Introduction One of the claims heard most often among anti-Catholic Christians is that Catholicism is “legalistic” or promotes “works-based salvation.” St. Paul, they say, clearly taught that salvation is not by works, so adding anything to the finished work of Christ is tantamount to its denial. But what does St. Paul really say about works?…
Catholics sometimes struggle with Protestant “proof texts” – single verses that appear to support certain teachings. While proof texts are often taken out of context and sometimes are used to support unbiblical teachings, they are not all bad. While knowing the teaching of Scripture as a whole is best, it doesn’t hurt to have a…
Introduction In 2018, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments reiterated the Church’s teachings regarding the matter of the Eucharist – notably that Communion hosts must be wheat bread, which by definition contains some amount of gluten. This has led some people to think that celiacs (those allergic to wheat /…
Introduction Conversations between Catholics and Protestants often produce more heat than light. The struggle is real, and is not made easier by inappropriate tactics and strategies that can turn friendly dialogue into an occasion for division. Seeing religious conversion in terms of a “paradigm shift” can be of great value to those seeking to give…
Introduction Back in my seminary days, a bunch of us Aquinas fans (dubbed “the moldy thomists”) started a blog called Tu Quoque. For over a decade now it has lain dormant – and today, at the request of a couple contributors, it has been officially deleted. Requiescat in pace, tu quoque. On its way to blog…
Are You Among the Elect? It is a question that plagues many Christians. Calvinists will typically say that we simply cannot be sure, but little do they know that tucked away in his discussion of the canon of Scripture, John Calvin seems to have given us a means of discovery: “For as God alone can properly…
James White’s #1 fanboy recently took on Catholic Answers with an Alpha and Omega Ministries blog post titled “Shattering Catholic Answers’ Wedge“. The post responds to the Catholic claim that, “Jesus told his apostles to establish a church, not write a book.” It’s hardly his (or any other Protestant polemicist’s) best work, and I am…
The above screenshot is taken from the website of Providence Presbyterian Church: A Congregation of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Notice that in order for this particular group to “affirm” the Nicene Creed, they must qualify the meaning of various terms and phrases. (The filioque notice just seems to set them off from Eastern Orthodoxy –…
Introduction The Church has created a massive library of texts over her 2,000 year lifespan, and it can be overwhelming to even contemplate attaining (much less reading) them all. The good news is that among the millions of volumes of writing the Church has produced, many of them are summaries or collections of previous writings. While…
SEE THE VIDEO HERE! Introduction “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom!” With these words, one of the two thieves who hung in crucifixion with Jesus was saved as he was promised by our Lord: “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” This beautiful story is often cited…
