I would like to congratulate my brother, Rev. Mr. Michael G. Brungardt, on the recent publication of his article, “A Study of Accompaniment at the End of Life,” in The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly. Michael was inspired, as were all his siblings, by our father’s work in medicine and bioethics. I look forward to reading more … Continue reading Accompaniment at the end of life
Among the many tools of the mind at the philosopher’s disposal, the test of self-reference is one of the most fundamental, subtle, and direct. I have utilized it myself in past arguments (here). In summary, the test is one of retorsion: you turn back the meaning of what a speaker says or claims upon the … Continue reading Hans Jonas and the test of self-reference
The following is the abstract of a paper soon to be under review. If you would like a personal copy, please e-mail me here. Is Personal Dignity Possible Only If We Live in a Cosmos? The Catholic Church has increasingly relied upon the principle of human dignity as part of its evangelical mission in modern times. Catholic … Continue reading Dignity in a cold, dark universe
The following is a quodlibetal-type question that I recently received. Such questions are always welcome, just email them to me here. If God is all knowing and all powerful then does that mean He knew creating this specific universe with its physical laws would inevitably lead to them interacting in such a way as to … Continue reading Quaestio Quodlibet: Whether God could have made a better universe, or, the existence of radical natural evil
Fr. Thomas Joseph White, O.P., in his recent book, The Incarnate Lord: A Thomistic Study in Christology (2015), has given us not only a magisterial tour-de-force but also a beautiful and moving example of the riches of theological reflection and sapiential fruit that are available in the return to Thomistic Christological science. I wish to highlight two … Continue reading Christology, hermeneutics, and cosmology
The following essay has been submitted for consideration to an upcoming conference in Milan. Hopes for its acceptance do not outweigh the wish to share it now. Comments, criticisms, and any replies are welcome. * * * “Aristotle’s physics too often sound like mere terms of dialectic, which he rehashed under a more solemn name … Continue reading Dialectical Method in Peripatetic Philosophy of Nature and the Predicability of Physical Reality
The following is the prepared text for a lecture delivered at Anthem Preparatory Academy, a Great Hearts charter high school in Anthem, AZ. The lecture was a part of a two-day colloquium for the junior and senior class, “Making Worlds,” also with guest speaker Dr. Andrew Seeley. The texts of the colloquium were selections from … Continue reading Making Images of the Cosmos
In anticipation of the upcoming feast of Our Lady, and as part of the season of Our Lord's birth, I present a translation of the question regarding the queenship of Mary, excerpted from the Mariologia of Merkelbach, for all those interested.
Could there be a derivation of the material universe? Could we see our inferior world arise in our contemplation from its superior principles through a type of hierarchical comparison? The following “deduction” is an argument schema that Charles De Koninck employs in several of his published works. Here, it appears in a much more uninhibited style … Continue reading Deduction of an Infra-Angelic Universe
The following is the prepared text of a lecture given to the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. * * * Brother Thomas and the Universe John G. Brungardt Lecture at the DSMME Motherhouse December 6th, 2017 Introduction G. K. Chesterton once gave St. Thomas the title “St. Thomas of the Creator.” However, … Continue reading Brother Thomas and the Universe
John G. Brungardt 