I just finished watching Ben Stein's Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. Despite the somewhat silly cover, this is a very serious movie that deserves your attention. Basically the movie starts by looking at the scientific community's view of Intelligent Design. But from there he delves deeply into Darwinism and ends by asking the question, "How would our society look if Darwinism where applied?"
I highly recommend you take the time to rent this movie (we got it from Netflix, so it's out there). At a minimum, it will make you think about the nature of Darwinism, God, and society. It really made me look at Ben Stein (Bueller, Bueller) in another light. And the movie is very well thought out. He builds his case in a logical way that makes a compelling argument. Even if you aren't an Intelligent Design proponent, it's worth your time. I want to say more about it, but I think it's much more interesting if you watch it yourself. If I simply tell you the conclusions, it wouldn't mean as much.
Clear enough? Don't miss it! You can buy it at Amazon.com here.
God bless,
Jay
Recently in Reviews: Books, Movies, more Category
This week - probably because of everything going on in the world - is a more serious collection of posts that I remember seeing recently. And it makes for compelling reading that really challenges you to think through your preconceptions and understand Catholic teaching. That's not to say there aren't a few lighter posts, but this Carnival is a little heavier than most! Enjoy:
Father Aloysius starts us off with Fundamental Truth at Life's Crosses. This post explores our reasons for being and why we reject the overtures from God so often.
Next we move to Mini Confessions at Quantum Theology where we hear the outcome of sending a 14-year-old to a face-to-face confession rather than a penance service.
Never forget that God Alone is Enough as explained on Thoughts on Grace. When you are filled with fear, remember St. Theresa's poem and know that God alone is enough.
Steven highly recommends him, so he reviewed J.F. Powers Bibliography at Book Reviews and More. Powers is an excellent Catholic short story writer that you should know more about. This is a good place to start!
Poetry speaks and convicts in Like Dinner on Wood at Long Skirts. It is a poem about how Catholics before us were willing to be served up Like Dinner on Wood to preserve the Faith.
Okay, I admit it at Homeschool Goodies takes us in a different direction: She admits being a "dance mom" and explains the benefits her homeschooled children receive from dance.
Keeping on that theme, Homeschooling: A Growing Trend at A Catholic Mom Climbing the Pillars explores the question of why people are homeschooling and paints a great picture of the homeschooling family.
Sarah makes grape jelly in The Color Purple at Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering. She also reflects on opportunities for prayer during her work. Wow - sounds delicious . . .
A Reflection . . . at Organ-ic Chemist ponders a homily on the reading from September 14 where the image of a snake is raised to save those who were bitten. What caught her attention was the pastor's reference to a snake being an ambivalent symbol.
Another reflection on the same readings: God's Punishment and Salvation at HMS Blog. As always, HMS Blog is definitely worth your time. It also focuses on the image of a snake prefiguring Christ.
Moving to politics, Over the Edge? at A Catholic View points out that Bishop Niederauer wants to speak with Nancy Pelosi about her recent misstatements on Catholic positions. Can we expect anything to come from this? Interesting comic included.
In a moving post, an Abortion Survivor Pleads with Obama in New Ad at Catholic Fire. Gianna Jessen survived when her mother's abortion was botched. She asks Senator Obama why he would vote against a bill requiring doctors to provide medical attention to babies born during botched abortions. It's a powerful ad.
Staying in politics, The Change We Need at Living Catholicism takes a closer look at Senator Obama's stance on abortion and how it matches up against Catholic teaching. Includes the USCCB's points from Faithful Citizenship.
Don't miss the Worldwide Rosary for Unborn Babies reported on at A Life of Benevolence. The event happens on October 18th and you can find the details in this post.
Serious issues continue with Suicide and Salvation at Aggie Catholics. Is it a sin to think about killing yourself? How about to try to kill yourself? This post explains Catholic teaching.
Notes from a Subculturist at The Catholic Journeyman explains what a subculturalist is and how they find balance, beauty, and battlescars in Catholic apologetics.
We finish up with Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard at Prepare for Mass offers a series of videos exploring the readings - it's a great way to get prepared for Mass!
God bless,
Jay
I wonder if the makers of The Nativity are wondering why their movie wasn’t the hit that The Passion was. Maybe. And the answer is so easy.
I just sat down and watched the movie for the first time on DVD – as the parents of four children, my wife and I don’t make it to the theater often. And frankly, I had been warned somewhat that the contents were problematic. However, I didn’t expect the movie to be as wrong as it was. And I do mean wrong.
I think a scene at the start of the movie helps to illustrate my feelings. Before Mary is betrothed, her father Joachim is apparently having trouble with the tax collectors who take his donkey. So a friend gives Mary back a donkey and asks her to tell her father that the Tax Collectors left it behind. This way, he reasons, Joachim will be able to keep his pride.
There’s so many things wrong with that scene, but what really bothered me is that Mary apparently agreed to lie to her father. To keep his pride in tact. Is this really the person God would choose to be His Mother? Not by a long shot.
And the problems with the movie continue from silly errors, like the Wise Men showing up the night of Jesus’ birth, to the offensive, like Mary’s attitude toward Joseph when they are first betrothed. If you’re going to backfill a story like this, why not backfill with the rich tradition surrounding the story of Jesus’ birth? And why not go for accuracy? Mel Gibson was rewarded financially for attempting to be as accurate as possible – and for building a story from the point of view of the believer. This story was built to entertain and even those tidbits meant to make the movie more dramatic were ridiculous: Mary attacked by a snake in the river, for example.
Ultimately, if you’re going to tell a story like this and get believers to watch, you need to have a believer writing the story. From what I’ve read, the writers and producers of this movie don’t attend any church and simply consider themselves “spiritual.” Surprise: the movie reflects this lack of commitment both to the Bible story and to the beauty of Jesus’ birth. What a shame: this movie could have been excellent, but instead was a waste of time. It was designed for those who don’t know the story and aren’t really concerned about the theology behind it.
My recommendation: don’t waste your time. And if you take others to see it, be sure to explain why it’s wrong afterwards.
God bless,
Jay
Over the years I’ve read a lot of apologetics books – including Dave Armstrong’s first book, A Biblical Defense of Catholicism - but I haven’t seen an approach quite like The Catholic Verses until now. The subtitle of the book is 95 Bible Passages that Confound Protestants; Mr. Armstrong is setting these 95 verses as a counterpoint to Martin Luther’s 95 theses and he does a great job.
To oversimplify, this book takes the 95 verses and splits them into appropriate topics. However, it gets unique when Dave Armstrong introduces the protestant positions on these various verses – from Martin Luther or John Calvin or other well-known protestant pastors. This provides a lot of insight into how protestants respond to Catholic challenges and why they don’t see the verses as we do. It is an excellent way to perform exegesis and to explain a clear position on the verse. As I’ve said before, I haven’t seen another book approach apologetics in quite this way (Mr. Armstrong also cite blog arguments from Cor ad cor loquitor, which as a blogger I personally appreciate).
Another thing I like about the book is that he includes topics such as Divorce and Contraception, which some apologists put on a secondary level (and focus on the big issues of salvation, etc). But he includes chapters on these types of topics as well as breaking down the bigger issues into different sections like God’s Fellow Workers? exploring our role in a chapter on Justification and Salvation.
It’s hard to quote from the book and give you a taste without choosing huge passage, so I’ll just give you a great little section that gives you a feel for Dave Armstrong:
From a chapter on Purgatory and Prayers for the Dead: The “line” between heaven and earth, of the afterlife (including purgatory) and earth, is not so rigid and absolute as many seem to assume. This was shown in my previous mention of dead saints who came back to earth (Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration, Samuel, the two “witnesses” of Revelation, and the many people who came out of their tombs and walked around Jerusalem after Jesus’ death). It is true that those events were a result of God’s decree and not men’s prayers, but nevertheless, they prove that the “line” is not absolute. Whatever God can and does do is proper for men to pray for.
As you can see, Dave Armstrong has a wonderful positive outlook that pours through his work. And he constructs arguments in a very logical manner that I appreciate. He is honest about the counter arguments from others and explains the issues with each of them. Overall, I think this is an excellent book for Catholics who have protestants around them as well as for protestants interested in understanding how Catholics interpret scripture.
One other thing he does in The Catholic Verses which was very amusing: he rewrites some of the passages to make them agree with protestant thought. This sounds silly, but it does a great job of getting his point across that the verse is clearly Catholic. I won’t quote those, since they are a highlight of the book and alone make it worth purchasing!
Take a look at The Catholic Verses and let me know what you think. I enjoyed it and I suspect everyone will at least be challenged by the author’s approach to this tough subject.
God bless,
Jay
In this cinematic version of C.S. Lewis' classic first book of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, director Andrew Adamson magically captures the essence of this beloved story. The film does deviate somewhat from the book, especially from the point of the four children entering Narnia to their meeting with Aslan, BUT the fundamentally important parts of the book were portrayed masterfully and truly. The Christian message is clear and uncompromised. The integrity of the characters is likewise maintained, something Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings failed to do. I don't want to give away much more than that because I hope that all of you will go see this movie.
I highly recommend this film for adults and children over the age of 12. I would not call this a movie for children under the age of 12 due to the graphic depiction of some of the "evil" characters and the battle scenes.
Enjoy and please let us know what you think.
In Christ,
Joe
PS - A good book that explores topics in the movie is A Guide to Narnia, 100 Questions about The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I recommend checking it out as well, particularly if you want to understand the Christian aspects of the movie.
This is kind of a fascinating question to me. Christians have always known that the Chronicles of Narnia are overtly Christian in the best way. They were written by C.S. Lewis, who is as well known for his non-fiction Christian books as he is for the Chronicles of Narnia. But apparently Disney, in a throwback to their recent years under Michael Eisner, is not promoting the Christian realities behind The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Instead, they’re assuming Christians know and trying not to scare of non-Christians (did they miss the gross sales of The Passion of Christ?).
To go off on a quick sidenote: If you are a Christian parent, I highly recommend the novels for children. They do an excellent job of explaining Christian theology in a simple, interesting way for kids.
To summarize the story, four children find a way to the mystical city of Narnia (kind of an alternate universe), where animals talk and magic is common. One of the children, Edmund, represents humanity and betrays his friends as well as Aslan, the Lion-king of Narnia. In the end, Aslan sacrifices his life for Edmond, despite the betrayal. And Aslan, as the Christ-figure, is resurrected. There is also a Satan character, the White Witch, whose powers provide interesting parallels with the powers of the devil. And the human capacity to change their ways is evident as is the power of forgiveness. Overall, the movie could provide a great catalyst for children seeking to understand the nature of Christianity.
Is this a Christian tale? Absolutely. And Disney did hire a director that could pull off the Christian aspects of the film rather well. If it does come across as it should, this is a film we should get out and support – there are six other books in this series (some prequels) that could be made. And it would be another great way to show the potential demand for authentic Christian movies.
God bless,
Jay
We recently received a request for an article on the Harry Potter series. The following is an article that was posted on Michael O'Brien's blog, studiObrien, I felt it was worth reading. Enjoy!
Pope Benedict and Harry Potter
Written by Michael D. O'BrienMany of you will recall the controversy that arose in the world’s media a few years ago over the Harry Potter series of fantasy novels for young readers. Numerous articles appeared in the press praising the books as a breakthrough to a more literate form of culture for young people. They exalted its dramatic qualities, imaginative story-telling, humor, and promotion of “values.” Little serious reflection was given to the fact that the foundational element of the series is witchcraft and sorcery, which is glamorized and offered to the reader as normal, even a saving path. The central character, Harry, is a sorcerer in training. This is not the place to restate the arguments, pro and con; I have done this in previous articles, which are posted on this website. However, I would like to emphasize again that few if any cultural works in the history of mankind have spread so far and so quickly as the Potter series. Indeed there are now hundreds of millions of readers.
There were of course some dissenting opinions about the books, writers such as myself who examined them in the context of the ongoing paganization of children’s culture—a phenomenon that already has proved to have negative consequences. Generally, critics of Potter were dismissed as “hysterical alarmists” or “fundamentalists.” The situation was made more difficult when in February, 2003 the world media erupted with headlines announcing that the Vatican and the Pope were in favor of the books: “Pope Approves Potter” declared the Toronto Star. “Harry Potter Is Ok With The Pontiff” declared the Chicago Sun Times. Throughout North America, England, Australia, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, and points beyond, the press and e-media proclaimed, “Vatican okays Harry Potter” (News 24, South Africa), “Vatican gives blessing to Harry Potter” (Scotsman), “Pope Sticks Up for Potter Books” (the BBC); “Vatican: Harry Potter’s OK with Us” (CNN Asia), and so forth.
This was a classic case of media disinformation. In fact, neither the Vatican nor John Paul II had in any way approved the series. The “story” had its source in a remark made by Monsignor Peter Fleetwood during a press conference for the release of a Vatican document on the New Age movement. Responding to a reporter’s question about the Harry Potter series, Fleetwood replied, “If I have understood well the intentions of Harry Potter’s author, they help children to see the difference between good and evil.” In short, it was the superficial personal opinion of a man who may or may not have read the books. That the media turned this into a major world-class story (and at the same time largely ignored the reason for the conference, the release of the Vatican’s teachings on the New Age movement) is so blatant a violation of journalistic standards that one cannot help but wonder over it.
The media failed to give equal coverage to a more significant statement on the Potter series when, two years earlier, Rome’s official exorcist, Fr. Gabriele Amorth, warned parents against the books in an interview with the Italian ANSA news agency. Fr. Amorth, who is also the president of the International Association of Exorcists, said bluntly, “Behind Harry Potter hides the signature of the king of the darkness, the devil.” He maintained that many of the ideas expressed in the books were from the realm of darkness, that they contain innumerable positive references to magic, “the satanic art”, and attempt to make a false distinction between black and white magic, when in fact the distinction “does not exist, because magic is always a recourse to the devil.” He also criticized the disordered morality presented in Rowling’s works, which he believes strongly reinforce moral relativism.
In the ensuing years the controversy raged on, most notably in articles attacking critics of Potter. It has been disconcerting to see that many such articles have been published in orthodox Catholic journals. At root was a failure to understand the power of cultural material over human consciousness, and thus its effects on human actions. There was, as well, a kind of academic over-reliance on individual reason, perhaps because intelligent people of faith generally consider themselves capable of absorbing a good deal of flawed material without being harmed by it. This was to forget that the young are in a state of formation, are the most vulnerable to deformation of their understandings of reality, especially the nature of good and evil.
I just finished reading Thomas Howard’s latest book, On Being Catholic, and I must say that I was very impressed. Howard is a convert to Catholicism and because of this he brings a unique view on the Church. This book is an excellent explanation of how Catholics see the world with a touch of inspirational spirituality. To underline the point, take a look at this passage:
Rank. Perhaps that is the word that may supply the clue necessary to open up the Catholic vision of God’s majesty to non-Catholics who worry that the ancient Church has stolen away the exclusive glory of God and has distributed it among a great multitude of interlopers.The “rank” of the noble men and women who throng the earthly king’s court is, of course, derived from him. The duke’s dignity not only does not subtract one farthing from the king’s majesty: it augments that majesty, as though to say, “See, see what nobility this sovereign bestows. See how he raises his servants to share his glory.” The awe that comes over us upon the entrance of one of the great barons into the presence glances immediately from his armor straight to the figure on the throne. The great ladies of the court, so serene in their fathomless dignity, decked with the vesture that, even in its richness, is scarcely adequate to the nobility that crowns them – they gaze on our awe with eyes that say, “To him. To him be all honor and majesty and might and blessing.”
This is the Catholic vision of God’s majesty. He is not a niggardly sovereign, sitting upon his riches like a dragon on hoard, sullen and wary lest anyone snatch the smallest coin from the heap, thereby subtracting that sum from his exclusive prerogative. There are, alas, widely espoused theologies that talk of God’s glory as though this were the picture and that grudge any spilling-over of that glory onto any creature. To listen to such theologies is to conjure the spectacle of a great king, solitary in his splendor and served by thralls, sycophants, and helots, forever groveling, forever scourged by their masters with, “Give him the glory! Be careful to give him the glory!”
It is an ironic refrain, of course, since the whole point of the splendid assembly of nobles is that indeed the sovereign receive the glory. To that extent the slave-driving master’s refrain is technically true. Bu there is something parsimonious about it all. Give him the glory, as though any remnant of cloth on me that is not a filthy rag somehow calls in question that glory.
But the grimmest khans, sultans, and pharaohs in their tyranny have not grudged their glory thus. The greater their retinue, the greater their splendor.
It is thus, says the Roman Catholic Church, with God’s glory. He is a God who crowns us with glory and honor (see Psalm 8). He is a God who has raised us and made us to reign with his own Son. He is a God who exults in ennobling his servants and who has made them his own kin, brought them into his banqueting house, and unfurled the banner of love over their heads.
This is what his bounty purposes for all who will receive him. “As many as received him, to them gave he the power to become sons of God.” Sons of God? Lord: I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. Make me as one of your hired servants. Let me hunt with the dogs for the crumbs that fall from your table.
You are to sit at my royal table, says his bounty to us all. You were indeed poor and wretched and blind and naked and so covered with wounds and bruises and putrefying sores that there was no remedy for your condition – no remedy, that is, but my grace. But now you are washed, you are healed, you are clothed with the righteousness of my own Son, the Prince of Glory. Your tunic, your armor and spurs and robe and the very diadem that glitters on your brow: those you have for me because I love my only begotten Son and wish to present him with this guerdon for his suffering. He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. I have adopted you and made you coheirs with him of all my glory.
And it gets even better. I highly recommend it for Catholics and non-Catholics, particularly those interested in understanding how Catholics view the world. Click here to see On Being Catholic at Amazon.com.
God bless,
Jay
Ridley Scott’s newest epic, Kingdom of Heaven tackles the Crusades but ignores the real history in order to get his opinion across. So we get an epic movie filled with falsehoods and half-truths with one general goal in mind: Sir Ridley wants to make faithful figures on both sides look like the bad guys (in other words “religion is bad” – Mr. Scott is a self-described agnostic).
The movie is likely to be huge, so it’s important to understand what the Crusades were in case someone asks. The Catholic Encyclopedia online has an excellent overview of the Crusades here for a detailed look. I’ll summarize here from my own studies and link to some additional articles.
To understand the Crusades, you must understand some history. From the time Islam was born, Muslims began attacking and conquering Christian cities. Within Islam there is a strong belief that although you can practice other non-Islamic religions, every state should be Islamic in nature. Thus Catholic lands were a target of Islamic warriors (remember: there were no protestants at this time – the Catholic Church was the only Christian church). Areas such as Egypt were majority Catholic (hard to believe today) and were taken over by Muslims. The First Crusade began when the Emperor of Constantinople sent a request for help to the Churches in Europe. The Pope called for all good Christians to fight in order to stop the Muslim forces (which were continuing to attack). This article on the Crusades (by a history professor) includes Pope Urban II’s hopes:
How does a man love according to divine precept his neighbor as himself when, knowing that his Christian brothers in faith and in name are held by the perfidious Muslims in strict confinement and weighed down by the yoke of heaviest servitude, he does not devote himself to the task of freeing them? ...Is it by chance that you do not know that many thousands of Christians are bound in slavery and imprisoned by the Muslims, tortured with innumerable torments?
And thus began the Crusades, which continued through the fifteenth century in one form or another. These were Christian men seeking to help their fellow Christians as well as stop the “Moors” from taking over all of Europe and freeing the Holy Land.
What do the Crusades mean for us? I thought this was a particularly beneficial point from this article on Kingdom of Heaven:
It takes no great counter-factual leap to see what would have happened if Crusaders had not fought back. Gibbon for once got it right when he imagined a Muslim England where "the Koran would now be taught in the schools of Oxford, and her pulpits might demonstrate to a circumcised people the sanctity and truth of the revelation of Mahomet".
By the way, the article includes a review.
Were their atrocities committed during the Crusades? Yes, two in particular against Jews that were heinous. However, in both cases Church leaders went over and beyond to stop these acts. Overall, the Crusades help save Christian civilization from being overtaken by Islam, despite what you might have heard.
There is much historical information on the Crusades available. Archbishop Chaput of Denver recently pointed out that Christians have an obligation to keep the true facts of the Crusades alive. We are constantly fed this nonsense of the Crusades being Christian aggression against a peaceful enemy. Actually, the Muslims believed they were in a jihad against all of Christianity and without the Crusades it’s hard to imagine a Christian Europe today.
So, before you go see Kingdom of Heaven (if you must), at least read about the real history. Then read some reviews by Catholics. That way you’ll at least be unfazed by the falsehoods in the movie.
God bless,
Jay
PS - Hat Tip to The Curt Jester for the Chaput article.
I must admit right at the beginning that I am a big fan of J.R.R Tolkien and especially of The Lord of the Rings. So this trilogy was near and dear to my heart and I waited with great anticipation for its release. I do own all the movies (both short- and long- form) and I’ve seen them all more than once.
So, what were my final impressions of the film? I think the best word to describe how I feel about the overall trilogy is disappointed. Yes, there are three good films here, one of which far overshadows the rest (and it wasn’t the last one). However, there is also a great lesson here about allowing a secular humanist to create a Christian epic and this is where my disappointment lies.
I am not one of those who are upset that certain parts of the movie were changed or moved around. This is a normal part of filmmaking and is acceptable. In fact, I think Jackson did a good job at choosing which parts of the books were unnecessary (like Tom Bombadil) and which was needed. This is where his filmmaking skills worked to their best ability.
No, Jackson’s error was far more disappointing than that: Jackson compromised the morality of characters. It is as if Mr. Jackson and his partner, Fran (who wrote much of the script with him), couldn’t conceive of essentially pure characters. The most obvious example of this is Faramir. In the books, Faramir is the opposite of his brother and understands the danger of the ring. He is also wise enough to understand his father’s ambition and he allows the Ringbearer, Frodo, and his companions to move on. In the movie, Faramir is cast as another example of his brother – he captures the travelers and attempts to take them back to dear old dad (who also is a caricature of Tolkien’s written creation) and only through the forces of evil are Frodo and Sam freed from good Faramir’s grip. This scene was also particularly devastating to the second film because of its uselessness – it added nothing to the movie or to the development of the characters.
If Faramir had been the only compromised figure, I might have still been pleased with the pictures. After all, he was just a small character. But the change in Faramir was just a shadow of the changes to come in the third movie – some of which showed just how little Jackson understood Tolkien’s vision. In particular, Gandalf was among those compromised in the Best Picture winner (which didn’t hold a candle to the first movie in the trilogy). Gandalf does a couple of things that Tolkien would have never conceived of; two scenes at Minas Tirith can best explain the changes. The first is where Gandalf basically ignores the Steward’s decision and lights the beacons deceptively. Gandalf, as Simarillion readers will note, is similar to an angel on earth and does not act outside of normal moral bounds. In addition, Gandalf basically kicks Denethor into the fire, killing him. Again, outside moral bounds.
These are the type of compromises that really hurt the film in my eyes. And I haven’t even mentioned the whining, crying baby Samwise in the third movie or the reluctant king Aragorn. I believe that what the movies ended with was ‘projection’ in a spectacularly self-exposing way for Peter Jackson (I know that sounds harsh, but it is what I really believe). So, while the action was intense, the scenes shot flawlessly, and the plot reasonably well designed, the lack of moral fortitude in the main characters casts a pall over the trilogy that is hard to shake off. I can’t help thinking of how brilliant the movies could have been if only the character of the characters, so to speak, hadn’t been changed.
Against the Grain got me thinking of this topic today and pointed out that the new Chronicles of Narnia movies are at least being made by a Christian. So, perhaps there is hope for that great series.
By the way, let me know your final thoughts on The Lord of the Rings as well.
God bless,
Jay
 A Biblical Defense of Catholicism |
 The Scriptural Roots of Catholic teaching |
 The Church on Earth |
I pretty much recommend them in that order - the first is very general and covers all major questions about Catholicism. Both of the first two explain how the Catholic Church interprets Scripture. The third deals specifically wtih the nature of the Church - why is there a physical Church and what is it's role in the world.
 Surprised by Truth |
 The Everyday Apostle |
 Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics |
The first is an excellent book of real-life conversion stories. Often it helps to hear what the motivation was for someone to convert to Catholicism. The second book is probably the most important, because it covers how you can "preach" Christ without being preachy. In this day and time its' message can't be overstated. And the third is an emerging issue that everyone needs to think about: how does a Catholic (or even a Christian) approach a Muslim? I really think these works have value, so we highly recommend them. Let me know if you recommend anything else . . . God bless, Jay
“Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.” - - G. K. ChestertonI’m a sucker for a great quote. I thought it would be interesting to ask our visitors to put up some of your favorite Christian quotes (not in Scripture). Over the years there have been some unbelievable Christian writers (such as Chesterton above) and excellent quotes. What are you favorites? Just post them as a comment.
Some of my other favorites:
“Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.” -- St. Jerome“Psychoanalysis is confession without absolution.” - - Gilbert K. Chesterton
“Not 100 in the United States hate the Roman Catholic Church, but millions hate what they mistakenly think the Roman Catholic Church is.” - - Bishop Fulton J. Sheen
And the best quote from the famous Patrick Henry (of “Give me liberty” fame):
“I have now disposed of all my property to my family. There is one thing more I wish I could give them, and that is the Christian religion.” - - Patrick Henry
There are million more (I don’t even have CS Lewis above). I’m looking forward to others you may have.
God bless,
Jay
PS – I can’t resist this one:
“If you're going to do a thing, you should do it thoroughly. If you're going to be a Christian, you may as well be a Catholic.” - - Muriel Spark
;-)
Amy Welborn (of Open Book) wrote a nice little analysis of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. I have to commend Amy on a well thought out and even-keeled analysis of The Da Vinci Code’s problems, since it would be easy to rant on a book this deceitful. But she goes step by step and shows how very little The Da Vinci Code reflects true history from a secular or a religious viewpoint – and she does it in a very compact way, which means this is a quick read that’s loaded with proofs of Brown’s errors. I do think that Amy is overly nice to Dan Brown in her criticisms, but she still makes it clear that he is not a history scholar no matter how he fashions himself to the public.
I think my favorite point is when Welborn points out that one of the books that heavily influenced The Da Vinci Code is considered fiction by it’s author – a classic blunder. There’s so many errors in fact that it’s difficult to even begin listing them, but De-Coding Da Vinci does a great job of simply focusing on the big mistakes and using small asides to point out the numerous errors that aren’t central to the bigger religious issues Dan Brown attempts to bring up. Welborn covers the reality of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, the early Church – oh and Mary, the Mother of God, whom Dan Brown surprisingly overlooks in his book (this would destroy one of his central thesis) – as well as Constantine and the historical aspects of Christianity with ease. She really does a wonderful job of simply pointing out the emperor Brown’s lack of attire.
Personally, I think Dan’s going to have a lot of explaining to do when he leaves this world (Dante would suggest there’s a special place in hell for those like Brown). I know several people who had a crisis of faith after reading The Da Vinci Code and, frankly, it’s a shame. It’s a shame that Dan would attempt to pass this book as historically accurate. And it’s a shame that there isn’t more attention paid to the ridiculous claims he makes. For those who have read The Da Vinci Code, I highly recommend you take a few hours and read the other side: Amy Welborn’s devastating and accurate rebuttals of Brown’s errors. You won’t view The Da Vinci Code in the same light again. For those who haven’t, read De-Coding Da Vinci anyway, you will receive questions about the book, if you haven’t already. Click here to see De-Coding Da Vinci on Amazon.com.
God bless,
Jay
John Henry Cardinal Newman was one of the great Catholic converts of his day. Born in 1801, Newman was raised Anglican. At the age of 24 he was ordained an Anglican priest. He was of high regard in the Anglican Church and his conversion to Catholicism rocked the Anglican world. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1847 and he eventually was made a bishop, and then a cardinal by Pope Leo XIII. Newman was an outstanding scholar and a tenacious apologist. He also was a prolific writer. One of his most reknown books was the classic The Development of Christian Doctrine . Yet he also wrote about many other matters of the faith including the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through his preaching and his writing, Newman led many Anglicans and other non-Catholics of his day to the fullness of the Catholic faith.
The Mystical Rose is a compilation of Newman's writings on Mary. It is divided into two parts. The first part shows how the Catholic Church's teachings on Mary are based in the New Testament and the Early Church Fathers. The second part is taken from his work Meditations and Devotions and explains the various attributes given to the Mother of God in the Litany of Loreto. This book provide a good overview of Marian doctrine and a sound meditation on the Woman who bore our Redeemer. Here is a brief excerpt:
Mary has been made more glorious in her person than in her office; her purity is a higher gift than her relationship to God. This is what is implied in Christ's answer to the woman in the crowd who cried out, when he was preaching, "Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the breasts which thou hast sucked." He replied by pointing out to his disciples a higher blessedness; "Yea, rather blessed," he said, "are they who hear the word of God and keep it..."
Protestants take these words in disparagement of our Lady's greatness, but they really tell the other way. For consider them; He lays down a priniciple that it is more blessed to keep His commandments than to be His Mother, but who even of Protestants will say that she did not keep His commandments? She kept them surely, and our Lord does but say that such obedience was in a higher line of privilege than her being His Mother. She was more blessed in her detachment from creatures, in her devotion to God, in her virginal purity, in her fullness of grace, than in her maternity. This is the constant teaching of the holy Fathers: "More blessed was Mary," says Augustine, "in receiving Christ's faith, than in conceiving Christ's flesh." And St. Chrysostom declares that she would not have been blessed, though she had borne Him in the body, had she not heard the word of God and kept it.
This of course is an impossible case; for she was made holy that she might be made His Mother, and the two blessednesses cannot be divided. She who was chosen to supply flesh and blood to the Eternal Word was first filled with grace in body and soul. Still, she had a double blessedness, of office and of qualification for it, and the latter was the greater. And it is on this account that the angel call her blessed. "Full of grace," he says, "blessed among women"; and St. Elizabeth also, when she cried out, "Blessed thou that has believed." Nay, she herself bears a like testimony, when the Angel announced to her the favor which was coming on her. - The Mystical Rose, pg. 48-49
In Christ,
Joe
The pitch for this book was very compelling to me; Deal Hudson had a different conversion experience from me, but he also came from a Southern Baptist background. His conversion centered around his desire for beauty and his belief in philosophy and art. It sounds strange, but the book leads you through point by point in his journey.
Overall, the book is very good and offers a different take on the value of the Catholic Church. Rather than simply going through Scripture, he focuses on the unity of though in the Church and the lack of unity in protestant Churches. This unity ties together the body and the mind:
The unity of the material body and immaterial intellect through the form of the soul in human beings is central to the Catholic understanding of philosophy and theology, especially in ethics, politics, epistemology, and education. The loss of that unity, falling either in the direction of the soul or the body, is a challenge to the Catholic tradition and apologetics. Think only of the Catholic belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist verses the evangelical understanding of the bread and wine as symbols. For the evangelical at communion the flesh and blood is a name pointing away from itself toward what is not there. For the Catholic there is no need to look away; the Eucharistic feast in not understood in nominalist terms, meaning in name only, not in substance. The bread and wine are united with the divine presence analogously to the unity of the mind and body and the divine and human nature in Jesus Christ.
Deal Hudson’s thought process is highly philosophical - his readings of Aristotle, Aquinas, and others highly influences his relationship with God and his understanding of divine things. I think the journey is summed up close to the end of the book:
Evangelicals view human nature as fallen and the work of grace as extrinsic to an unredeemable human nature. In other words, I was asked to live in a radically divided world, described best in Luther’s words, “at once justified, at once a sinner” (simul justus, simul peccator).
This hard distinction leads, I believe, to the evangelical mistrust of human works of all kinds, not just claims to good works, but to the works of culture - the arts, philosophy, the humanities. Philosophy was studied among Baptists primarily to find out what it was lacking, how it was in basic discord with Scriptures. There was no spirit of cooperation, no instinct to wed the truth of philosophy with revealed truth.
In the end, Hudson accepts Aquinas’ mantra: “grace perfects nature; it does not destroy it.” In other words, grace “strengthens human love, inwardly ordering it once again to God.” This is far different from the protestant theology he started with.
I recommend this book as a must read. It’s full of rich theological insights that demand time to chew over them and meditate upon their effects on your life. It’s a quick read, but it will stay with you for a long while, I imagine. Click here to order from Amazon.com.
God bless,
Jay
Why did I choose to read The Fountainhead? It’s considered Ayn Rand’s key work detailing her philosophy of Objectivism in a work of fiction. Objectivism, for those who are unaware, is a philosophy espoused by more and more Americans who often deem themselves Libertarians. I’m a sucker for fictional books with a philosophical basis, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read this, even though it was a large 700 page work.
As an initial warning, this is not the best written book. Some large works are so captivating they are difficult to put down (I’m thinking of Stephen King’s The Stand or Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings for example), this book was not like that. I had trouble getting through a few overly boring sections of the book; I felt it could be cut down by 200 or 300 pages and still effectively get across the story. The characters aren’t perfectly developed either. In fact, this may be the only book I’ve ever read where the hero is a rapist and his victim is happy to be raped! But that’s another issue.
The core reason for the book’s existence is Ayn Rand’s philosphy of Objectivism. It’s difficult to quickly sum up Objectivism, so I’ll simply say that it is a philosophy that teaches that man can be excellent and should strive for this. It also teaches that the perfect man is completely self-serving and only concerned about his own wants and needs. In Ayn Rand’s words:
My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.
- - Ayn Rand
Needless to say, this philosophy does not mix well with Christian philosophy and especially with Christian morality. Rand understands this instinctively and gently mocks religious believe in the book. It’s important to note that she originally included another character, a pastor, who “tries to save the world with an outworn ideology . . . [his ideals are] precisely what the world has to be saved from” (from her notes on the book).
Conceived Without Sin
Written by Bud MacFarlane Jr. this novel deals with ordinary people working out the kinks of everyday living. The characters are realistic and will probably remind you of someone you know if not yourself. A great read for married couples or those considering the married life. Very insightful on how to have a lasting marriage and a great tale about geniune friendships. Truly a story anyone could stand to learn from.
A Father Who Keeps His Promises
Written by Scott Hahn one of the greatest theologians of our time, this easy, at times comical, book is a must read for any Catholic or christian for that matter. Hahn explores the "covenant love" God reveals to us through the Scriptures, and explains how God patiently reaches out to us - despite our faults and shortcomings - to restore us into relationship with His divine Family. If you are looking for a better way to understand Scripture, to grasp the big picture, this is the book for you. Scott does a superb job of explaining Salvation History, and you'll discover how the patient love of the Father revealed in the Bible is the same persistent love God has for you today. Don't wait, read it today!
Blessed Gianna Beretta Molla: A Woman's Life
Last but not least, this short read written by Giuliana Pelucchi is a beautiful story of an amazing woman who is now no longer just blessed but officially declared a saint by the Church on May 16th, 2004. Born in 1922 she died at the young age of 39 in the year 1962. Unlike most other saintly women I know of, Gianna was not a nun. She was a mother of four who loved life to its fullest. She was passionate for her husband, a working mother (she was a physician), an attractive woman, loved the outdoors and the arts, and liked to dress stylishly and have nice furniture etc. Truly a saint for the modern woman who still values the sacredness of life and its eternal beauty and loves the gift of motherhood. I don't want to give away her whole story, but in 1962 she made a quiet, heroic choice - a choice all mothers should read about. I was so touched by her story that I hope to name my next daughter after her, if God chooses to bless me with another girl one day.
I’ll admit that I saw The Passion of the Christ before seeing this movie. So going in, I expected to be disappointed - The Passion raised my expectations for religious movies and I doubted whether The Gospel of John would be satisfactory.
That being said, it was more obvious that this movie was made on a budget. A few early camera tricks are almost nauseating and the acting is okay, rather than great. But on the whole, the movie was much more fulfilling than I expected. Basically, this movie is almost a word for word recreation of the Gospel of John. There were a few oddities; the one that drove me nuts was the translation of “Amen, Amen” or “Truly, truly” as “I am telling you the truth.” Jesus says “I am telling you the truth” probably over 100 times in the movie! But the story line was very close to the Gospel (I kept the Bible beside me) and it was nice to “watch” the situations unfold.
My favorite scene (I’m biased) was the second half of John 6 when Jesus insisted, “You must eat my flesh and drink my blood or you have no life in you.” The movie faithfully depicts Jesus losing all of His disciples except for the twelve. I also enjoyed their depiction of the Last Supper and the events from the Last Supper to the arrest of Jesus.
In the end, the movie was pretty good – it was very faithful to the text and did a watchable interpretation of events in the Gospels. If you could only see one religious movie, I would have to recommend The Passion of the Christ, of course. But thankfully in America we can watch as many as we want. And this was a worthwhile three hours of time (it is long), especially now that the movie is available on DVD. Recommended.
God bless,
Jay
Hello Everyone! I am attempting to return from my rather lengthy sabbatical. I've had a lot going on lately and it was simply a matter of prioritizing. I will admit that it was also, in part, due to my own selfishness. For that, I ask for forgiveness.
Now that I've taken care of that, let's look at what I've chosen to write about today: The Da Vinci Code. I have not personally read this book yet but have a copy and intend to begin reading it once the Spring semester is over (yes, on top of being married, expecting a baby in August, and holding down a full-time job, I am also working on my bachelor's degree). I have read several reviews of the book and have had several Protestant friends recommend the book, in fact my brother-in-law, who is Methodist, is the one who gave me the book. He claimed that it was incredible and historical. I had my doubts...
Msgr. T.W. Young is the pastor of a church nearby and wrote a rather emotional review. I still intend to read the book but thought that this review was worth posting. I will give my own personal review later this summer. Enjoy!
For several months family and friends told me that: "I simply must read The Da Vinci Code," a best selling novel by Dan Brown (Doubleday, 2003). Although I usually wait until fiction is out in paperback, a friend lent me his hardback copy, and I soon made this my "bedtime reading." It didn't take long for me to find this an engaging novel of the "thriller" genre, fast paced, and with a variety of interesting characters.
I had never read an Evelyn Waugh book before, although I’ve heard from others that he was an exceptional Catholic writer, so I picked up Brideshead Revisted, probably his best known work. Waugh was a convert to Catholicism - so I felt a special kinship from the beginning – and intended to show how divine grace functioned through this book.
The book was thoroughly romantic, which is typically a problem for me, but I actually enjoyed it more than I initially expected. It follows the life of Charles Ryder, an agnostic at the beginning of the novel, and his relationship with the Roman Catholic Marchmain family. The setting is similar to Sense and Sensibility or one of the other Jane Austen books. But, this novel is inherently Catholic, which made it even more interesting.
To me, one of the captivating aspects presented was the pressure on the family to be perfect. These were Roman Catholics living in protestant England, so they were a serious minority and every public problem the family encountered was used to condemn Roman Catholicism. As a Catholic in a protestant family, this notion of perfection seemed very real to me and I appreciated Waugh’s presentation of it.
As we near the end of the book, each character evolves from an almost anti-religious bent to accept their faith in different ways. Waugh made this very realistic – no sudden visions, but a clear change of heart over time and an understanding of God and how he functions. I do think the novel would be more comprehensible by Catholics (some very Catholic notions of grace are key and Catholic practices are used throughout), but non-Catholics can still enjoy the book. Waugh saw this novel as a way to reach out to the protestants of his time; he felt the Roman Catholic church was the only cure for what ails the world.
In the end, I would recommend taking the time to read Brideshead Revisited. It’s not long, not difficult, and captivatingly interesting. Click here to buy it at Amazon.com.
God bless,
Jay
This book, Will Catholics be “Left Behind”? A Catholic Critique of the Rapture and Today’s Prophecy Preachers, initially attracted me because it dealt with a subject that very few Catholics tackle: premillenial dispensationalism. Basically this is the notion that there will be a “rapture” followed by seven years of tribulation before the Second Coming of Christ. This is a very commonly held belief by protestants, believe it or not. In addition, it forms the center of some people’s faith and a lack of cohesive answer would likely prevent them from considering the Catholic Church. In addition to LaHaye (the theologian behind the “Left Behind” series), Olson points out the errors in the writings of Hal Lindsey, Scofield, and Charles Ryrie among others.
Carl Olson, the author, is also a convert from a dispensationalist background, so he clearly understands all of the issues involved. He takes us through the history and literature of dispensationalism and then shows clearly using Biblical exegesis what the errors of this philosophy are. In essence, dispensationalism is a system of reading and understanding the Bible that perverts much of Scripture in order to prevent suffering (suffering, according to dispensationalists, has no redemptive value and is something to be avoided). Olson dismantles the system and shows how this system is in opposition to the Bible.
At some point, every Catholic will come into contact with a premillenial dispensationalist. I would highly recommend that you take the time to read Olson’s expose, even if to simply get a bearing on how they try and interpret the Bible and to understand some of the fallacies inherent in this system.
I highly recommend this – especially for those who work in apologetics. Click here to purchase it on Amazon.com.
God bless,
Jay
I just finished reading A Guide to The Passion: 100 Questions about The Passion of the Christ - Mel Gibson's movie. The book is very well done and I would recommend you taking the time to read it.
It's perfect for evangelism, since it not only answers direct questions your likely to hear during the film, but also addresses the underlying theology behind the question. For example, one question is "Why did Jesus have to die?". The book is only $7 and Mark Shea will autograph it if you buy it here. I would also recommend it for those who are wondering after seeing the movie, particularly on the Catholic themes, which this book explains well.
In the end: highly recommended.
God bless,
Jay
Michael O'Brien delivers again. This is a truly moving story teaching one poverty of spirit through the trusting footsteps of Rose Wabos, a Native Indian artist. Through her humble life and example, I realized how entrenched I am in the ways of this world and how hard it is to be in this world and not of it. The author does a superb job as well educating the reader into the workings of modern day art and culture, how far they have become corrupted and illustrates how many have been affected by the lies they teach. However dark things may seem hope is always present and good is accomplished through the most unusual individuals and circumstances. More than anything O'Brien has a talent, a gift for conveying to the reader that God's ways are often not man's ways. A must read.
For years I have thoroughly enjoyed many of the books published by Ignatius Press. I first became familiar with them when Jay and I were running a Catholic catalog company about 8 years ago. I always felt confident that whatever book, video, or audio that Ignatius Press offered would be worth consideration for our catalog.
They have brought back some of the great Catholic classics from the past two centuries including the works of Adrienne von Speyr, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Ronald Knox, John Henry Newman, Walter J. Ciszek, SJ and my particular favorite, G.K. Chesterton. They also currently publish numerous books by Peter Kreeft, Stephen Ray, Scott and Kimberly Hahn, Joseph Pearce, Michael O'Brien, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and many others. They also have an outstanding Study Bible series that is a work in progress (currently, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and Romans are available). Their books, videos, and audios cover just about every topic pertaining to Catholicism. They are definitely worth checking out.
Right now they are offering many books that are ideal for Lent. If you haven't found a good book to read during the Lenten season, I would suggest giving Ignatius Press a try. Here is a link to their online catalog:
In Christ,
Joe
I just finished The Truth of Catholicism by George Weigel subtitled Ten Controversies Explored. Weigel is the author of Witness to Hope, the biography of Pope John Paul II, and is considered a fairly influential Catholic thinker. This was actually the first full book by him that I’ve read, so I went in with reasonably high expectations.
At a basic level this book tackles ten “controversies” of the Church. These are primarily problems that non-Catholics have with Catholic teaching and expectations. However, the explanations are very well done and provide a strong understanding of how the Catholic church, and specifically Pope John Paul II, view the world. Using this as a basis, Weigel provides a great understanding of Catholicism and its role in the modern world. The ten controversies?
- Is Jesus the Only Savior? Also explores the nature of fear
- Does Belief in God Demean Us? Discusses the freedom of doctrine
- Liberal Church? Conservative Church? Why Catholicism is not a Denomination
- Where Do We Find the “Real World”? Explores liturgy and reality
- How Should We Live? Morality, conscience, and Truth
- How Should We Love? Sex and the modern world.
- We Do We Suffer? Excellent analysis of suffering and how it affects us
- What About the Rest of the World? Other religions and ecumenism
- Is Catholicism Safe for Democracy? Is democracy safe without Catholicism?
- What Will Become of Us? Saints and how we should live.
Overall, this was a very well done book. I learned quite a bit through Weigel’s analysis and use of examples. It’s not a huge book (@ 180 pages), but is very well written and thought out. I think it’s a good read for non-Catholics, but an excellent one for Catholics. Highly recommended. As you’ve seen, I’ve quoted it twice already on this blog in The Liturgy and the People and in The Moral Needs of a Democracy. Take a look and then buy the book for the full story.
God bless,
Jay
Click here for an excellent article on two books: The DaVinci Code and the Left Behind series. The Cardinal of the Archdiocese of Chicago exposes the two books for what they really are: garbage. It starts off very insightfully:
There is the old story about people who would prefer to watch an eclipse of the moon on television rather than step outside the house and see what the eclipse really looks like. Pictures and theories about reality are more acceptable than reality itself, because pictures and theories are our creation and reality is God’s. It’s no wonder, then, that religions we make up are more comfortable for us than what God has revealed to us about himself.
And I love this tidbit:
The feast of Christmas is a powerful antidote to the gnostic fabrications of Dan Brown and the dispensationalist delusions of the “Left Behind” books. The child born at Bethlehem is the divine Son of the all-holy God. Born of the Virgin Mary, Jesus comes to us truly and fully in a human nature like ours in all things but sin. As the Gospels and St. Paul and the Fathers of the Church have taught, the real flesh of Jesus Christ, not some esoteric secret wisdom, is the means of our salvation. Gnostics were antagonistic to the flesh; and dispensationalists believe that Christians are a “heavenly” people of God, as opposed to Jews who are only God’s “earthly” people. Interestingly, much of the antagonism toward the Church today stems from opposition to her teachings about sexuality, marriage and celibacy and the nature of ordained priesthood, all beliefs that take flesh seriously.
Click through and read the whole thing. It's worth it.
Thanks to Amy Welborn for pointing this out.
Jay
In an excellent book, “A Biblical Defense of Catholicism,” Dave Armstrong sets out fifty proofs of the pre-eminence of St. Peter, the first pope of the Catholic Church. I was so impressed, I have to list them here. I do recommend you take the time to go through the Biblical citations, they are very effective.
- Peter alone is the Rock upon which Jesus builds His Church (Matt 16:18). Christ appears here, not as the foundation, but as the architect who “builds.” Moreover, Rock embodies a metaphor applied to him by Christ in a sense analogous to the suffering and despised Messiah (1 Pet 2:4-8, cf. Matt 21:42). Without a solid foundation, a house falls. The Good Shepherd (John 10:11) gives us other shepherds as well (Eph 4:11).
- Peter alone is given the keys to the kingdom of Heaven (Matt 16:19).
- Peter is individually given the power to bind and loose (Matt 16:19).
- Peter’s name occurs first in all lists of Apostles (Matt 10:2; Mark 3:16; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). Matthew even calls him the “first” (Matt 10:2). (Judas Iscariot is invariably mentioned last.)
- Peter is almost always named first whenever he appears with anyone else. In one (only?) example to the contrary, Galatians 2:9 where he (Cephas) is listed after James and before John, he is clearly pre-eminent in the entire context (e.g. 1:18-19, 2:7-8).
- Peter alone among the Apostles receives a new name, Rock, solemnly conferred (John 1:42; Matt 16:18).
- Likewise, Peter is regarded by Jesus as the Chief Shepherd after himself (John 21:15-17), singularly by name, and over the universal Church, even though others have a similar but subordinate role (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet 5:2).
I know I'm always looking for good gift ideas during this time of year, so I thought I'd share two of my favorites with you. As a family, we make a point of giving Christian-related items during the holiday as much as possible and often books tend to fit the bill. Please leave a comment if you recommend any particular gift idea this season.
The perfect gift for parents: A Landscape with Dragons by Micheal O'Brien. I can't recommend this book enough as it deals with the images and ideas modern society would put into your child's mind. The book gives parents the tools necessary to differentiate between good and bad tv, movies, etc.