Ambrosian chant - Tecum principium in die virtutis tue
Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
James Chastek, Two truths in theology and history
Per impossibile, what if there were rock-solid evidence that Christ didn't rise from the dead? I just find the hypothetical question posed rather baffling. "Assume we have, say, rock solid evidence that Pilate was a no-nonsense judge, with no scruples about killing anyone for the sake of order (I’ve heard historians modify or contest this, but assume that it is firmly established)."
What what the rock solid evidence be? Some record, some testimony, plus some reasoning on the part of the historian. Can a historian ever capture the full character or personality of a historical person? It is questionable whether we can even do that with respect to the people we "know."
Mr. Chastek writes at the end:
Any evidence we have is some sort of testimony and subjected to criteria pertaining to trustworthiness/credibility. If history cannot attain the level of certitude necessary for a science, then this isn't really a problem of "two truths, " is it? Can we say that the history given within Sacred Scripture is more reliable than anything constructed by human historians working without the aid of the Holy Spirit? Why not? In addition, isn't the testimony of the authors of Sacred Scripture one more historical source that must be taken into consideration by the secular historian? On what a priori basis can he exclude it as being unreliable?
Per impossibile, what if there were rock-solid evidence that Christ didn't rise from the dead? I just find the hypothetical question posed rather baffling. "Assume we have, say, rock solid evidence that Pilate was a no-nonsense judge, with no scruples about killing anyone for the sake of order (I’ve heard historians modify or contest this, but assume that it is firmly established)."
What what the rock solid evidence be? Some record, some testimony, plus some reasoning on the part of the historian. Can a historian ever capture the full character or personality of a historical person? It is questionable whether we can even do that with respect to the people we "know."
Mr. Chastek writes at the end:
The Christian can point to the fact that it is possible that the accounts are true, but is it necessary that he be able to transmute possibility into a historically reasonable claim? So do we have some sort of “two truths” doctrine here? In fact, if historical truth is what the theologian calls a probable opinion, and the theologian can admit that some historical facts need not be the ones that are most probable given the historical evidence we have, is there even a tension between the two truths? Why can’t something that is in fact false be what is most probable given the historical evidence that we have?
Any evidence we have is some sort of testimony and subjected to criteria pertaining to trustworthiness/credibility. If history cannot attain the level of certitude necessary for a science, then this isn't really a problem of "two truths, " is it? Can we say that the history given within Sacred Scripture is more reliable than anything constructed by human historians working without the aid of the Holy Spirit? Why not? In addition, isn't the testimony of the authors of Sacred Scripture one more historical source that must be taken into consideration by the secular historian? On what a priori basis can he exclude it as being unreliable?
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Icon painting class at Thomas More College
NLM: Learn to Paint Icons in the Western Tradition at Thomas More College this Summer
Aidan Hart's book is rather expensive, but I'd still like to get a copy. Alas, I don't think I could become an iconographer.
Adam De Ville: Aidan Hart on Iconography (an interview with Aidan Hart)
Aidan Hart's book is rather expensive, but I'd still like to get a copy. Alas, I don't think I could become an iconographer.
Adam De Ville: Aidan Hart on Iconography (an interview with Aidan Hart)
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Zenit: Achieving the Ideal Society
University Professor Explains Thomas More's Utopia
I need to read Utopia, but "political order" seems to be rather squishy here because of the word "order." Are we talking about the constitution, the government, the laws (and customs) or something else? None of them are identical to the ultimate end, but some precision may be warranted if we're trying to understand Utopia better.
Dr. John Boyle
From 2009: Lost Aquinas
University Professor Explains Thomas More's Utopia
One example of how Utopia is relevant is found in "the need for the careful, studied place of intellectuals in the political life."
"It's really a call for intellectuals, to think about [their role]" in society, explains Dr. Boyle. Thomas More himself exemplified this well, being an intellectual who was deeply involved in the politics of his day. "More was a very smart man, a clear intellectual. Many of his humanist colleagues thought he was wasting his time in government service. But it's not just that he was really smart, he read his Plato, terrific how he would go boss princes around. Rather, his intelligence, his certain understanding of precisely how it is, in the practical realm… works."
"Given the complexity of modern life, the need for solid philosophical principles, at the same time on the firm ground in the practice of politics, in economics, in any number of aspects of culture, seems all the more relevant."
"The political order," Dr. Boyle goes on, "is not the source of our happiness. This is a theological point, but it's very dear to More's heart. The political order can serve to help order men to their happiness, but it cannot achieve it. This is a matter of Church, of the City of God. Political order can more or less help, but it can't achieve what I think, in the modern sense, is the Utopian dream."
I need to read Utopia, but "political order" seems to be rather squishy here because of the word "order." Are we talking about the constitution, the government, the laws (and customs) or something else? None of them are identical to the ultimate end, but some precision may be warranted if we're trying to understand Utopia better.
Dr. John Boyle
From 2009: Lost Aquinas
Rick Garnett, "Growing in Love": Congrats to Susan!
Mr. Garnett hypes Susan Stabile's Growing in Love and Wisdom: Tibetan Buddhist Sources for Christian Meditation. Why? The book's description:
Mr. Garnett hypes Susan Stabile's Growing in Love and Wisdom: Tibetan Buddhist Sources for Christian Meditation. Why? The book's description:
In Growing in Love and Wisdom, Susan Stabile draws on a unique dual perspective to explore the value of interreligious dialogue, the essential spiritual dynamics that operate across faith traditions, and the many fruitful ways Buddhist meditation practices can deepen Christian prayer.
Raised as a Catholic, Stabile devoted 20 years of her life to practicing Buddhism and was ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun before returning to Catholicism in 2001. She begins the book by examining the values and principles shared by the two faith traditions, focusing on the importance of prayer--particularly contemplative prayer--to both Christianity and Tibetan Buddhism. Both traditions seek to effect a fundamental transformation in the lives of believers, and both stress the need for experiences that have deep emotional resonance, that go beyond the level of concepts to touch the heart. Stabile illuminates the similarities between Tibetan Buddhist meditations and Christian forms of prayer such as Ignatian Contemplation and Lectio Divina; she explores as well such guided Buddhist practices as Metta and Tonglen, which cultivate compassion and find echoes in Jesus' teachings about loving one's enemies and transcending self-cherishing. The heart of the book offers 15 Tibetan Buddhist practices adapted to a contemplative Christian perspective. Stabile provides clear instructions on how to do these meditations as well as helpful commentary on each, explaining its purpose and the relation between the original and her adaptation. Throughout, she highlights the many remarkably close parallels in the teachings of Jesus and Buddha.
Arguing that engagement between religions offers mutual enrichment and greater understanding of both traditions, Growing in Love and Wisdom shows how Buddhist meditation can be fruitfully adapted for Christian prayer.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
A post from last month at Mary Victrix: SSPX on the Brink:
Why? What in our understanding of the Magisterium and the status of the conciliar documents requires that we have to interpret them thusly? Giving a charitable interpretation may be required, but is it possible that some of the documents may contain some errors? Isn't that the question? If it is impossible that the documents contain error, then everything must be interpreted in the light of Tradition. But if it is possible... then such an interpretation may go far but it may still not be enough to turn falsehood into truth.
It seems, as I have said, that the Holy Father does not favor the position of Gheradini and De Mattei. The doctrinal preamble is non-negotiable. The existence of a hermeneutic of continunity, as such, is not a matter for debate.
Why? What in our understanding of the Magisterium and the status of the conciliar documents requires that we have to interpret them thusly? Giving a charitable interpretation may be required, but is it possible that some of the documents may contain some errors? Isn't that the question? If it is impossible that the documents contain error, then everything must be interpreted in the light of Tradition. But if it is possible... then such an interpretation may go far but it may still not be enough to turn falsehood into truth.
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