I am indebted to Dr. Ravi Zacharias for finding this quote for me, and I've borrowed some of his insight as well* "Prayer is an all-efficient panoply, a treasure undiminished, a mine which is never exhausted... the mother of a thousand blessings... The potency of prayer hath subdued the strength of fire, it hath bridled the rage of lions, hushed anarchy to rest; extinguished … [Read more...]
John Donne excerpt from Old St. Paul's in London
A person could get lost in the history of St. Paul's Cathedral (London). Just the famous Deans of St Paul's is a venerable list of churchmen. Most readers will know Canon Henry Scott Holland from his "Death is nothing at all" quotation used at countless funerals. As for the building itself and the fire of London, I've seen multi-hour programs just on Christopher Wren and St. … [Read more...]
Can Man Love God?
Unlike so many, I'm sad to hear that Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury will be stepping down soon as primate of the Church of England. Here's something interesting of his that I read again the other day: "...which of us does "love" God? I remember, ages ago, talking to a young Chinese Marxist student, who amazed me by saying, "of course, priesthood [I had him I … [Read more...]