Dialogue w Lutheran Historian on 16th-Century Intolerance

The following exchange was taken from comments concerning an old paper now split into two different ones: Word “Protestant” Stemmed from Intolerance of Catholic Worship / Philip Melanchthon’s Agony Over Protestant Sectarianism. “CPA” is a Lutheran professor of history, with whom I have had many fruitful, amiable dialogues. His words will be in blue. ****** If the United […]

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https://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2018/11/dialogue-w-lutheran-historian-on-16th-century-intolerance.html

John Calvin, Early Calvinism, & Violent Iconoclasm

Calvinists and other Protestants sometimes argue as follows: 1. The Church needed reform (particularly its hierarchical leaders). 2. Traditional, crucifixes, stained glass, church architecture, organs, music, and painting and art in general are good things (hidden common assumption). Maybe statues are idols, but all this other stuff is good and wholesome. 3. These were destroyed […]

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https://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2018/11/john-calvin-early-calvinism-violent-iconoclasm.html

Holy Spirit, Procession, & the Father’s & Son’s Love

This is from an exchange on the Coming Home Network forum, where I was staff moderator from 2007-2010. * * * * * Yesterday, I attended a “Theology of the Body” class with workbook: Into the Heart: A Journey Through the Theology of the Body, by Christopher West, 2009. The speaker provided the following quotation without […]

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Can God Change His Mind?: Four Dogmatic Arguments

Church documents apparently do not specifically say that God doesn’t or can’t change His mind. It doesn’t follow, however, that God changing His mind is not prohibited by the statements about immutability and simplicity and omniscience and God’s timelessness. My argument is that it follows inexorably from simple deduction, from several Church dogmas, that God could not change […]

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Dialogue: Original Sin, Jesus, & Mary’s Immaculate Conception

The following is from the Coming Home Network forum (where I was staff moderator from 2007-2010). The primary person I’m interacting (blue color) with is Orthodox, and seriously considering Catholicism. He may not always accurately reflect what is Orthodox belief. Those colored in green and brown are other Catholics. *** Since the Orthodox view has been presented at such […]

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https://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2018/11/dialogue-original-sin-jesus-marys-immaculate-conception.html

“The Last Days”: Meaning in Hebrew, Biblical Thought

I was asked the following question: I would like to ask you what is perhaps a very stupid question. Even if it is stupid, though, it has always been a (small) stumbling block for me, and I have never seen it adequately addressed. Here it is: Most if not all of the writers of the […]

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https://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2018/11/the-last-days-meaning-in-hebrew-biblical-thought.html

Political Polarization and Demonization: Reflections

[these are my opinions, originally expressed in a private dialogue with a severe critic of President Trump, so they may seem a little disjointed, because of my side only being presented below. But I think I get my point across] We know that liberals are far less tolerant of others with different opinions, than conservatives […]

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https://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2018/11/political-polarization-demonization-reflections.html