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The Death of Innocence
In 1987 an American educator, Allan Bloom, wrote a book entitled, The Closing of the American Mind. Its thesis is contained in its title. The book contends that today, in
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Celebrating a New Millennium
Certain occasions test a columnist. How to do justice to an event? What do you say at the turn of a millennium? What do you say to propose a toast
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The Christmas Symbols
My fiftieth year has come and gone, but, at Christmas, I’m a child, delighting in the creche, the lights, the carols, the Christmas tree. I’ve always loved Christmas, loved everything
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Readying Ourselves For Christmas
John the Baptist tries to prepare the way for Jesus by calling people to repentance: “Repent for the kingdom if heaven is near.” Whatever else that means, it includes the
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A Theology Of Longing And Desire
In our longing we intuit the kingdom of God. Our desires and our daydreams are what point us towards heaven. How so? Nearly thirty years ago, Richard Bach wrote a
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Two Concepts of Holiness
There are two classical concepts of perfection, one Greek and the other Hebrew. In the Greek ideal, to be perfect is to have no deficiencies, no faults, no flaws. Perfection,
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Descartes’ Children
For nearly ten years, I was part of a pastoral team that conducted a program for young couples preparing for marriage. My job was to give the talk on the
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Praying for the Dead
Why pray for the dead? Does this make any sense? What possible difference can our prayers make to a person once he or she has died? These are valid questions.
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Biblical Metanoia
“Repent and believe in the good news!” These are the first words out of Jesus’ mouth in Mark’s gospel and they are meant as a summary of the entire gospel.
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Needed: Three New Saints
If I had a wish-list for the church today, it would include a request for three saints of old to re-appear in a new guise. What the church needs today