Welcome to February, the month of love! In honor of that time of year where everyone opines on the good, the bad, and the ugly surrounding the most complex and mysterious of human emotions, I want to jump down the rabbit hole and reflect on a particular notion associated with love: the notion of "soulmates."… Continue reading Soulmates: Bull or Brilliant Theology?
Tag: Culture
Are there Limits to White Privilege?
"Mom, what does 'go drink your race' mean?" This was posed to me by one of my children yesterday after school. Evidently it is one of the many odd statements directed at him by his classmates. As a standalone statement, it's a goofy thing to say, and doesn't make sense. Considering that my eldest child's… Continue reading Are there Limits to White Privilege?
Magic in the Mundane
For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. -Leonardo Da Vinci There is something deeply compelling about the fantastical: the ideas, the possibilities, the inhabitants, of a world that is so like ours yet alien… Continue reading Magic in the Mundane
New Theories and Old Traditions
In the protective recesses of Yale's museum is an ancient fresco fragment. To the average eye it is humble in appearance: the outline of a woman, bending down to what seems like a well. The long-held belief, logically, is that the fresco depicts the Samaritan woman at the Well, from the Gospel of John,… Continue reading New Theories and Old Traditions
It’s Time to Change How We Defend the Church’s Teaching on Contraception
Karl Keating recently wrote about an all-but-forgotten work of apologetics called Some Thoughts on Catholic Apologetics, by E. I. Watkin. Skimming through Mr. Keating’s explanation of the book’s relevance for modern apologetics, I was struck by how much of the sentiment mirrored my own. As Mr. Keating notes, “To Watkin, dry, abstract approaches used during the… Continue reading It’s Time to Change How We Defend the Church’s Teaching on Contraception
What’s the point of Social Justice?
Catholicism, to the surprise of many, barely supports capital punishment. In fact, the robust history of Catholic social justice seems to be unknown to many Catholics, let alone non-Catholics. Otherwise I don't think there would have been such a collective sigh of relief when Pope Francis shifted Church rhetoric away from procreative issues. Just for fun, let me list… Continue reading What’s the point of Social Justice?
Why Can’t the Church Support Gay Marriage?
The topic of homosexuals, gay marriage, and Catholicism weighs heavily on people’s minds. I understand how confusing and hurtful Church teaching seems on this issue, and a good friend has been gently nudging me to address this for a while now. His most recent comment to me is as follows: One thing, as you might… Continue reading Why Can’t the Church Support Gay Marriage?
