Jan 5, 2010
Tuhan Or Not Tuhan? That Is The Question.
A recent row in Malaysia has caught the attention of Christians and Muslims around the world. A Malaysian court ruled that it is ok for a non-Muslim to use the word Allah for God. This is causing a panic in the majority Muslim nation, as it is feared that Christians might use the word Allah as a tool to convert Muslims to Christianity. In Malaysia it is illegal for a non-Muslim to proselytize a Muslim,... read more
Jun 3, 2009
The United States And Islamic Theocracies Will Always Butt Heads
In a time of great political upheaval in the United States, it is oddly comforting to know that some things always stay the same. Just days ahead of President Obama’s much anticipated speech in Egypt, a voice from the not so distant past has appeared on the world stage. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say this voice appears from stage left, denoting that the speaker is conveniently out of sight,... read more
Feb 24, 2009
The Carnival Of Carnaval: Mardi Gras The World Over
While only a fraction of the world is Christian, one of this religion’s unofficial holidays gets major media attention across the globe. Known almost interchangeably as Mardi Gras and Carnaval, this festival is the wild celebration that comes before the Lenten season. This festival time, which can start as soon as January 9th (the 12th Night, or Epiphany), runs right up to Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras... read more
Jan 28, 2009
Will The Cold War Continue Between The Russian Orthodox And Roman Catholic Churches?
A few days ago the Russian Orthodox Church elected a replacement for Patriarch Alexy II. On the 27th of January Metropolitan Kirill of Moscow was appointed Patriarch-elect for the Orthodox Christian Church of Russia. The choice has been generally well-received by the Orthodox community. The Russian Orthodox Church is often said to be the largest community in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. The influence of... read more
Jan 16, 2009
The Substance of Transubstantiation
One of the least understood parts of Roman Catholic theology is the sacrament of Eucharist, or so I have found over the years. The doctrine of transubstantiation is a subtle idea, one that plays with concepts of what an object is, and what it appears to be. This relationship is often referred to in terms of ‘substance’ and ‘appearance’. In this doctrine all matter has both substance and appearance,... read more
Dec 31, 2008
New Year Around The World
In a season of religious holidays there is an oddly secular feel to New Year celebrations in the Christian world. Indeed, the revelries surrounding the birth of a new year were (and to some extent still are) seen by Christians as excessive and paganistic. The Roman Catholic liturgical year does not recognize January 1st as the New Year. Rather, Advent marks the beginning of Roman Catholic yearly cycle. (It... read more
Dec 24, 2008
Benedict XVI Lauds Achievements Of Archaeology
Just a few days ago Pope Benedict XVI reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to understanding the past as a means of confirming faith. On December 20th His Holiness met with the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology, greeting their most senior official, grand chancellor Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, with remarkable cordiality. The Holy Father remarked upon the, “precious and fruitful cultural,... read more
Nov 18, 2008
The Great Schism
In the United States, the Protestant Reformation is perhaps the best known schism in Christianity. The story of how Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany dominates our understanding of modern Christianity. Whether the reader supports the ideals of the Protestants or Catholics concerning this fundamental split, it is plain to see that the Protestant... read more
Nov 11, 2008
Christian India: A Two Thousand Year Old Tradition
Several days ago I had a fascinating conversation with a gentlemen who was totally unaware that India is, in fact, has one of the world’s oldest populations of Christians. I made a point of talking about this with a few other people, all of whom were similarly surprised by this information. While one of the most famous names in modern Christianity, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (better known as Mother Teresa of... read more
