Tag: unfinished thoughts

Why “Integralism” and “Separation” Both Fail: A Reflection on Russell Hittinger’s “How to Inherit a Kingdom”

Update: Hittinger’s lecture is now on YouTube. In a recent lecture at the Catholic University of America, Russell Hittinger argues that “a separation” must exist between the kingdom of God and the world. The talk’s title, “How to Inherit a Kingdom,” was inspired by one of St. Augustine’s sermons directing disconsolate Christians towards their true … Continue reading Why “Integralism” and “Separation” Both Fail: A Reflection on Russell Hittinger’s “How to Inherit a Kingdom” →

Misunderstanding the Rosary

During the last presidential election cycle, I heard of a parish regularly praying the rosary for our country after morning Mass. One ought to pray for one’s country. Surely love of country is not passé? Yet does it go too far to announce the name of one state for each of the fifty Hail Mary’s? … Continue reading Misunderstanding the Rosary →

The Ends in the Ending of Abortion

Some thoughts inspired by reflecting on the recent draft of an America after Roe and Casey. My town, after all, has a history with this issue. And the “Value Them Both” amendment for the state of Kansas will soon be voted for (August 2, 2022), hopefully to a resounding success, correcting the erroneous judgment in … Continue reading The Ends in the Ending of Abortion →

The insubordination of economics

Caravaggio, Christ Driving the Money-Changers from the Temple (1610; WikiMedia) Paul Oslington’s essay—“Why are Philosophers and Theologians so Hostile to Economics?”—provides a case study of the academic phenomenon of failure to obtain joinder of issue. The essay is an underwhelming and confused mix of agreement and critique. My interest was drawn to reading it through … Continue reading The insubordination of economics →

Shorting the Market on the Common Good

Over at Public Discourse, an essay by Joseph E. Capizzi and V. Bradley Lewis—entitled “Bullish on the Common Good?”—attempts to put recent conservative discussion about “the common good” in a more realistic and pragmatic light. They refer to C. C. Pecknold’s First Things essay, “False Notions of the Common Good” as well as two other … Continue reading Shorting the Market on the Common Good →

The “Perfect” System Would Eliminate Being Human

A recent case heard by the Supreme Court of the Netherlands found that "a doctor had not acted improperly when he euthanized a 74-year-old woman with advanced dementia, even though the woman had to be repeatedly sedated and physically restrained during the procedure." The woman had previously set out in her advanced directives a request … Continue reading The “Perfect” System Would Eliminate Being Human →

The cosmos of Christian mystery

Mattias Joseph Scheeben's The Mysteries of Christianity begins with a reflection on the nature of Christian mystery. It can also be read as a commentary on the prooemium to the Summa contra Gentiles Book IV (which is itself an echo of the prooemium to the work as a whole, SCG I.1–8). At key points—either by … Continue reading The cosmos of Christian mystery →

Something ever new under the sun

From Fr. Ronald Knox, a sermon entitled “The Risen Christ,” from Pastoral and Occasional Sermons. There is nothing new under the sun. — Ecclesiastes 1:9 Behold, I make all things new. — Apocalypse 31:5 When Easter comes, the Church delights to remind herself of that newness which is in the risen Christ. [...] We are beginning … Continue reading Something ever new under the sun →

Sine Thoma, Aristoteles mutus esset

Recently, I came across this gem, written by Petrus Hoenen in his Cosmologia (5th ed., 1956, p. 305). Hoenen, who obtained a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Leiden in 1912 (writing a dissertation on thermodynamics and studying under, among others, H. A. Lorentz), writes in this context against making form out to be a being, … Continue reading Sine Thoma, Aristoteles mutus esset →

Disgruntled scholastic readers

While looking for a book recently in the library stacks, I happened upon this Spanish tome (The Essence of Thomistic Philosophy), which bears the following inscription, yesteryear’s equivalent of today’s Amazon customer reviews: A translation of the concerned reviewer’s self-appointed epigraph: Warning: A very ‘light’ book. It tries to be very clear, but in the attempt … Continue reading Disgruntled scholastic readers →