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History and Religion

2026-06-13T13:05:51-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Pray for the Dead? Calvin says NO, Bible says YES

Last updated on: June 13, 2026 at 1:05 pm By Dave Armstrong

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Summary: John Calvin absurdly claimed that there wasn’t a single “syllable” in the Bible about prayer for the dead. But I produced seven major passages, and three more related ones. Did the Bible really say nothing about prayer for the dead? John Calvin boldly claimed there’s “not one syllable” in Scripture supporting it. In this episode of Catholic Bible Highlights, Catholic apologist Dave Armstrong joins Kenny Burchard to show you all the passages (and syllables!) Calvin overlooked. From Paul’s mysterious... Read more

John Calvin

Saints & Purgatory & Penance

2026-06-13T13:05:51-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Icons: Gavin Ortlund’s 500-Year Absence Claim Refuted

Last updated on: June 13, 2026 at 1:05 pm By Dave Armstrong

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Summary: Reformed Baptist apologist Gavin Ortlund claimed that there is zero evidence of any positive adherence whatsoever to icons up to 500 AD. I produce four counter-examples. Did the early Church universally reject icon veneration for the first 500 years? Reformed Baptist apologist Gavin Ortlund says there’s “no evidence” anyone practiced it before then. In this episode of Catholic Bible Highlights, Catholic author and apologist Dave Armstrong joins Kenny Burchard, and demonstrates why that claim is historically indefensible.... Read more

Calvinism & General Protestantism

Fathers of the Church

Saints & Purgatory & Penance

Catholic Bible Highlights

2026-06-06T00:53:30-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Interview: the Vocation of the Catholic Apologist

Last updated on: June 6, 2026 at 12:53 am By Dave Armstrong

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I replied to interview questions from my friend Michael Lee, a former Anglican pastor, on 27 May 2025. This may appear in one or more Catholic magazine articles in due course. ***** 1. Dave, what is a Catholic Apologist, and what do they do? An apologist is one who defends the Christian faith, so a Catholic apologist defends the Catholic faith in particular. My own work also includes a broader defense of Christianity at large, over against atheism and unwarranted... Read more

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Catholic Apologetics

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2026-06-06T00:53:30-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Introduction: 100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura

Last updated on: June 6, 2026 at 12:53 am By Dave Armstrong

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For purchase ($12.99 paperback, $9.99 Kindle), see the Amazon page. For further information, Table of Contents, reviews, samples, etc., see my Book page for this title. ***** Catholicism and Protestantism differ fundamentally with regard to authority — the “rule of faith,” the basis or standard Christians use to determine true (and false) doctrine and practice. Protestantism tends to see a divide between the “pure Word of God” in the Bible and what the Catholic Church calls sacred tradition –... Read more

Bible and Tradition

Books by Dave Armstrong

Calvinism & General Protestantism

Literary Resume

100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura

2025-08-06T11:27:17-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Biblical Evidences for the Oral Torah

Last updated on: August 6, 2025 at 11:27 am By Dave Armstrong

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What Moses was commanded to teach to the ancient Hebrews is not identical to the written words that he recorded in the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament). The Jews also believed that he received oral tradition on Mt. Sinai, when he received the Ten Commandments. The mainstream pharisaic tradition passed into early Christianity, since St. Paul called himself a Pharisee twice, after his conversion to Christianity (Acts 23:6; 26:5), and Jesus opposed the doctrine of the Sadducees, but not... Read more

Baptism and Sacramentalism

Bible and Tradition

Calvinism & General Protestantism

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2025-08-05T12:40:19-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Jesus’ Prayer for Peter (Luke 22) & Indefectibility

Last updated on: August 5, 2025 at 12:40 pm By Dave Armstrong

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Luke 22:31-32 (RSV) “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, [32] but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren.” I can’t find any other passage where Jesus is described as “I have prayed for you” or “I will pray for you” in reference to a single person. His prayer for St. Peter is the only one I can find.... Read more

Papacy & Infallibility

Jesus' Prayer for Peter

2025-07-26T13:20:59-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Is the Catholic Definition of “Christian” Deceptive?

Last updated on: July 26, 2025 at 1:20 pm By Dave Armstrong

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Vs. “TurretinFan”: Including Some “Reminiscing” About Past Interactions with the Major Anti-Catholic Apologists Online TurretinFan, a rather eccentric anti-Catholic Calvinist, stopped responding to me in 2010, jumping on the bandwagon with several other anti-Catholics who had previously been vigorously replying to my materials at great length (notably, Bishop “Dr.” [???] James White, James Swan, the late Steve Hays, and Jason Engwer). Eric Svendsen was another one, but he left the Internet for good in November 2005 and has remained true... Read more

Anti-Catholicism

Ecumenism & Christian Unity

Council of Trent

definition of Christian

Protestant soteriology

regeneration

Salvation

turretinfan

2025-07-25T13:37:57-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Are All Protestants “Saved”? (“TurretinFan” Insanity)

Last updated on: July 25, 2025 at 1:37 pm By Dave Armstrong

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The anonymous Calvinist “TurretinFan” (a lawyer in his day job) may be the most obnoxious anti-Catholic Protestant apologist / polemicist online, perhaps surpassing even the notorious David T. King. The following exchanges occurred in July 2009, with a few more potshots from him in August. It’s been greatly edited down (see the original if you are a masochist), so readers won’t fall asleep or go insane, but one can see how boorish and asinine TurretinFan was (even in this... Read more

Anti-Catholicism

Calvinism & General Protestantism

Justification

Protestant soteriology

2025-07-25T09:47:31-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Vs. Geisler on Catholicism #17: Mary Mediatrix

Last updated on: July 25, 2025 at 9:47 am By Dave Armstrong

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Norman L. Geisler (1932 – 2019) was an American evangelical Protestant theologian, philosopher, and apologist. He obtained an M.A. in theology from Wheaton College and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Loyola University, and made scholarly contributions to the subjects of classical Christian apologetics, systematic theology, philosophy of religion, Calvinism, Catholicism, biblical inerrancy, Bible difficulties, biblical miracles, the resurrection of Jesus, ethics, and other topics. He wrote or edited more 90 books and hundreds of articles. Dr. Geisler was the Chairman of Philosophy... Read more

Blessed Virgin Mary

Calvinism & General Protestantism

Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences

2025-07-24T16:46:18-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Vs. Geisler on Catholicism #16: Mary’s Assumption

Last updated on: July 24, 2025 at 4:46 pm By Dave Armstrong

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Including: Espousal by Earliest Protestants; Scriptural Arguments; St. John Henry Cardinal Newman’s Reflections Norman L. Geisler (1932 – 2019) was an American evangelical Protestant theologian, philosopher, and apologist. He obtained an M.A. in theology from Wheaton College and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Loyola University, and made scholarly contributions to the subjects of classical Christian apologetics, systematic theology, philosophy of religion, Calvinism, Catholicism, biblical inerrancy, Bible difficulties, biblical miracles, the resurrection of Jesus, ethics, and other topics. He wrote or edited... Read more

Blessed Virgin Mary

Calvinism & General Protestantism

bodily assumption of Mary

Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences

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