The three great monotheistic faiths of the world – Christianity, Judaism, and Islam – share a belief that there is only one supreme being, the Lord and creator of the universe. This is often summarised in an Old Testament verse, known as the Shema: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6: 4). Islamic critics of Christianity regularly criticise Christians for apparently deviating from this emphasis upon the unity of God (often referred to by the Arabic word tawhid) through the doctrine of the Trinity.This doctrine is argued to be a late invention, which distorts the idea of the unity of God, and ends up teaching that there are three gods.

The witness of the Qu’ran to what Mohammed thought that Christians believe is not quite as clear as might be hoped, and this has led some interpreters of Islam to suggest…

VATICAN INSIDER AND FR. REGGIE, A PAPAL LATINIST FOR 40 YEARS

You will not want to miss the interview segment of “Vatican Insider” this weekend as I pay tribute to the late Fr. Reginald Foster, the celebrated Latinist to the Popes. Fr. Reggie, as he loved to be called, died Christmas Day at St. Ann’s home where he had lived for a number of years in his native Milwaukee. He was 81. I spent some delightful time in Milwaukee with him two years ago and you heard Part I of our conversation last weekend. Tune in this weekend for Part II – and hear how I ended our meeting in Latin!

Father also loved to be called by his name in Latin, Reginaldus! In addition, he was famous for wearing the clothing of several generations of plumbers in his family instead of the habit of a Discalced Carmelite! He worked…

Are you looking for ways to grow spiritually? Why not set a few solid spiritual goals and make 2021 the year to grow your relationship with God? Here are 4 reasons why it’s important, 6 practical habits, and 7 goal suggestions.

Why Should I Put Jesus First?

With all the distractions everywhere, it easy to put our relationship with God on the back burner. I’ll start that on my vacation…next summer…when I retire… However God emphasizes over and over throughout the Bible that His plans for us are more important than any goals we give ourselves (promotions, wealth, marriage, kids, etc.). Here are a few Bible passages on why we need to put Jesus first:

1. To Run the Race with Discipline

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

24 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain…

INTRODUCTION

Maybe you’re like me. I grew up in a church where the word “doctrine” was not a very positive word. Doctrines were things that people believed instead of believing in the Bible. So, when I first began to learn that systematic theology focused on this doctrine and that doctrine, I recoiled. Why would any follower of Christ want to learn doctrines instead of the Bible? But in traditional systematic theology, doctrines are not substitutes for the Bible. Rather, they are simply ways to summarize what we sincerely believe the Bible teaches. And as such, sound doctrines have a very important place in Christian theology.

This is the fourth lesson in our seriesBuilding Systematic Theology. We have entitled this lesson “Doctrines in Systematics” because we will look at the ways constructing a systematic theology involves the formation of doctrines or teachings on many different subjects.

Our lesson will divide into…

INTRODUCTION

In courts of law throughout the world, lawyers try to convince a judge or jury of their point of view. It’s always crucial to their arguments that everyone understands the basic facts of the case. So, frequently near the end of a trial, lawyers review the facts stating them as plainly as possible in a series of propositions. “This is a fact.” “That is a fact.” “This happened.” “That happened.”

Well in many ways, the same kind of thing is true in systematic theology. Systematicians also have to establish certain facts, certaintheologicalfacts. So, they present their cases in straightforward theological propositions.

This is the third lesson in our seriesBuilding Systematic Theologyand we’ve entitled this lesson “Propositions in Systematics.” Traditional systematic theologians are committed to exploring, explaining and defending sound Christian theology. And as we will see in this lesson, an essential part of that commitment is expressing…

Because of rapidly rising COVID numbers in our community, our congregation made the difficult decision to suspend in-person worship services again. Here are some remarks that I shared with our congregation in light of this decision.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Is 2020 really over? It seems like the year that refuses to end, doesn’t it? I write these words in the midst of our congregation’s temporary suspension of all in-person worship services (again!), along with all other in-person gatherings at the church. My family and I have been so grateful to be able to at least worship here in person since September, and so disappointed to have to give up that for a few weeks. We understand and agree with the need to do so, but it is disappointing, without a doubt. Even when we couldn’t gather for all of our other activities, at least we could gather for Sunday…

This is a note to let everyone know that my wife came through the surgery yesterday just fine. The vascular surgeon connected an artery and a vein in her left arm near the elbow. The purpose of this procedure is for future hemodialysis access – according to the vascular surgeon, a doctor that deals with arteries and veins and may not be able to spell “kidney.” Sorry, they have good educations and may be able to spell words that are not in their specialty. My point is the name “hemodialysis access” instead of installing a fistula.

But then, it is not a fistula. It has a great chance of growing into a fistula, but in its embryonic state, it will take about two months to mature. It is different than the abortion issue – when is life “life?” The fistula has to heal and strengthen before it can be used…

By Samuel D. Samson, University of Texas at Austin

The following article does not necessarily represent the opinions and views of all Clarifying Catholicism. We welcome comments, criticism, and responses submitted in our comments section below or in our Contact Us page.

Since its incipience during the rise of President Trump, and its growth through demonstrations such as the Women’s March, the “#MeToo movement” has brought sexual assault to the forefront of modern politics. This rise in sexual assault sensitivity has been paralleled by a rise in sexual assault allegations, with U.S. Newsrecording a near doubling of such reports between 2016 and 2017, while public and private institutions have put in place new measures to try and combat sexual assault in their workplaces.

Yet for all of the understandable uproar over sexual assault, and despite both increased awareness and an incessant touting of the subject by the…

I once knew someone who would say, “Things are in a state.” Well my friends, that is definitely true in these ides of January 2021.

Followers of Jesus believe that prayer works. The Bible tells us so, including Jesus. This is what Oswald Chambers was getting at when he wrote, “Prayer is not preparation for the work; it is the work.” In other words, it makes an impact on things that actually happen.

This goes hand in hand, of course, with living differently as a result of our prayers—with trying to advance God’s good causes—as Chambers himself would have argued. In this spirit, the martyred Thomas More said: “The things, good Lord, that we pray for, give us the grace to labour for.”

1. The American Inauguration

The inauguration of Joe Biden as President of the United States occurs on January 20^th. I’ve heard rumblings of…