Is the idea of destiny just a useful fiction, a dramatic device to move a story along or is it something more than that? Consider
After the death of Alexander the Great, his generals divided his empire into regional sections. Soon, the holy land of Judaea was controlled by a dynasty
Last February, Pope Francis announced he would name Armenian monk St. Gregory of Narek (951-1003) to be the newest Doctor of the Catholic Church. This
Have you ever wondered what emotions are for, and how they fit in with a life of faith and reflection? Emotions are important because they
Is your washing machine running? Maybe you’ve had the experience I’ve had. Wet clothes, especially towels, get unevenly distributed in the tub, causing it to
First, let’s get the facts straight about the Holy Father’s comments in the Vatican, the so called “All Dogs go to Heaven” episode. Pope Francis
The phrase lumen fidei, the light of faith, is becoming a familiar part of our lexicon. The phrase plays a key part in the psychology
The Christian faith from the beginning is the sacrifice of all freedom…. –Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil Freedom consists not in doing what we
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” – Søren Kierkegaard. A metaphysical principle observed by St. Thomas Aquinas says that
In 2002, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld tried in vain to explain to the Washington Press Corps that the most difficult stage of risk assessment
The philosophical error of our times is to stay stuck inside our heads seeking meaning and coherence in subjectivity, a meaning and coherence that subjectivity
Yes he did, and it can happen to you too. The story in a nutshell is about an obscure prophet named Jonah who was sent
What used to be an annoyance to me has grown into a concern. Some who are hostile to Christianity invoke science not as the fruit
In a few days it will be time for the 2014 Tony Awards. These awards define the standard of excellence in theater. I am a
As we’ve learned, Pope Francis is not one for detailed expositions of philosophical principles. He makes his points using simple one-liners and neologisms, expressions like,
The following actually happened during one of my lectures. I said, “Neuroscience does not deal with the person; it is concerned strictly with the human
In the days leading up to Good Friday, Jesus was encountered by two different kinds of mobs that had entirely different responses to him and
What exactly is virtue, and what does it mean to live a good life? Once again, the Catholic tradition views this question much differently than
Edith Stein was an admirer of St. Thomas Aquinas, and like Aquinas, she understood that words mean things, but they do not always mean them unambiguously. President Bill Clinton, for example, testified that what he
Little is known about the time between our LORD’s birth in Bethlehem and the Wedding at Cana where he began his public mission. So the question of when Jesus in his
What a year it has been! And now, as the Year of Faith draws to a close, our inclination is to wonder how our efforts
Maybe you’ve seen videos of wedding couples celebrating their vows by bungee cording off high bridges together. I suppose the imagery suggests that getting married
