St Cyril on the Need for Creed
Today's second reading in Office of Readings is from Saint Cyril on the need for the creed as a synopsis of the Gospel and the biblical faith. The red annotations are my own comments.Saint Cyril of Jerusalem On the Faith and the Creed(Patroligia Graeca, 33, 519-523)In learning and professing the faith, you must accept and retain onlythe Church's present tradition, confirmed as it is by the Scriptures [we must accept the Church's "tradition" as confirmed by the Scriptures - that's not Luther's

Scott Hahn's New Book of Pope Benedict's Biblical Theology: Covenant and Communion
This weekend I started reading Scott Hahn's new book Covenant and Communion: The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI. It's fantastic. Dr. Hahn describes the rich theological method of Pope Benedict XVI as a return to a canonical approach to theology, which locates theology in the history of salvation. If John Paul II was known for his Theology of the Body, then Benedict will be known for his emphasis on Scripture.I think that most conservative Evangelicals and Protestants will find that this book resonates with their souls. Benedict proves to be a biblical theol

The Mystical Significance of the Fish in Jonah
The story of Jonah and the fish is a story of Israel's exile and return to the Holy Land.Here's how it goes:Jonah disobeys God.Jonah leaves the "land" and goes to "sea."Jonah appears to lost in exile at "sea".But Jonah doesn't perish and disappear into the "sea".Jonah seems to die (Jon 2:5-7).Yet Jonah is miraculously preserved in a fish (3 days in the belly of whale).The Jonah revives and comes back to the "land."Once back on "land" Jonah proclaims th

Which is more gruesome? Halloween or Reformation Day?
I wish I could take credit for this, but I can't. Al Scharbach, the friend mentioned in the previous post regarding the New York Times, just made an observation in an email. I just had to share it before All Hallows' Eve (Halloween) is over:Which is more gruesome:A) celebrating "Halloween" with children wearing costumes that depict bloody bodies, skeletons, etc?B) celebrating "Reformation Day" with children

My friend Albert Scharbach in the New York Times on the Pope's Anglican Ordinariates
Taylor Marshall (left) and Al Scharbach (right)at Good Shepherd Anglican Church in Rosemont, PAMy friend Albert Scharbach (pictured above) was also once an Anglican priest. We went to seminary together at Westminster Theological Seminary. He was recently mentioned in the New York Times and they just published his response. It's quite good. The New York Times has received thousands of pieces of mail over the Pope's Anglican Ordinarates article so it's noteworthy that they published Al's response.Way to go Al!!!