To me, the easiest thing in the world to be, would be a Calvinist. You get to call yourself one of the elect - which is a cool title - you get certainty about your salvation, you get answers to every question you could imagine. I've always said that the two best theological systems which answer everything coherently for the most part are 1) Calvinism, and 2) Catholicism. Now … [Read more...]
False Dichotemies?
I've been accused by Catholics of setting up false dichotemies. It is a claim leveled at all Protestant Christians as well, when they say Tradition and Scripture contradict one another. Now I can understand the Catholics' anger when some say this, because 99.9% of Protestants have never read a single church council. Indeed I was a baptist for 18 years and never heard of the … [Read more...]
St. Gregory of Nyssa Against Rome
I just read this quote in "The Life of Moses" by the Church Father St. Gregory of Nyssa. I'm supposed to find this universal affirmation of Roman Catholicism everywhere in the church fathers, but I don't see it much outside St. Augustine and Ambrose. Here's the quote:"The Church is also called Christ by Paul (1 Cor 12:12, Eph 1:23), it would be well to regard the names … [Read more...]
Heresy, Scripture, and Tradition
I found a guy's blog with this quote in it and I thought I should put it up for discussion, it is from St. Vincent of Lerins "Commonitorium" written in 434 CE/AD:"But here some one perhaps will ask, Since the canon of Scripture is complete, and sufficient of itself for everything, and more than sufficient, what need is there to join with it the authority of the Church's … [Read more...]
Eastern Orthodoxy
Eastern Orthdoxy seems like the near perfect version of Christianity. I think they have an amazing balance of Tradition and Scripture. Scripture is still allowed to critique traditions and it is held in high esteem (even if the communion as a whole can't agree on the canon of it). I love the fact that they allow for mystery, and that they seem so ancient in how they do … [Read more...]