Food for the Soul
A bi-weekly blog on the virtuous life. Written not by a master, but by a student, but one at least who knows whence sound teaching is found.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at work in his office. I am a huge proponent of "smart" Christianity. My own personal journey to the priesthood, and now educational arena have been marked by my personal experience and conviction that not only does God exist, but he can be known. Faith is reasonable. It is not an exercise in emotivism. Nor is it some kind of blind hoping that there is some final happiness for good people. No. Christian faith is an intellectually and morally defensible way of living. The intellectual tradition present in Catholicism and other Christian traditions does, indeed, contain good thought and solid answers about some important human questions, such as the existence and nature of God, the purpose of human life, the question of evil and human suffering, the notions of justice and moral conduct, et cetera.
The problem, and all of us feel it at some level, is that their is a growing divide between faith and reason, and some may assert faith and science as well. In fact, many Christians wonder whether perhaps there are any good explanations for Christian beliefs at all. Is our faith capable of holding up to the objections of atheists and secularists? Are the Christian claims true? Is it possible to be a person who both believes in the inspiration and inerrancy of Sacred Scripture, as well as in the findings of empirical science and valid conclusions of philosophy? No matter where you are on your journey of faith, it is important for us to look and investigate the reasonability of faith. Perhaps you yourself have doubts about the reality of the Christian claims and maintain a Christian connection merely because of the moral compass that it provides for your children. In any case, the video below between Dr. William Lane Craig and Bishop Robert Barron is well worth your time. It is chalk full of smart Christianity that if not complete in its dialogue provides a very smart introduction to a lot of important ideas and figures that can serve as a good guide to your own continuing education. It has been my experience that seeking to find greater understanding of one's faith is difficult and hard work at times. But it is worth it! If you are willing to enter into the great conversation about the meaning of Jesus Christ, which has been on-going since the 1st century AD, then I assure you, you may not find easy answers, but you will find compelling discourse and thought which can help you to set your faith on solid ground. The conversation between these two contemporary Christian thinkers is, I believe, worthwhile for their insights. I hope you'll set aside an evening to watch! The link is below. https://www.wordonfire.org/resources/lecture/dialogue-with-william-lane-craig/5694/ In Christ, Fr. Nelson Comments are closed.
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What I'm currently reading...The Discernment of Spirits by Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV Archives
April 2019
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