For some 40 years after Bonhoeffer's death, scholars both historical and theological debated over the legacy of Bonhoeffer. Was he the property of Liberals? or of Conservatives? What really were his views on this or that topic. The problem was compounded by the fact that Bonhoeffer later cryptically wrote that almost all his writing was done while he wasn't even a Christian … [Read more...]
Bonhoeffer – Part 1 – The Biography
I thought of writing a few posts about Dietrich Bonhoeffer since he's become popular again with the printing of Eric Metaxas new book "Bonhoeffer, Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy". In order to give a brief biographical sketch the following is a summary of his life I wrote for a paper during my MA. To briefly summarize the relevant history, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German … [Read more...]
Feast of St. Cyprian
In honor of Saint Cyprian's feast day tomorrow I was reading some of his epistles and found an interesting paragraph where the bishop writes about the Eucharist and Justification by faith. Curiously, Cyprian refers to the Eucharist both as the body/blood and bread/wine. He also seems to agree with the evangelical doctrine of St. Paul that we are justified by faith before God … [Read more...]
St. Monica
For those of you who haven't read the Confessions of St. Augustine, St. Monica, is remembered as the gracious doctor's mother. She prayed for Augustine for over seventeen years, that he would be converted to the true faith. As the phrase usually goes: Augustine wouldn't have been a saint unless Monica had. The episode reminds me of a story wherein Pope Paul VI upon becoming … [Read more...]
The Resurrected Christ and the Mass in Revelation 5
"And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” And … [Read more...]