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"We Look for a Kingdom: The Everyday Lives of the Early Christians"

NEW from Ignatius Press:

We Look for a Kingdom: The Everyday Lives of the Early Christians

by Carl Sommer

Carl Sommer presents a popular study of the faith and life of the early Christians in the first two centuries after Christ. Using documentary evidence and archaeological records, Sommers reconstructs the lives of the early Christians in order to “introduce the treasures of early Christianity to a large number of modern readers”.

By studying how the early Christians believed and lived, we can learn many valuable lessons on what to avoid and what to strive for today. The Roman world had many facets that are strikingly similar to elements of modern life. Sommer’s aim is to help the reader learn how to transform modern culture with the power of the Gospel as was first done in the centuries of the early Church.

Seminarians and Soccer! An Exclusive from Rome

Seminarians and Soccer! Meet the Pontifical North American College Clericus Cup Team | Joseph Previtali | February 28, 2007              

They have everything a soccer team could want. 

The veteran of international athletic competition in goal, who uses every inch of his body and every ounce of his energy as a mere means to frustrate the hopes of every would-be scorer; the strategic mind and skillful play of a player/coach of European pedigree and New Jersey toughness; the wily veteran defender from the South with two bad ankles and a bad knee, but one huge heart, which never fails him in making the stop on defense; the break-neck intensity of the lighting-fast renegade from North Dakota, who once trained for the U.S. Olympic Development program; the flashy superstar/coach from Boise, Idaho, by way of Michoacan, Mexico, who once scored from midfield in Roman competition and who gave up a possible career in professional soccer in Mexico to respond to the call to the priesthood; and a supporting cast that leaves them without weakness at any position on the field.

And yet, for the Pontifical North American College, participation in the Vatican-sponsored Clericus Cup, an international soccer tournament for priests and seminarians in Rome, will be a lesson in the underdog treatment to which American soccer has become accustomed.

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The Sign of the Cross

Evangelical Nathan Bierma, communications and research coordinator for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, comments on the history and meaning of the Sign of the Cross over at ChristianityToday.com:

Over time, Christians have imbued this small, simple gesture with volumes of theological meaning. Holding three fingers together — thumb, forefinger, and middle finger — as you make the sign symbolizes the Trinity. Holding the other two fingers against your palm represents the two natures of Christ, human and divine. Dropping the hand from forehead to waist to begin the gesture represents Christ's descent to earth. The upward movement that follows represents his resurrection. And so on. ...

At some point, Christians began to make the sign with two fingers rather than one, probably to indicate the two natures of Christ, and later, with three fingers to symbolize the Trinity. This change in fingering may have led to the "large cross"—the sign made over the entire upper body, rather than just the forehead. One explanation is that amid ninth-century debates over the nature of the Trinity, Christians may have wanted to emphasize that they were now using three fingers rather than two, and so they used the larger sign to make it more obvious.

If you think that's getting theologically meticulous, you haven't heard the debates over whether to finish the motion with a left-to-right movement (left cross) or right-to-left (right cross). The right cross, still practiced by Eastern Orthodox believers, symbolizes how "Christ descended from the heavens to the earth, and from the Jews (right) He passed to the Gentiles (left)," according to Pope Innocent III. In Roman Catholic practice, the left cross has become standard, showing, (in one of many interpretations) that the believer hopes to be not on Christ's left—with the goats, as in Jesus' parable—at the day of judgment, but on Christ's right.

I would point out that Eastern Catholics also makes the Sign from right to left, using two fingers and thumb together. I've estimated that in the course of Divine Liturgy, a Byzantine Catholic will make the Sign of the Cross about fifty times. Undoubtedly some will consider that to be a sign (ha!) of excessive ritualism but, as Bierma points out, "the sign of the cross is a reminder of whose we are." And who we are, as well as why we are. A good article to read during Lent (or anytime, for that matter).

Dog/Filmmaker Bites Man/Christianity!

By now you've read about how the noted histor—er, film director James Cameron has finally freed Catholics from their Sunday obligation, having uncovered the tomb, remains, and DNA of Jesus Christ. Amy Welborn has covered it nicely, summarizing her disgust in this way:

Because, you know - using DNA tests to determine if remains belong to Jesus, Mary or Mary Magdalene is...totally doable. And of course, Jesus (Yeshua, Joshua...etc..etc..) or Mary (actually Miriam...) weren't common names in the 1st century. Or, as my husband pointed out last night, "It's not like Judah wasn't the name of the whole, you know..people..."

It's nonsense, but you know what...Easter is coming!!!

Examining the story from the perspective of "How eager is the MSM to scarf down this sort of nonsense," Daniel Pulliam of GetReligion.org writes:

The ridiculousness surrounding the hype machine of James Cameron’s Discovery Channel “The Lost Tomb of Christ” documentary has hit Anna Nicole Smith levels of media behavior.

An allegation that Jesus Christ’s body has been found is an interesting story. The fact that some big name movie maker is behind it adds to the spice and makes it a very legitimate story. But the silliness of the headlines, the hypothetical evidence, poor background information (likely fed by the James Cameron PR machine) and the hype factor all add up to give people who take religious issues seriously just another reason to ignore the media. And that’s too bad.

The BBC gushes. Newsweek swoons. Others fall into line. And so forth.

A couple of thoughts. As my pastor noted, this is a typical Lenten season controversy, fabricated by someone selling a book, movie, or related product, assisted eagerly by the MSM, and then, once exhausted, tossed into the trash bins of Heavily-Hyped, Anti-Christian Pseudo-History a few weeks or months later. Expect more of the same, intensified and amplified, leading up to Easter. The question is not, "Will the MSM discover the REAL Jesus?" but "How many 'real Jesus' will the MSM 'discover'?" My guess is at least six, if not more. None, of course, will bear much resemblance to the Jesus of history, Scripture, and Tradition.

The problem, of course, is that many people will be either taken in by the nonsense, or will have their prejudices reinforced by a story with more holes than a typical Hollywood thriller. Cameron's "documentary" plays upon the same fascinations and conspiratorial impulses as did The Da Vinci Code, and there's no doubt in my mind that the novel, accepted by many readers as having correctly outlined the basic Christian cover-up, has helped set the table for this sort of "serious" attack on the basic beliefs of Christianity. The key element was the conviction, or at least suspicion, that "organized Christianity" (the Catholic Church, assisted by "right-wing fundamentalists") is mostly or all about hiding the truth, controlling weakminded fools, and wielding power over oppressed minorities (women, specifically). The irony is that "news stories" such as this one do show, in fact, that there is plenty of manipulation, control, and deception taking place. But it's not coming from the Church.

The Papacy and Ecumenism

The Papacy and Ecumenism | Rev. Adriano Garuti, O.F.M. | From Primacy of the Bishop of Rome and the Ecumenical Dialogue              
      
Editor's Note: This text is from the first chapter, "The Primacy As An Ecumenical Problem," of Primacy of the Bishop of Rome and the Ecumenical Dialogue. The extensive footnotes, many of them in languages other than English, have not been included here.

It was Paul VI who, with great incisiveness, highlighted the problems posed by his own ministry along the path of ecumenism. However, he was also the true initiator of the "dialogue of charity" and of the "dialogue of truth". In fact, in his address to the members of the Secretariat for the Unity of Christians (April 28, 1967) he openly stated, "The Pope, as we well know, is undoubtedly the greatest obstacle on the path of ecumenism."

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"Amazing Grace": Pro and Con

Last Friday Charlotte Allen, who is Catholic, reviewed Amazing Grace, the cinematic rendition of the story of abolitionalist William Wilberforce (1759-1833), and found it wanting:

It is rare that a Hollywood film takes up a subject like William Wilberforce (1759-1833), the British parliamentarian who devoted nearly his entire 45-year political career to banning the British slave trade. Alas, a lot of people watching "Amazing Grace," Michael Apted's just-released film, may get the impression--perhaps deliberately fostered by Mr. Apted--that Wilberforce was a mostly secular humanitarian whose main passion was not Christian faith but politics and social justice. Along the way, they may also get the impression that the hymn "Amazing Grace" is no more than an uplifting piece of music that sounds especially rousing on the bagpipes.

Evangelical author and blogger S.T. Karnick takes exception to Allen's review, responding:

I categorically disagree with Ms. Allen's assessment of the film. To give evidence of an absence in a film is difficult, of course, but it is significant that she doesn't give any examples of specific instances in which Amazing Grace slights religion. All she provides is an interview statement by the film's director, Michael Apted, to Christianity Today in which he clearly meant to convey that he wanted to avoid preachiness in the film. That is a statement for which I would commend him. ...

She fails to acknowledge, for example, the film's treatment of Wilberforce's struggle to decide whether to devote his life to politics or the ministry, and his friends' persuasive argument that his talents would be best spent in politics and hence that is the best place for him to serve God. The first scene in which we see him at home, he is lying on the ground staring in wonder at the pastoral scene around him, and talks to his servant about his great delight in God's creation.

If anything, Wilberforce comes off as entirely driven by religion and specifically a fiercely passionate relationship with God through Jesus Christ, the hallmarks of evangelicalism. There can be no doubt of this from anyone watching the film fairly and carefully.

I've not seen the movie, so I can only offer these writers' comments. However, a short essay about Wilberforce, written by Jonathan J. Bean, can be read on IgnatiusInsight.com.

Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers on Catholic Answers Live...

... Monday, from 4:00-5:00 pm PST, to talk about Father Augustine Tolton and the biography, From Slave to Priest, for which Deacon Burke-Sivers wrote the foreword. Calendar and further info, including how to listen to it live on the internet.

Wilberforce and the Roots of Freedom

Wilberforce and the Roots of Freedom | Jonathan J. Bean | February 26, 2007                

William Wilberforce is one of the great forgotten men of history. But, all that is about to change as America marks Black History Month with Amazing Grace, the remarkable new film that opened nationwide on February 23rd. Amazing Grace commemorates the bicentennial of the British ban on the slave trade (1807), an antislavery movement led by Wilberforce. Without him, there would have been no end to the slave trade, certainly not in his time.

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Schönborn on Reincarnation

Reincarnation: The Answer of Faith | Christoph Schönborn | An excerpt from From Death to Life: The Christian Journey
 
At the Fourth World Congress for Natural Medicine, held at Geneva in 1980, Dr. Nowrocki, psychotherapist at the University of Frankfurt, presented his experiences with patients whom he had "led back" to the moment of  their birth; indeed, he lets them reexperience their time in the womb, the moment of their conception, and even the death that separated them from their earlier life, many deaths, many births, many earlier lives. [73] One can read in Denise Desjardins how such experiments are carried out and how psychic traumas appear to find their explanation and even their resolution along the path of such "leadings back". [74] More and more therapists employ this method. Are we heading toward a "scientific" proof of reincarnation? Some people [75] assert this, relying on experiences that "allow us to suppose the presence of repeated lives on earth". [76] The adjective scientific, which this literature is quick to employ, lends the accounts credit a priori, but there is insufficient examination of whether one can truly speak of "scientific proofs" in such cases.

Let us take as an example the celebrated "case of Bridey Murphy".

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Your chance to chant in France

Michael Silva of the Department of Sacred Music at Ave Maria University passes along the following information:

Advanced Gregorian Chant Study Week in Solesmes June 18-22, 2007

Ave Maria University offers this rare opportunity for advanced musicians to spend a week studying Gregorian chant at the Abbey of St. Pierre in Solesmes, France, the recognized center of chant restoration and research.

Students will attend class 2 or 3 times a day at the abbey, and will have the opportunity to attend all public liturgies in the chapel as well.  The class will be taught by Dom Daniel Saulnier, O.S.B., Director of Paleography at the Abbey and professor at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome.

Hear the monks chanting music of the Mass and Divine Office each day in their gothic chapel.  As a picture is worth a thousand words, the singing of the monks at the Abbey St. Pierre presents an illustration of interpretation and style that can never be taught in the classroom or read in a book.

Understand the spirituality of chant as you experience it in its intended setting and for its intended purpose - sung liturgical prayer.  Class participation combined with the immersion in chant in the liturgy will be an educational experience unequaled in any school of music.

Go here to download a brochure and application, or to e-mail for further information.

New Thomas Howard book: "The Night is Far Spent"

New from Ignatius Press:

The Night is Far Spent: A Treasury of Thomas Howard
Edited by Vivian Dudro

In his books and articles, Thomas Howard has never been one to shy away from controversy. While attending the Evangelical Church of his parents and teaching English at an Evangelical college, Howard wrote his provocative best seller Evangelical is Not Enough. Soon after entering the Anglican Communion, Howard began asking the kinds of questions that would eventually lead him into the Roman Catholic Church.

Throughout his pilgrimage of faith, Howard wrote numerous thought-provoking yet respectful articles on a wide range of topics for both Protestant and Catholic publications, gaining him a wide and loyal following. Known for his wit and charm, Howard also was a sought after speaker for conferences and college graduations. Due to a request made by one of his faithful, this collection of Howard's best material has now been published.

Liturgical reform and sacred architecture, women's ordination and hierarchical authority, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien — these and many other topics of interest to Protestants and Catholics alike are tackled by Howard with his characteristic thoughtfulness in these articles and speeches that span more than twenty years of his prolific career.

Thomas Howard was a highly regarded Professor of English and Literature for over 30 years. He is the popular author of numerous books including Dove Descending: T.S. Eliot's "Four Quartets", Evangelical Is Not Enough, Chance Or The Dance, Lead Kindly Light, On Being Catholic and many other fine works. Visit his IgnatiusInsight.com Author Page.

Related IgnatiusInsight.com Interviews and Excerpts:

• Thomas Howard and the Kindly Light | An Interview with Dr. Howard about his book, Lead, Kindly Light
• An Hour and a Lifetime with C.S. Lewis | An IgnatiusInsight.com Interview with Dr. Thomas Howard
• "Tradition" | Chapter 14 of On Being Catholic | Thomas Howard
• The Quintessential – And Last – Modern Poet | Fr. George William Rutler | The Foreword to Dove Descending: A Journey Into T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets, by Thomas Howard

Atheism for adolescents

Matt Kaufmann of the Boundless webzine reports on what happens when you mix together young blasphemers, marketing, and the internet.

The Sad Irony

A February 21st news piece from Canadian Catholic News examines at length the ironic fact that the Catholic Church in Canada is increasingly viewed as being at odds with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom twenty-give years after the ratification of that document:

Catholics played a key role in the development of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, yet increasing the Catholic Church is seen at odds with the so-called rights revolution that in 2005 brought the legalization of same-sex marriage.

“I always think it’s a bit odd to think of a tension between rights and Catholicism,” said Daniel Cere, professor of religion, ethics and public policy at McGill University in an interview during a major conference in Montreal Feb. 14-16, marking the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom’s 25th anniversary.

Cere cited the influence of Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain, who helped draft the 1948 Universal of Human Rights, and Pope John XXIII’s call for every nation to entrench human rights. Both men had an impact on Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who brought in the Charter in 1982.

Cere said in effect Trudeau was being “a good Catholic boy” following the pope.

However, another McGill professor, Chris Manfredi, who is the university's faculty of arts dean and one of the conference organizers, sees Trudeau in a different light:

Manfredi, a Catholic, agreed that much of the discussion around the Charter seemed to indicate it was grounded in an understanding of rights from the 18th Century Enlightenment, and not going back millennium.

“It’s understood as a secular document for a modern multicultural society,” he said.

Cere noted the court’s responsibility for this understanding, pointing out that less than 10 years after the Charter came in force, a British Columbia judge, in the Sharpe decision on child pornography, declared the preamble “a dead letter” that could “only be resurrected by the Supreme Court of Canada.”

Cere also said Trudeau himself had argued against the preamble, telling Liberal members of Parliament he didn’t believe that “God gives a damn” whether he’s in the Charter.

An interesting piece for the many quotes, revealing the growing tensions between secularism (as opposed to "the secular") and religious freedom, part of the increasing emphasis on the good citizens of Canada falling lockstep into line with politically-correct versions of "tolerance" and "multiculturalism".

• Read "Thought Crime Becomes a Reality in Canada," a 2004 interview with novelist Michael O'Brien.

• Several books by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger/Benedict XVI provide excellent analysis of how and why Western culture is succumbing to secularist visions of reality that are not only anti-God, but anti-human. They include Truth and Tolerance, Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures, Without Roots, and Values In a Time of Upheaval, as well as the recently published The Dialectics of Secularization.

Lent and "Our Father"

Lent and "Our Father": The Path of Prayer | Carl E. Olson | IgnatiusInsight.com

"Our Father, who art in heaven…"

You know the rest, don’t you? You recite the "Our Father" every Sunday, you say it when you pray the Rosary, and perhaps you recite it to yourself while you are driving, in line at the store, or before you go to bed. You can say the Lord’s Prayer without even thinking about it. It’s like taking a breath of air, a part of life that can be taken for granted, as sure as the rising and setting of the sun.

That comfort level can be a good thing. But it can also be a problem. Maybe the Our Father is sometimes too easy to recite without paying attention to what it says. Perhaps it becomes too easy to say without stopping to consider what we are actually saying.

What does it mean to call God "Our Father"?

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The Chris and Carl Show

I was recently interviewed by Dr. Chris Burgwald, who works for the Diocese of Sioux Falls (South Dakota) and operates the "Veritas" blog, for his podcast series, "Prairie Rome Companion." Believe it or not, the topic was atheism. You can listen to/download the two-part interview here. I just listened to part of it and want to make a correction of an erroneous remark that I uttered in Part Two: the French scholar Raymond Aron was not a "socialist," but a "sociologist." A small but significant distinction.

We have met the enemy...

... and he is both outside and inside the Church.

"Imminent"

An Apostolic Exhortation on the Eucharist. From CWNews:

Pope Benedict XVI has announced that he will soon release the apostolic exhortation summarizing the work of the Synod on the Eucharist, which concluded its deliberations 16 months ago.

The appearance of the apostolic exhortation is “imminent,” the Holy Father told priests of the Rome diocese, during a traditional early-Lenten meeting in the Hall of Benedictions at the Vatican on Thursday morning.

And:

Pope Benedict did not mention the motu proprio that he is also expected to release in the near future, allowing broader use of the pre-conciliar Latin liturgy. Several Vatican journalists have suggested that the motu proprio is likely to appear in conjunction with the apostolic exhortation on the Eucharist, although the Holy See has not confirmed that speculation.

One of those Vatican journalists is Anthony Valle of Inside the Vatican magazine, who recently interviewed Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, head of the Congregation for Divine Worship:

VALLE: It seems as if Pope Benedict XVI will release a motu proprio to liberalize the use of the traditional or Tridentine Mass. Some hope that the Pope’s motu proprio will institute a juridical structure enabling priests to celebrate the traditional Mass without being unjustly harassed and persistently thwarted by, ironically, not people of other faiths or secular authorities, but by their own pastors and bishops. Is this hope for a new juridical apparatus realistic? Is such an apparatus necessary?

RANJITH: Well, there is this rising call for a restoration of the Tridentine Mass. And even certain leading figures of the elite have made public appeals for this Mass in some newspapers recently.

The Holy Father will, I am sure, take note of this and decide what is best for the Church.

You speak of the possible realization of new juridical structures for the implementation of such decisions. I do not think that this would be so much of a problem. Rather what is more important in all of this is a pastoral attitude.

Will the bishops and priests reject requests for the Tridentine Mass and so create a need for juridical structures to ensure the enforcement of a decision of the Pope? Should it go that way?

I sincerely do not hope so.

The appropriate question the shepherds have to ask themselves is: How can I as a bishop or priest bring even one person closer to Christ and to His Church?

It is not so much a matter of the Tridentine Mass or of the Novus Ordo. It is just a question of pastoral responsibility and sensitivity.

Thus, if the Tridentine Mass is the way to achieve an even better level of spiritual enrichment for the faithful, then the shepherds should allow it.

The important concern is not so much the "what" as much as the "how." The Church should always seek to help our faithful to come closer to the Lord, to feel challenged by His message and to respond to His call generously. And if that can be achieved through the celebration of the Novus Ordo Mass or the Pius V Mass, well, then space should be provided for whatever is best instead of getting down to unnecessary and divisive theological hair-splitting. Such things need to be decided through the heart and not so much through the head.

After all, Pope John Paul II did make a personal appeal in Ecclesia Dei Adflicta of 1988 to the bishops, calling upon them to be generous in this matter with those who wish to celebrate or participate in the Tridentine Mass. Besides, we should remember that the Tridentine Mass is not something that belongs to the followers of Archbishop Lefebvre only. It is part of our own heritage as members of the Catholic Church.

The Second Vatican Council, as Pope Benedict so clearly stated in his speech to the members of the Curia in December 2005, did not envisage a totally new beginning, but one of continuity with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and a new outlook that better responds to the missionary needs of the time.

Definitely worth reading in full. 

Lighter blogging...

... for a few days as I work on a couple of articles and some Ignatius Press projects. I'm writing a piece on the Ten Commandments for the OSV newspaper and an article on "an apologetic of love" for This Rock magazine, a follow-up to my article, "An Apologetic of Hope", which appeared in the October 2006 issue of TR.

Reading von Balthasar Together

Reading von Balthasar Together: An Interview with Adam Janke | Carl E. Olson | February 22, 2007       

The Swiss theologian Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-88) is widely considered to be one of the most important Catholic intellectuals and writers of the twentieth century. Incredibly prolific and diverse, praised by both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, he wrote over one hundred books and hundreds of articles. But where does one begin reading his work? And how does the non-specialist make his way though the daunting and often dense writings of this significant theologian?

A new online reading group provides readers from hither and beyond an opportunity to read, study, and discuss together online von Balthasar's sixteen-volume "Trilogy." The online reading group was founded by Adam Janke, who is a senior theology and catechetics student at the Franciscan University of Steubenville where he has been studying since his conversion to the Catholic Church in 2004. Adam is the president of the St. John Bosco Society for Catechetics, webmaster at CatecheticsOnline.com, and lives in Ohio with his wife and son. He recently spoke with IgnatiusInsight.com about the group and von Balthasar.

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A glowing review...

... of Lucy Beckett's In The Light of Christ, written by Francis Phillips, who sums up as follows:

This short summary can hardly do justice to such a rich and thought-provoking book. Beckett, who draws on a wide range of poems, plays, essays, letters and diaries, offers an erudite, lucid and insightful commentary. Her work presents the western canon in a way not hitherto attempted; while informative – indeed inspiring - for Catholic and other Christian readers, it is also aimed at intelligent agnostics, open-minded and brave enough not to fudge the conclusions to which the book draws them. Like Aidan Nichols’ Christendom Awake which she cites (and which deserves reprinting) the author has struck a formidable blow at the arid, deconstructed, cultural wilderness we are forced to live in and shown what literature is like when it is fed from the bloodstream of Christian faith.

Read the entire review. High praise, but I think it is correct and deserved. And that's not just the company line; I'd say it if I were working selling singing lessons to American Idol contestants. Fr. Nichol's book is indeed excellent (as are all of his books). He has a new book coming out from Ignatius Press this spring.

• Read an interview with Beckett about her book, Western literature, and the fight against the many "isms" that seek to undermine and destroy the great texts.

• Read "The Order of Love," from the Introduction to In the Light of Christ: Writings in the Western Tradition.