Fritz a wonderful lesson – and esp. reading has a flow I found encompassing. If only …….. yes we can…
Weekly lessons in theology and public life • Since 2011
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Lesson 1: Civilization of Love
Read MORE: Lesson 1: Civilization of LoveThe term “civilization of love” first caught my attention when I read the conclusion of Pope Leo’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas. Although I knew I had seen it previously, this was the first time I realized it was more than a passing…
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Lesson 7: What We Learned About Forgiveness
Read MORE: Lesson 7: What We Learned About ForgivenessI decided to write this series after being disturbed by powerful people claiming forgiveness is for losers. People around me also seemed to have difficulty saying, “I’m sorry!” or “Please forgive me!” And of course, my Roman Catholic friends were…
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Lesson 6: Forgive and Forget
Read MORE: Lesson 6: Forgive and ForgetYou often hear people say they’re willing to forgive someone who offended them, but they’re not going to forget what they did. Their intention is to make clear they’re not naïve. Forgiveness will not open the way for the offender…
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Lesson 5: Cheap Grace vs. Costly Forgiveness (Bonhoeffer)
Read MORE: Lesson 5: Cheap Grace vs. Costly Forgiveness (Bonhoeffer)Dietrich Bonhoeffer is usually cited for drawing our attention to cheap grace. He defined it as “preaching forgiveness without requiring repentance… grace without discipleship.” He was criticizing the Lutheran church for not opposing the Nazi regime. Most of its pastors…
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Lesson 4: Forgiving Oneself
Read MORE: Lesson 4: Forgiving OneselfHaving established that forgiveness is an intrinsic part of Christian love, I’d like to look at some of the issues. The first is the ability to forgive yourself. Even though you might be convinced God has absolved you, it’s impossible…
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Lesson 7: Compassion for the Religiously Abused
Read MORE: Lesson 7: Compassion for the Religiously AbusedEarly on I realized some people thought I could do no wrong because I was ordained. Of course, others disrespected me for the same reason. Still, I realized I could manipulate this first group if I wanted to. Three of…
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Lesson 3: Transformation
Read MORE: Lesson 3: TransformationArguments about Christian characteristics in the New Testament follow a common pattern. Although they discuss particular specifics, they regard a transformed life as the essential factor. Paul is very explicit about this in Romans 12: “Do not be conformed to…
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Lesson 2: The History of Church and State
Read MORE: Lesson 2: The History of Church and StateIf the Bible can pretty much be read as God’s Word speaking truth to human political power, Church history is more diverse. It offers a variety of relationships in different periods. Before we examine what is going on in the…
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Lesson 1: The Bible is About Politics
Read MORE: Lesson 1: The Bible is About PoliticsWhen I entered the ministry back in the early 1960s, pastors were warned not to get too political in the pulpit or they would lose their tax exemption. John Kennedy was elected president after promising his Catholic faith would not…
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Lesson 13: Conclusion (Part 2)
Read MORE: Lesson 13: Conclusion (Part 2)After three months of fairly intensive study, it is probably time to end this series. If I had to mention one take-away it would be our present inability to dal adequately with the mystery of a pregnant woman carrying a…
Recent Comments
So forgiveness pre-requires understanding the mistakes of the past? here hear re this opposing this me-first, America-first, white-first, male-first approach>…
An extremely timely topic. Thanks, Fritz!