Matthew C. McGuire's Blog, page 2

Daedalus Ignored: The Risks of Developing Psychic Abilities

This article is a continuation of my presentation and analysis of Alois Wiesinger’s book, Occult Phenomena in the Light of Theology. Read part 1 here and part 2 here.

Wiesinger says that the preternatural gifts of the soul (i.e., “psychic gifts”) can be won back through “true mysticism,” but he is wary of other contexts in which they may be developed:

The harm done in the aggregate to mental health by spiritualism and occultism is so great that it justifies the avoidance of certain practices which...

Does the Holy Spirit Use Trance?

This article is a follow-up to my previous one, an introduction to Alois Wiesinger’s Occult Phenomena in the Light of Theology.

As I mentioned in the previous post, I consider Wiesinger’s hypothesis to hold great explanatory power in the evaluation of paranormal phenomena. And despite the reluctance of parapsychologists to adopt “mystical” frameworks, I argue that this synthesis of theological categories with psi research is tremendously helpful.

Indeed, there has, from the very beginning, always...

Can the Soul be “Loosened” from the Body?

“Theology teaches us that in Paradise man possessed powers which were afterwards lost to him. The question is, which powers were lost completely, which were merely weakened, and whether certain of these powers, which may have remained latent, might not in certain circumstances be capable of revival.” — Alois Wiesinger

This Fall I participated in two parapsychology courses from the Rhine Education Center taught by the legendary Jimmy Akin. The textbook for one of our courses—the fifth edition of I...

Living in a Sacramental Cosmos

Several years ago I first heard Rod Dreher make mention of his plans to write a book on the “re-enchantment” of the world. I was excited at the prospect, as his spiritual autobiography (How Dante Can Save Your Life) deeply affected me back in early 2018. Though I later enjoyed his better-known Benedict Option and Live Not by Lies, it was the biography which truly showcased Dreher’s ability to capture the pilgrimage of a soul in search of meaning and spiritual fulfillment. I looked forward to his...

Apologia Monastica

“Is monasticism the only road to God?” Thomas asked abruptly.

“Of course not,” Father Maximos responded. “But it is one way.”1

Coming from an evangelical Protestant background, I did not grow up hearing much about monasticism. Unlike those of a more high-church tradition, our heroes of the faith did not include lonely hermits or ascetics. Instead, we were inspired with the stories of great missionaries like Brother Andrew or martyrs like Jim Elliot.

When the topic of monasticism arose, it was loo...

ESP & The Church

My recent episode on Remnant Radio discussing the scientific research behind ESP and the implications for Christians (especially Charismatics) generated a number of questions, not all of which I managed to successfully answer in the one-hour timeframe. One of the primary points of difficulty concerned whether there could be such a thing as a “supernatural” ability to receive preternatural knowledge as an innate faculty of the human person.

Charismatic Christians have no qualms with such things as...

Moving Beyond "The Demon of the Gaps" in Christian Theology

Photo credit Stephen Leonardi

Readers of A Magical World will note my penchant for criticizing what I call the “demon of the gaps” argument. This term, of course, is a spin-off from the classic “God of the gaps” fallacy, sneeringly described by Richard Dawkins in The God Delusion:

If you don’t understand how something works, never mind; just give up and say God did it. You don’t know how the nerve impulse works? Good! You don’t understand how memories are laid down in the brain? Excellent! Is phot...

Hyper Grace Examined

This article originally appeared on July 24, 2020 on mattmcguire.net

Hyper Grace—also known as “finished work” theology—has taken root in churches around the world in the last 10 or so years, particularly in Charismatic circles. Its closest historical equivalent would be the sinless perfectionism theology associated with Wesley and the holiness movement, though with several important differences. One the one hand, both movements reject Luther’s teaching of simul justus et peccator (that the belie...

Sacred Spaces: Mount Katahdin

View from Abol Trail - 4:38 AM

Earlier this year I read Dale Allison’s The Luminous Dusk, a reflective work on mankind’s alienation from the rhythms of nature and its effect on our sense of spirituality. Many of the themes he shared resonated with my recent trip to Mount Katahdin—Maine’s highest peak as well as the terminus of the Appalachian Trail. The seclusion, the silence, and the sheer mightiness of this rock has a visceral, numinous effect on the psyche.

My own trek was to involve a double ...

Testing Spiritual Experiences: A Manifesto

Readers of mine will note that I cite a wide tapestry of evidence in my writing about the nature of the spirit realm, the afterlife, and all things supernatural. I, of course, bring the Scriptural evidence to bear on these topics, but I don’t stop there. I cautiously include findings from the disciplines of anthropology and parapsychology, as well as from personal spiritual experiences past and present.

Other believers, by contrast, may find themselves more comfortable with a “Scripture only” app...