Catholic Church

By Stephen Beale, National Catholic Register - One speaker took a “deep dive” into the Thomistic view of civil punishment. Another explored how St. Thomas Aquinas helps us to think about the possibility of life on other worlds. A third lecturer untangled the textual history behind the Hebrew word for God in the Old Testament... It might seem like the kind of speakers one might see at a faithfully Catholic college — except this was the lineup of events this past spring at Brown University

By Regis Nicoll, Crisis Magazine - Among world religions, past and present, Christianity stands apart. No other metaphysical belief system has a God who is both transcendent and immanent—one who is over all and who has “pitched his tent” with us... Bare monotheistic traditions, like Islam, hold that God is transcendent, but not immanent. He is a cosmic Enigma who distances himself from his creation, leaving man to figure out how he can be placated to avoid punishment or gain reward.

By Cecilia Music, Aleteia - The rural Missouri-based nuns have just released a new CD honoring the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts and the Pure Heart of St. Joseph... Cecilia Music meets the singing Sisters, the Benedictines of Mary, to talk about their music and their new CD honoring the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts and the Pure Heart of St. Joseph.

By Jonathan B. Coe, Catholic Exchange - The fact that Mary becomes concerned when the young couple runs out of wine implies that she was probably a relative of the newlyweds. The fact that ancient Near Eastern cultures were animated by dynamics of honor, shame, and “saving face,” means that this was more than just a moderately embarrassing situation; it was more like a crisis... “They have no wine.” Sometimes wine is a symbol for the Holy Spirit in Scripture....