http://thehistoryhacker.com/2015/03/30/tudor-story-part-two/ Despite the clickbait title about the Pope’s bedroom, this is a fine, thoughtful essay about Ian Caldwell’s research into the intellectual life of the Catholic Church and in particular the lives of married priests. Caldwell researched the topic with his customary thoroughness for his new novel, The Fifth Gospel. I did the Latin for the book. […]
Tag Archives: Catholicism
Ian Caldwell and the Catholic Church.
10-Mar-15Luther Hadn’t Seen Nothing Yet.
17-Jul-13connectedly Every time I read about indulgences, I become a Lutheran for at least an hour. You have to give Catholic hierarchs some credit I suppose for never, ever admitting they’re wrong, even if it means turning their religion into a neverending Onion article: Salvation – or at least a shorter stay in Purgatory – might […]
Of all the Hitchens videos posted recently, this is my favorite. He is eloquent without stint after a slow exordium, chronicling various ecclesiastical offenses, moving from ones the hierarchy acknowledges to fresh and contemporary outrages. “I don’t know I think I’d like to hear more shame about this. I’d like to see a bit more […]
Truth, Religion, and Universalism.
02-Dec-11I wrote my piece contra Mr. Kreeft very quickly, and wish to revisit two thoughts: First of all, on “truth.” I knew there was something interesting to be said about Kreeft’s contention that it was the “crackpot” colleges – Thomas Aquinas College, Christendom College, et al. – alone which were defined by the pursuit of […]
From the Bizarre Catholicism Department…
15-Oct-09This was too good not to comment on: French Priest Traveling In U.S.A. With Relics of St. Mary Magdalene. Apparently a priest is going on tour with some bits of bone, purported to be those of Mary Magdalene. And she’ll be making an appearance in New York City, at St. Vincent Ferrer, on Monday. I […]
Contemplating the weeds.
03-Jun-09A not-bad spiritual discussion between Andrew Sullivan and Bob Wright: http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/05/weeds-are-beautiful.html
Abortion III – The Character of Abortion
20-Nov-08In my two previous essays on abortion, I discussed abortion and the vote, and abortion and the Catholic hierarchy. In both of them I took for granted that abortion is a sin and that it should not occur. I will not backtrack from that position. But many people feel much less certain about the […]