Daily Theology
Theology and Church
Theological Shark Week IV: “Pope Francis, Theology, and the Church of the Poor”
In the weeks since the election of Cardinal Bergoglio as Pope Francis, the world has been struck by how the new pope has comported himself. Everything from his sartorial decisions (dropping the ermine-lined mozzetta and the red shoes) to his living arrangements (paying his hotel bill in person, staying in the Casa Santa Marta instead … Continue reading
The Bishop of Rome: Remembering the Local Church
In January, I spent eleven days in Italy with Loras College undergraduates. While in Rome we attended a papal general audience, and I was struck not only by the diversity of people who had gathered from around the world, but also by the number of Italians in enthusiastic attendance. I commented on this to our … Continue reading
The Pope of Surprises
Early this morning I received a few text messages before 7:15am. Generally, this should be a bad thing. Who died? What did I forget to do? When I saw they came from my theologian friends, my sleepy mind went right to Rome and I had flashbacks to my participation in the funeral services of John … Continue reading
The Superbowl Blackout and the Failed Masculinity of Downton Abbey
Perhaps it was the juxtaposition of an exciting sporting event that around 100 million people were watching, or perhaps it was that, for the first time since Katrina, power went out in the Superdome. Here are some highlights of twitter commentary (is that a thing?) from the blackout: First, @mat: “This tribute to the victims … Continue reading
Downton Abbey and the Role of the Woman
Episode 4 of Downton Abbey shifted our focus rather quickly from nobility to gender. Where the previous episode saw multiple attacks on the prestige and place of nobility in English culture, such attacks were all but non-existent this time around. Instead, the wealth and nobility is temporarily stabilized, while the role of gender equality is … Continue reading
A Prayer for the Church on the Eve of the Council’s Anniversary
“Lord, but all together, fatherhood and brotherhood and God’s grace, give honor to the impressions of this night, which are always our feelings, which now we express before heaven and earth: faith, hope, love, love of God, love of brother, all aided along the way in the Lord’s holy peace for the work of the … Continue reading
Reclaiming the Integral Dimension of Evangelization
The XIII Ordinary Session of the Synod of Bishops will be held in Rome October 7-28 on the theme, “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.” The Emerging Theologians Network, in partnership with the International Catholic Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs (ICMICA-Pax Romana), is collecting blog posts on the synod’s theme … Continue reading
Theological Education or Evangelization?
“What is the role of faith in the classroom?” In light of the upcoming Synod, we may even ask: “can the classroom be a place for evangelization? The previous posts in Theological Shark Week III all shed light on different aspects of this important question. For those of us teaching core (required) theology classes in … Continue reading
Finding Unity in Brokenness: The Challenge of Corpus Christi
“You, however, are the Body of Christ and His members.’ If, therefore, you are the Body of Christ and His members, your mystery is presented at the table of the Lord, you receive your mystery. To that which you are, you answer: `Amen’; and by answering, you subscribe to it. For you hear: `The Body … Continue reading
Leave Room for the Holy Spirit: Pentecost as the Source of Religious Freedom
After Easter, Pentecost is my favorite Christian feast day. Often called the “birthday of the church,” the experience of Pentecost has a lot to say about the way we live as Christians and the way we relate, as church, to the world. In John’s version of the Pentecost experience (Jn 20:19-23) [more famous for doubting … Continue reading
