wonderful thoughts from the Pope, intellectually coherent and practically relevant and doable IMO
Weekly lessons in theology and public life • Since 2011
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Lesson 14: Preparing for the Pope’s Trip– Reformation
Read MORE: Lesson 14: Preparing for the Pope’s Trip– ReformationMost Protestants grew up believing we were not Roman Catholics, because they worshiped Mary and did whatever the Pope told them to do. When pushed, we would insist these are just two examples of how Roman Catholics do not follow…
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Lesson 13: Preparing for the Pope’s Trip– Church & State
Read MORE: Lesson 13: Preparing for the Pope’s Trip– Church & State>Francis’ trip reminds us how much the papacy is involved in church-state relationships. He will be addressing the U.S. congress as well as the United Nations Assembly. He, undoubtedly, will be accompanied by the Vatican ambassador to the U.S. Government.…
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Lesson 12: Preparing for the Pope’s Visit– Curiae and Bishops
Read MORE: Lesson 12: Preparing for the Pope’s Visit– Curiae and BishopsLast week, I wrote of the tension between the Pope being regarded as the first among equals and a supreme monarch. This week, I want to delve deeper into the conflict between the Roman Curiae and the College of Bishops.…
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Lesson 11: Preparing for the Pope’s Visit– The Bishop of Rome
Read MORE: Lesson 11: Preparing for the Pope’s Visit– The Bishop of RomeWith Pope Francis visiting the USA from September 23 through 27, it might be well to remember a bit of the history behind the papacy. A good place to start is remembering the Church established an official clergy to check…
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Lesson 10: Community
Read MORE: Lesson 10: CommunityFrom the beginning, a critical question has been who speaks for God. God relates to us primarily through words, so determining who is his spokesperson in every situation is pretty important. Sometimes God speaks through one person, the prophets being…
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Lesson 9: Tradition
Read MORE: Lesson 9: TraditionMy life has paralleled the growth of the modern Evangelical movement. I heard the canned introduction of so many of their spokespersons so many times, I would mouth it as they began their pitch. “I am not educated, but I…
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Lesson 8: Leadership
Read MORE: Lesson 8: LeadershipWho speaks for the church in society? If you are a Roman Catholic, you might point to the leadership, if a Lutheran the scriptures, and if a Quaker the community. Even Pope Benedict, a pretty conservative Roman Catholic, acknowledges different…
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Lesson 7: Technology – Mobility
Read MORE: Lesson 7: Technology – MobilityI was standing at a rest stop on I-95 south of Washington, watching six lanes of traffic zooming at 70 miles per hour. When I asked my wife what people who lived 100 or 200 years ago would think if…
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Lesson 6: Powers
Read MORE: Lesson 6: PowersOne way to understand the relationship of state and church is to look at what Paul says about Principalities and Powers. We usually dismiss this, because it employs strange words that seem to speak about ancient ideas. In the first…
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Lesson 5: Technology
Read MORE: Lesson 5: TechnologyNo matter how many traditional religious and ethical arguments one group makes, a second group maintains the primary function of both ethics and religion should be reducing and eliminating suffering. If technology offers us a way to do that, we…
Recent Comments
I absolutely love these ideas, especially paying attention to beauty and reducing your needs.
Fritz a wonderful lesson – and esp. reading has a flow I found encompassing. If only …….. yes we can…