Mark P. Shea's Blog, page 21

Msgr. Eric Barr on the Rad Trad Heresy

He seems to me to nail it: What do followers of this heresy actually believe? Under the banner of The Rad Trad Heresy are the following beliefs: The Church is corrupt and has taken a side road away from the path to Truth. The Novus Ordo Liturgy–developed by Vatican II–is a monstrosity that prevents people from communing with the Transcendent […]

Contra Celebrity Worship and in Defense of Magisterial Tradition

Yesterday, I made the case that the problem eating the heart of American conservative Christianity is plain: it does not trust Jesus Christ and so is embarked on the project of trying to save itself since it is convinced he will not do it. One of the warnings God gives Israel about the cost of […]

Against the Myth of the Persecuted Contemporary American Church

Last week, we noted that Fr. Dan Reehill, terrified of he knows not what as he banned Harry Potter on the ignorant and nonsensical charge of being “demonic” is reported by his parishioners to regard himself as a “soldier of Christ”.  This is, of course, a biblical image and has long purchase in the Tradition.  […]

A brief follow up on the dreadful new Kevin Sorbo flick and Republican Rite violence fantasies

There are certain biblical passages that white conservative Americans have so thoroughly neutered that they are effectively deleted from Scripture.  For instance, judging from virtually all Christianist rhetoric and practice, this is what the Sermon on the Mount actually says: You have heard that it was said, “Love your enemies”. But I say to you […]

Kevin Sorbo, King of Republican Rite Cinema, Defends the Sacred Fetish

Here’s the official synopsis: Alone and vulnerable, the children’s faith and family bonds are pushed to the limit, especially those of the eldest daughter, Sophie (Mollee Gray), who questions the morality of gun ownership but soon learns that in God all things are good, including her family’s Second Amendment right to defend themselves. And because […]

On Recovering the Fearlessness of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition

Yesterday, I wrote of my appreciation for the Catholic intellectual tradition and what a relief it was for me to step into the wide sunlands of a Catholic Christianity that was not afraid to engage with the wide range of human culture and thought.  From St. Paul on the Areopagus down through the Catholic invention […]

Got Interviewed on the This Catholic Life podcast!

Here ’tis, with Yr Obdt Svt chatting about Saints and Superheroes with my chum Peter Holmes and Co.: It’s a fun show! You can hear all the other ones at This Catholic Life. I actually did two interviews that day. The second one will be posted later on as we near Christmas and the time […]

Another Reason I Love the Church is Her Literary Tradition

Yesterday we discussed the Catholic intellectual tradition.  Another reason I was attracted to the Church is the richness of the Western literary tradition that is the daughter of the Faith. Not, of course, that other cultural traditions are not rich too. Indeed, one of the things I appreciated about the Catholic tradition is that it […]

One of the Reasons I Love the Church is Her Rich Intellectual Tradition

Catholic civilization has a storied tradition of presenting the gospel in local garb, becoming “all things to all”  (1 Cor 9:22) even as St. Paul did, since (as St. Thomas tells us) “that which is received is received according to the mode of the receiver”. So when God revealed himself to us, he stooped down […]

Since it’s his Feast Day…

And since I love cranky, crabby St. Jerome for showing that anybody can become a saint, I offer not only a great poem in his honor, but the incredible fact that Dion then turned that poem into a blues tune, which makes my heart happy. The Thunderer by Phyllis McGinley God’s angry man, His crotchety […]