Exciting the Germinal Power

“Bulverism”, as C. S. Lewis called it—that is, reductionism, of whatever kind—is indeed the bane of education these days, and at every level: from elementary school through graduate school. I recently had occasion to interview a number of...

Responding to the Inquisition

You’re interested in what my response might be to the recent censure by the Roman Catholic Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of Peter Phan’s 2004 book Being Religious Interreligiously: Asian Perspectives on Interfaith Dialogue. I confess...

Words of a Fool

Your comments concerning the recent Martin Luther King, Jr Annual Service Day reminded me of an after-dinner talk I gave a few years ago for a chapter of the National Honor Society at a nearby Catholic school. I agree that it’s almost impossible not to be...

Ecclesiastical Egoism

How should you go about determining whether this group you’ve been looking into, the Orthodox-Catholic Church of America, has valid sacraments? Is it, you ask, primarily a matter of lineage? There are doubtless other factors to consider, but this is certainly a...

Consistency of Form

No, I wouldn’t change, and here’s why: 1. Every sacred formula, Christian or Muslim or otherwise, can begin to seem hollow or empty of meaning in the spiritual work; times of dryness are to be expected. 2. The Name ALLAH is of course, as you say, a...