Rodney Stark’s famous The Rise of Christianity proposed an oft-cited model for Christian growth in the early centuries of the Church: Rather than proposing exact numbers, Stark is simply trying to prove the point that a consistent rate of growth Read more…
I have already remarked on the fact that Pope Francis made a non-Catholic a Doctor of the Catholic Church. St. Gregory Narek was a monk in the Armenian Apostolic Church, who died in the early 11th century. Figures like St. Read more…
I’m very excited to join such an incredible line up of speakers highlighting the key sources of Catholic education. See the full list at adeodatus.com I will be speaking of the Bible’s vision of education. This is the first conference Read more…
Although we are in the Easter season, it is worth looking back to a Lenten theme for this new composition: Lucio Mosè Benaglia‘s Stabat Mater für Mariupol, which just premiered on April 2nd within a Ukrainian Catholic Church in Munich. Read more…
Recently I reflected on the “End of the Beer Option” after the Trappists of Spencer Massachusets decided to close their brewery. Since then, the Guardian has also reflected on the decline of Trappist brewing in Belgium: “Last orders? Belgium’s Trappist Read more…
Laxism is a moral position that in a position of doubt tends to the easiest or least demanding alternative. Christians certainly suffer from this position, but I want to focus rather an the general laxity of the practice of penance, Read more…
I was recently interviewed by Catholic News Agency and the Philadelphia Inquirer about St. Joseph’s University new Certificate in Cannabis Studies. I raised moral questions about this, because, even when legalized for medical purposes, marijuana has been used primarily for Read more…
Is it loving to condone sin or participate in it? It’s amazing how often people say that we need to be like Jesus in accepting the behavior of sinners, even though Jesus himself called everyone to repent and to accept Read more…
Everyone can agree on one point at least: ad orientem worship is controversial. I appreciate the thoughtful and detailed response to my Denver Catholic column on ad orientem worship by Fr. Felix Media-Algaba, “Eucharistic Orientation according to Vatican II.” Here Read more…
What does it mean to be conservative? The modern ideal of conservatism arose as a rejection of Enlightenment principles and their instantiation in political revolution, particularly the French Revolution. Conservatives such as Burke and de Maistre defended the centrality of Read more…