2017 Lay Spirituality: From Traditional to Postmodern may well be regarded as a sequel to Pierre Hegy’s two previous volumes: Wake Up, Lazarus!: On Catholic Renewal (2011) and Wake Up, Lazarus!: Paths to Catholic Renewal (2013). What binds these volumes together and makes them unique is the use of sociological methods to understand church practices Read more
We often hear it said of Pope Francis: “He’s not a great theologian, but he is a great pastor,” as if this assertion made any sense. As a theologian who shares Pope Francis’s heritage of Latin American Catholicism, I strongly disagree. Pope Francis is a terrific theologian, whose theology is coherent and cogent because it Read more
Progress in understanding new biology may create a new phase in the scientific explanation of life, say some of the 100 scientists, theologians and philosophers who gathered for a conference at England’s Oxford University last week. They say rapid advances made in biological research in recent decades are raising questions about what they mean for Read more
The tripartite design of the fidget spinner does resemble certain images of the Trinity. And while objects like three-leaf clovers have been touted in the past as analogies for God’s triune nature, the Fidget Spinner goes further because it spins. And so perhaps better captures the dynamic movement, equality and relationality of the Godhead. Continue Read more
How many people do you know who can give you a technical description of photosynthesis and quote from Ludwig Ott’s Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma? Dr. Stacy Trasancos (stacytrasancos.com) is one such person, accomplished in both science and theology. A native of Texas, Trasancos’s love of nature and insatiable curiosity led her to eventually earn a Read more
Benedict XVI’s resignation and withdrawal into a life of prayer has taught the Church a lesson of doing “theology on its knees”, Pope Francis has said. Francis wrote this in the preface of a new book by the Pope Emeritus, titled “Teaching and Learning the Love of God”. It is the first volume of several Read more
Swiss theologian Hans Küng says Pope Francis has set no restrictions on a request for a free discussion on the dogma of papal infallibility. But Fr Küng is refusing to release the text of a letter he said he received from Pope Francis on the subject last month. The theologian cited the “confidentiality that I Read more
Young women, are you contemplating next year’s plans? Perhaps finishing school and wondering about the next steps? Perhaps not quite sure you’re on the right track with your studies? Ready to get out of the workplace and into the books? Theology. Philosophy. I know you think I’m kidding. Who does that? Can you even get Read more
It is not clear whether the quirks of search actually shape people’s beliefs. But it’s worth remembering that posing a question to a search engine is not the same as posing a question to any other kind of source. The competition for authority online is governed by a very different set of rules than in previous Read more
Heythrop College in London is to close as a higher education institution after more than 400 years of operation. Its current form as a constituent college of the University of London will end in 2018. But a statement following a governors’ meeting noted that the Jesuit-run institution’s “mission and work will not [end]”. Heythrop, which Read more