As viewed from the outside, it’s easy to see the Church as just another big and apparently inflexible institution. Many non-Catholics and even some Catholics no doubt ask the question as to whether the institutional Church is even necessary In his book, The Spirit of Catholicism, Karl Adam reminds us of the purpose and origin… [Read More]
Torn From Our Roots
“No way! The Catholic Church? You gotta be kiddin’ me.” No doubt you’ve heard a variation of that line before. So what in the world would motivate a person outside the Catholic Church to give it the slightest bit of consideration? There is a restlessness that drives people to seek relief through pleasure and distraction, but… [Read More]
Staring at the Walls
Continuing from the previous blog post on the Catholic classic, the Spirit of Catholicism– we continue to look at the introductory Chapter 1. In the introduction to his book,The Spirit of Catholicism, Karl Adam confronts the common misunderstandings of Catholicism that are derived from the remote viewpoint of those who study comparative religion, or look… [Read More]
The Catholic Church vs. the Early Church?
Continuing from the previous blog post on the Catholic classic, the Spirit of Catholicism- we continue to look at the introductory Chapter 1. One of the questions that we are sometimes called to answer is: “WHAT EXACTLY IS CATHOLICISM AND WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER RELIGIONS AND PHILOSOPHIES?” Many people THINK they know the answer to this question. … [Read More]
The Spirit of Catholicism – “A Drive-By” (Pre-Introduction)
Despite the challenges that the Catholic Church experiences in the world today– including the fact that she faces an uphill battle against the current cultural climate — one thing is certain: she continues to survive. And in some places, including Austin, Texas, she even thrives. With the Church’s birthday, Pentecost, coming up this Sunday, it occurred to me that perhaps… [Read More]