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October 2018

October 15, 2018

Dialogue: Church Fathers on Perspicuity & Sola Scriptura

Perspicuity is a fancy word for "clearness" / ease of understanding of Scripture. Carmen Bryant...

October 11, 2018

St. Augustine’s Belief in the Substantial Real Presence

The great Church Father makes many statements which have been traditionally seized upon as evidence...

September 2018

September 22, 2018

2nd Council of Orange: “Sola Gratia” vs. Total Depravity

A Calvinist stated: "I am having trouble distinguishing the Calvinist doctrine of Total Depravity from...

September 14, 2018

Dialogue: Lutherans, Sola Scriptura, & the Church Fathers

"wildboar" (Steve Parks, a Lutheran pastor, or soon to be one) has written an interesting...

September 07, 2018

Faith Alone: Development of Church Fathers & St. Augustine?

Heresy can only be defined as the apostles and Church Fathers defined it, according to...

September 04, 2018

Romans 2-4 & “Works of the Law”: Patristic Interpretation

[patristic citations in blue] ***** We are not intrinsically sinners. We were originally created without sin;...

July 2018

July 20, 2018

John Armstrong vs. Church Fathers Re Perpetual Virginity

This is an example that Reformed Protestant scholar Dr. Armstrong provides in support of his...

July 19, 2018

Development of the Biblical Canon: Protestant Difficulties

***** This is an abridged version of my portions of a lengthy dialogue (in two...

July 18, 2018

Early Development of the Papacy: Random Reflections

Why establish an office (Peter, in effect, was made the prime minister of the Church...

July 17, 2018

St. Athanasius’ Rule of Faith (NOT Sola Scriptura)

Did St. Athanasius (c. 296-373) believe in sola Scriptura? Hardly. Let us look at some of...

June 2018

June 04, 2018

Patristic Eucharistic Doctrine: Nine Protestant Scholars

This is from two posts of mine that I sent to the public, Calvinist-dominated Theology...

April 2018

April 18, 2018

Mary Was a Virgin During Jesus’ Birth (“In Partu”)

[for the necessary background, see my paper, Mary’s Perpetual Virginity “In Partu” (a Miraculous, Non-Natural Childbirth)...

April 17, 2018

Church Fathers on God & Emotions, & Anthropomorphism

[see the related paper, Anthropopathism and Anthropomorphism: Biblical Data] *** St. Ignatius of Antioch (50 -...

April 16, 2018

Church Fathers: God is Immutable, Simple, & Outside of Time

God the Father is Immutable (Unchangeable) and Doesn't Change His Mind Aristides of Athens (fl. c....

April 04, 2018

“Re-Presentation” vs. “Re-Sacrifice” in the Mass: Doctrinal History

This dialogue with my highly esteemed friend, Lutheran pastor Ken Howes (LCMS), took place on...

February 2018

February 23, 2018

“Filioque”: Catholic-Orthodox Dialogue (William Klimon)

Preliminary background: the filioque (Latin for "And the Son") is the theological notion that the Holy Spirit...

February 23, 2018

Papal Participation in the First Seven Ecumenical Councils

The following evidence documents papal presence (personally or through legates) at the first seven councils:...

February 20, 2018

Reply to a Lutheran on Tradition & the Patristic Rule of Faith

The Catholic rule of faith has always been the "three-legged stool" of Scripture-Tradition-Church. *** Words...

January 2018

January 31, 2018

Church Fathers vs. the “Reformation Pillar” of “Faith Alone”

Excerpts from the second chapter of my book, Catholic Church Fathers, entitled, "Salvation, Justification, Penance, and...

January 31, 2018

Dialogue: Is Lutheranism or Catholicism Closer to the Fathers?

vs. Kristo Miettinen Who better represents (in terms of history of doctrine) the legacy of the...

December 2017

December 14, 2017

Dialogue on Development of Doctrine (Esp. the Papacy)

vs. Protestant apologist and anti-Catholic polemicist Jason Engwer The following is a reply to Protestant...

November 2017

November 29, 2017

Did I Take St. Irenaeus Out of Context (Rule of Faith)?

(Book and purchase information) *** Ken Temple is an anti-Catholic polemicist, whom I have debated...

November 20, 2017

Sacrifice of the Mass: Reflections on Theology & Patristics

(9-22-05) *** [originally stimulated in debate with a Lutheran professor of history] *** Once real...

November 10, 2017

“Unanimous Consent” of the Church Fathers (Steve Ray)

(1996) *** The Church sees the Fathers as the successors of the apostles, the closest...

November 09, 2017

Sola Scriptura, Cyril of Jerusalem, Logic, & Anti-Catholics

This comes from a vigorous combox on the great site Shameless Popery, under the post,...

November 08, 2017

William Webster vs. Tradition, Development, & Truth

(4-10-03) *** William Webster is a prolific opponent of the Catholic Church and author of...

October 2017

October 21, 2017

Armstrong vs. Collins & Walls #9: “Apocrypha” (Jerome, Athanasius, Etc.)

This is one of my many critiques of the book entitled, Roman but Not Catholic:...

October 04, 2017

Eucharistic Sacrifice: The Witness of the Church Fathers

(9-12-05) *** A Lutheran historian whom I debated, submitted the odd scenario of having to...

September 2017

September 19, 2017

Pope St. Leo the Great (r. 440-461) and Papal Supremacy

Pope St. Leo the Great, who reigned from 440 to 461, considered by many Protestant...

September 16, 2017

Did Pope Gregory the Great Deny Papal Primacy and Supremacy?

Pope St. Gregory the Great leaves little doubt as to his overall view of the...

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