Dave Armstrong's Blog, page 2

Books by Dave Armstrong: Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical: From Priestly Celibacy to the Rosary: 80 Short Essays Explaining the Biblical Basis of Catholicism

 [completed on 2 August 2014; 245 pages. Accepted for publication by Sophia Institute Press on 11 November 2014; to be released in August 2015]

FACEBOOK INTRODUCTION / ANNOUNCEMENT OF ACCEPTANCE FOR PUBLICATION

[Read my public Facebook post]
TABLE OF CONTENTS  

Dedication I. Bible and Tradition (Authority) 
1.Tradition is Not Always a Bad Word in Scripture +2. The Catholic “Three-Legged Stool” vs. Sola Scriptura 3. Tradition: Short Reflection & Basic Explanation4. The Bereans & “Searching the Scriptures” 5. Ten Deuterocanonical References in the New Testament  II. Doctrine of the Church (Ecclesiology)
6. The Catholic Church: Why we Accept Her Claims7. Catholic Ecclesiology & the Jerusalem Council [read original longer dialogue]8. Three Biblical Arguments for an Authoritative Church +9. “Call No Man Father” & Calling Catholic Priests Father * 10. We Believe All that the Catholic Church Teaches11. On the Scandal of the Outrageous Claim to be a Church 12. On Whether God Would Protect His Church from Error [read original longer dialogue]13. Are Church Councils More Authoritative than Popes?
III. Priestly Celibacy
14. Short Exposition on Catholic Priestly Celibacy 15. The Celibate Priesthood as a Higher Calling 16. A New (?) Argument for Mandatory Priestly Celibacy [read original post and Facebook discussion]
IV.Theology of Salvation (Soteriology)
17. Works Can be Good or Bad, Just as Traditions Are 18. Faith & Works (But Not Justification) in Isaiah Ch. 1 19. Catholic Soteriology in John 3:36 (“Disobey the Son”) 20. Hebrews 3:14 (Lots of Catholic Theology on Salvation) 21. Unanswered Prayers of Jesus as a Counter-Reply to Limited Atonement 22. John 12:32 vs. John Calvin & Limited Atonement 23. God Doesn't Predestine the Damned (2 Thess 2:10-12)
V. Purgatory and Penance
24. Prayer, Penance, & the Eternal Destiny of Others 25. The Abundant Biblical Support for Lent *26. Divine Chastisement (or, Purgatory in ThisLife) *
VI. The Holy Eucharist and the Sacrifice of the Mass
27. Mystery is No Basis for Rejecting Transubstantiation *28. On the Nature of Idolatry 29. “The Apostle Paul Says He is a 'Priest'?! Where?!”
VII. Sacramentals, Devotions, and Worship
30. Sacramentalism & the Bible +31. Biblical Support for Ritualistic & Formal Worship +32. Is the Rosary “Vain Repetition”? *
VIII. The Communion of Saints and Angels
33. Asking Saints to Intercede is a Teaching of Jesus *34. Praying to Angels & Angelic Intercession *35. Worshiping God Through Images in Holy Scripture36. Martin Luther's Belief in the Invocation & Intercession of Mary & the Saints, as Late as 1521 [read online]37. The False Doctrine of “Soul Sleep”38. New (?) Biblical Argument for the Veneration of Saints: God “In” & “Through” St. Paul
IX. The Blessed Virgin Mary (Mariology)
39. Biblical Arguments for the Perpetual Virginity of Mary *40. Holy Ground & the Perpetual Virginity of Mary *41. Rationalist Objection to the In Partu Virginity of Mary42. Martin Luther & the Immaculate Purification of Mary*43. Mary's Immaculate Conception & the Bible*44. Quick Biblical Proof that Mary is the Mother of God 45. The Bible & the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary *46. Mary the “Queen Mother” & “Queen of Heaven”47. Mary as the Woman in Revelation 12 [read longer original dialogue]48. Biblical Analogies for Marian Apparitions
X. Papal Infallibility
49. Protestant Difficulties Regarding Papal Infallibility50. The So-Called “Infallibility Regress” Objection [read original longer dialogue]
XI. Christology and Trinitarianism
51. The Bible “Never Says that Jesus is God”? Wrong! +52. The Holy Trinity Proven from Scripture + 53. Is Trinitarianism Demonstrable from Scripture Alone? 54. Trinitarian Baptismal Formula & “Jesus Only” Baptism 55. Should God the Father be Visually Depicted in Paintings? 56. Satan's Tempting of Jesus as a Proof of His Divinity57. Jesus' Divinity & Matthew 21:16 (cf. Psalms 8:2) 58. Jesus is Explicitly, Directly Called “God” (Romans 9:5)59. Jesus' Agony in the Garden vs. “Be Not Anxious” [read original longer article]
XII. Marriage and Sexuality
60. Annulment is Not Catholic Divorce 61. Contraception: “Be Fruitful and Multiply” * 62. Contraception: God Blesses Parents with Children * 63. Contraception: Onan's Sin & Punishment [read online]64. Reply to an Attack Against NFP & Spacing of Children65. Contraception, Murder, & the Contralife Will66. Does the Bible Condemn Homosexual Acts?67. St. Paul's Argument from Nature Against Homosexual Acts (Romans 1) [read original longer 
version]68. The Prohibition of Premarital Sex in the New Testament 69. Does 1 Corinthians 7:36-38 Sanction Premarital Sex? [read original longer dialogue]70. Thoughts on Women's Ordination
XIII. Hell, the Devil, and Demons
71. Philosophical Defense of the Necessity of Hell [read original longer dialogue: Parts One and Two]72. The Stupidity of the Devil 73. Demon Possession & Modern Bible Translation Bias 74. The “Conditional” Possibility of Universalism Refuted
XIV. Philosophy, History, and Apologetics
75. Thoughts on a Perfect God Creating an Imperfect World 76. Can God be Blamed for the Nazi Holocaust? 77. The Inevitability of Development of Doctrine *78. New Testament Proofs of Noah's Historical Existence * [read online] 79. Jesus' Use of Socratic Method in His Teaching [read on my Facebook page]80. Apologetics Isn't Saying You're Sorry for Your Faith! + [read online]
* * * * *
* = originally published in Seton Magazine : The Premier Online Magazine for Catholic Homeschoolers (from March to July 2014). See my author page with links to all the articles.

+ = originally published in The Michigan Catholic : the official newspaper for the Archdiocese of Detroit (from May to August 2014). See my author page with links to all the articles.

INTRODUCTION

 This is a collection of writing that is precisely described in the book title: essays that are 1) short (usually two or three pages), 2) characterized by lots of biblical argumentation, and 3) in defense of Catholicism (apologetics). Most of them came about as a result of my ongoing efforts to comment on issues that regularly come up in “worlds” of Catholic apologetics and theology online.The relative brevity of the chapters are indications of the trend in my apologetic writing for many years now: precise, “quick” answers to apologetics questions. For better or ill, this is the world that we live in, and the apologist must make efforts (as St. Paul did, and as Vatican II stressed) to “meet people where they are at.” I don't deny the continuing utility and necessity of longer treatments (my “corpus” still contains plenty of those!), but most people prefer shorter essays, and their interest in theology and apologetics generally doesn't extend to treatise-length expositions. This is all the more true for beginners in theology.Many of these essays were written as columns for Seton Magazine, which is devoted to Catholic homeschoolers. Those were all around 800 words. Others (1000 words in length) came from my regular column in The Michigan Catholic: the official newspaper for my archdiocese of Detroit. Additionally, some were originally posted as part of my work in the Internet forum of The Coming Home Network from 2007-2010 (I was the head moderator during that period), and several were initiated on Facebook as well.What all have in common is the desire to answer the questions that people ask, and to make the Catholic faith more understandable, leading to a confident belief, and the ability to “make a defense” (1 Peter 3:15) for this faith as opportunities arise. By God's grace I hope I have accomplished these goals.Thanks so much for reading, and God bless you!

***

Books by Dave Armstrong: "Cardinal Newman: Q & A in Theology, Church History, and Conversion"

 Completed on 24 May 2015 and published at Lulu on the same day. 367 pages.

[cover design by Dave Armstrong]

--- For purchase options scroll to the bottom ---

Miscellaneous
Cardinal Newman's Conversion Odyssey, in His Own Words (September 1839 to December 1845)
[list compiled from two of my Newman quotations books] [19 March 2015]
Facebook Excerpts


On the "Argument from Longing" [10 May 1828]

On the "Rule of Secrecy" ("Disciplina Arcani") and Development of Doctrine [26 Jan. 1834]

On How the Indwelling Holy Spirit Works in Us [29 Jan. 1835]

Prayer for the Dead is as Well-Attested in the Early Church as the Canon of Scripture [16 May 1838]

No Fundamental Difference Between Written and Oral Tradition [23 May 1838]

On the Definition of Grace [22 Jan. 1841]

On What Usually Persuades People of Christianity [Feb. 1841]

Cardinal Newman's Conversion Agonies: Jan. 1842 to Feb. 1844 

On Arian, Monophysite, and Donatist Analogies to Via Media Anglicanism [April 1844]

Still-Anglican Newman on Papal Supremacy in the Early Church  [19 May 1844]

On Pope Gregory the Great's Supposed Denial of Universal Papal Jurisdiction [ 5 Nov. 1849]

On the Falsity of Sola Scriptura [26 Feb. 1850]

On How Departed Saints Can be Aware of Earthly Events [8 March 1853]

On the Supposed Necessity of Infallible Proofs for an Infallible Church [24 April 1858]

Newman Virtually Predicts Vatican II (and a Greater Role for the Laity) in 1859 [17 July 1859]

On Biblical and Traditional Evidences for Mary's Immaculate Conception [30 May 1860]

On Invincible Ignorance and the Salvation of Protestants [4 Sep. 1862]

On the Possible Salvation of Protestants [7 Feb. 1864]

On Folks Who Pretend that Mere Theological Opinions Are Dogmas [10 March 1864]

Wonderful Argument on How we Know that Biblical Eucharistic Language is Literal [24 Aug. 1864]

On Much that is "Good and True" in Protestantism [18 Sep. 1864]

On the Importance of Catholic Laity  [30 Nov. and 2 Dec. 1864]

On the Communion of Saints and Veneration of the Saints [2 Oct. 1865]

On the Invocation of Mary [29 March 1866]

On Papal Infallibility in March 1867 [23 March 1867]

Newman's Rebuke of William G. Ward as an Exponent of a Renewed Novatian, Quasi-Schismatic, Rigorist Attitude [9 May 1867]

On Darwin and Theistic Evolution [22 May 1868]

On the One, True Visible Church [25 Jan. 1870]

On Whether Laymen Have to Interpret and Apply Church Proclamations [30 March 1870]

On Whether Pope Gregory XIII Gave Assent to the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre [9 Sep. 1872]

On the Nature of Papal Infallibility [17 Sep. 1872]

On the Intolerance and Cramped Thinking of Atheism and Skepticism [11 Jan. 1873]




Table of Contents

Dedication 
Introduction [read online]
Bibliographical Sources
I. Apologetics
What Are Some Basic Guidelines in Defending Our Faith?.......25 Is Apologetics Only for Non-Catholics or Non-Christians?.......26Should Laymen Have a Working Knowledge of Apologetics?...26How is Faith Related to Apologetic Inquiry?..............................29How is Grace Related to Apologetics and Rational Argument?.30Is Logical Demonstration All There is to Apologetics?..............30How Are Faith and Reason Related?...........................................30Is Apologetics the Same as Proselytyzing?.................................33Is “Controversy” in Apologetics a Good Thing?........................34Should a Person Exercise Faith if Still Plagued by Difficulties?Should we Avoid Ad Hominem Attacks in Argument?................36
What is the Reward of Apologetics?...........................................37Should we Know People Before Trying to Persuade Them?......37Does Proclaiming Theological Truth Offend Some People?......37Are There Times When Trying to Argue with People is Futile?.37Does the “Argument from Longing” Suggest that Heaven Exists?How Can we Communicate Catholic Truths to Protestants?......38
II. Philosophy of Religion
How Important is Philosophy of Religion?.................................41What is “Philosophical Theology”?............................................41What is “Certitude” or Faith Held in “Certainty”?.....................41Does Certainty Derive from Demonstration or Probabilities?...42How Compelling is Cumulative Evidence?................................45Does Conscience Surpass Intellect as a Way to God?.................48Is Reasoning Key in Arriving at First Premises and Axioms?....48Is the Epistemology of Religion Primarily Subjective?..............49Must Christianity Necessarily be Proven, to be Rationally Held?How Do Most Intellectuals Regard Natural Law?......................50What is the Moral Law?..............................................................51What is Rationalism and its Fundamental Deficiency?..............51How Are People Usually Convinced of Christian Truths?.........52What is the Essence of Religion?................................................53What is the Relation of Faith to Culture?....................................54Do Catholics Love the Philosophy of Plato and Socrates?.........54How Strong is the Teleological (Design) Argument for God?....54Does the Argument from Final Causes Prove God's Existence?.55
III. Church History
Are the Church Fathers Closer to Catholicism or Protestantism? Does Christian Truth or Dogma Change Over Time?.................59How Should Catholics View John Wycliffe?..............................59Was the Protestant “Reformation” a Praiseworthy Thing?.........60How Has Lutheranism Evolved?................................................60Is Church History Fatal to Protestantism?..................................61
IV. Development of Doctrine
What is the Development of Doctrine?.......................................63What is the Rule of Secrecy, or “Disciplina Arcani”?................69Does Development of Doctrine Tend to Lead One to Rome?....71How Did Newman Regard His 1845 Essay on Development?...71
V. Anglicanism
Do Anglicans Regard Themselves as a Species of Protestantism?Are the 39 Articles “Protestant” in Nature?................................73What is the Status of Anglican “Apostolic Succession”?...........74What Was the State of Anglicanism in 1835?.............................75Was Anglicanism Flourishing in 1839-40?.................................75Has Anglicanism Unnecessarily Discarded Catholic Elements?Did Newman Agonize Over Anglican Difficulties in 1840-1845?What Did Newman Think of Anglicanism After 1845?..............86Are Anglican Orders Valid?........................................................88
VI. Conversion (to Catholicism)
What Was Newman's View of the Catholic Church in 1834?.....89How Far Was Newman from the Catholic Church in 1837?.......90Were High Church Anglicans in 1839-40 Enticed to Catholicism?What Was the Initial Troubling Blow to Newman's Anglicanism?Was it “Thinkable” for Newman in 1839 to One Day Convert?.92What Was Newman's View About Conversion in 1841-1845?...93How Did Newman View His Conversion After 1845?.............110Do Converts Sometimes Become Obnoxious and Lack Humility?Does God Provide Overwhelming Assurance to Converts?.....119Should One Convert Quickly?..................................................120Should a Person Convert Merely to Alleviate Persisting Doubts?Do Converts Typically Have Last-Minute Jitters and Qualms?Are Non-Catholics Sometimes Cynical About Catholic Converts?Do Protestants Hope that Famous Catholic Converts Will Return?Can we Know Who is Likely to Convert to Catholicism?........122
Does God Use Curiosity to Bring in Converts?........................123Must Converts Get Used to Catholic “Strangeness” at First?...123
VII. Lay Participation
Do Laymen Have an Important Role to Play in the Church?....125Do Popes Consult Laypeople Regarding Dogmatic Definitions?Do Laymen Have to Interpret and Apply Church Proclamations?Was Newman's Thinking on the Laity Vindicated in Vatican II?
VIII. Bible, Tradition, and Authority
How Fundamental is Revelation to Religious Truth?...............131Does Revelation Tend to be Unpredictable By its Very Nature?What is the Relationship Between Revelation and Faith?........132Does Revelation Have Rational Evidences in its Favor?..........133Can we Expect to Understand Revelation?...............................133How Do we Come to Best Understand Scripture?....................133Are Church and Tradition Necessary to Understand the Bible?Is the Canon of Scripture Based on Tradition Only?................136Are the Five Books of Moses (Pentateuch) of Late Origin?.....137Is There a Method to Proper Bible Interpretation?...................137Are Catholics Allowed to Interpret the Bible on Their Own?..137How Are the Church Fathers Related to Bible Interpretation?.138Does the Church Authoritatively Interpret Apostolic Tradition?Is the Biblical Canon a Difficulty for Protestantism?...............139Why is Tobit Considered Scripture by the Catholic Church?...140What is the “Rule of Faith”?.....................................................140Is Sola Scriptura(“Scripture Alone”) a True Principle?...........141Does Prior Bias Influence Scriptural Interpretation?................142Should we Memorize Scripture?...............................................142In What Sense is the Authority of Scripture Supreme?.............143Is the Bible Materially Sufficient for Salvation?......................143Is the Bible Formally Sufficient for Salvation?........................143Is the Bible Inspired?.................................................................144Can the Bible Possibly Have Numerical Errors?......................144Can Biblical Manuscripts Possibly Contain Error?..................144What is Oral Tradition?.............................................................145Does the New Testament Preclude Oral Tradition?..................145Is Oral Tradition Superior to Written Tradition?.......................146Are Oral and Written Tradition Fundamentally Different?.......146How Should we Regard Extrabiblical Tradition?.....................147What is the Relation of Tradition to Church Authority?...........147What are Creeds?......................................................................148How Sure is the Deposit of Faith?............................................148Did the Jews Pass Down the Notion of Tradition to Christians?Were the Apostles Ignorant of Tradition Until Pentecost?........149Can One Possibly be Saved by Conscience Without Revelation?Is Conscience an Autonomous Authority?................................149What is Heresy and How Should it be Viewed?.......................150
IX. Doctrine of the Church (Ecclesiology)
Is There Such a Thing as One Visible, Institutional Church?...153Is the Church Infallible in Her Dogmas?..................................156How is an Infallible Church Similar to a Prophet?...................160Is Infallible Proof Required to Accept an Infallible Church?...161Must we Believe All Dogmas that the Church Teaches?..........164What Are Catholics Free to Not Believe?.................................166Can we be Absolutely Certain of Church Doctrines?...............167What is the Difference Between Doctrines and Articles of Faith?Are Dogmas and Theological Opinions Two Different Things?How Authoritative are Ecumenical Councils?..........................169What is the Relation of Popes to Ecumenical Councils?..........171Is the Church Indefectible?.......................................................171How Did Church Government Originate?................................172 Does the Church Extend Back to Apostolic Times?.................173What is Apostolic Succession?..................................................173Is the Catholic Church Our Authoritative (Orthodox) Guide?..173Is the Catholic Church Universal?............................................177Is There Salvation Outside the Catholic Church?.....................178What are the Shortfalls of Contradictory Religious Opinions?.180Is Schism a Bad Thing?.............................................................180Who Tends to Jettison Orthodoxy in Order to Foster “Unity”?How Shall we Regard Denominationalism and Sectarianism?.181What is Rigorism or an Overly Dogmatic Catholic Outlook?..182Should the Presence of Sinners in the Church Alarm Us?........185Does the Bible Teach the Concept of Excommunication?........187Is Excommunication a “Spiritual” Thing?................................189
Is Christianity Difficult and a “Narrow Way”?.........................189What is the Principle of Unity in the Church?..........................189Is Ordination of Priests or Pastors Necessary?..........................189Must Bishops Always be Obeyed?............................................190What is the Nature of a Bishop's Authority?.............................190Are Bishops the Primary Authorities in Their Own Domains?.191Did Newman Think that Vatican II Would Clarify Vatican I?..191
X. The Papacy / Papal Supremacy and Infallibility
How Powerful Was the Pope in the 5th Century?.....................193
Does the Pope Have Supreme Authority in the Church?..........193Does the Pope Possess the Gift of Infallibility?........................197What Historical Evidence Suggests Belief in Papal Infallibility? What are the Limits and Parameters of Papal Infallibility?......217Are Papal Encyclicals Infallible in Their Entirety?..................220Should Popes Normally be Obeyed, Infallible or Not?............220Did Pope Gregory the Great Deny Universal Papal Jurisdiction?Have Popes Properly Been Disagreed With?............................221What Are we to Make of the “Bad Popes”?..............................222Did Pope Gregory XIII Give Assent to a Massacre?................223Can Popes Personally be Heretics?...........................................224Does the Pope Honorius “Scandal” Disprove Papal Supremacy?Does Pope Liberius' Failure Disprove Papal Infallibility?........227What Was Newman's Personal Opinion of Blessed Pope Pius IX?Does 1 Clement Confirm Papal Supremacy in Apostolic Times?
XI. Theology of Salvation (Soteriology)
What is Grace?..........................................................................231How Powerful is Grace to Transform Men?.............................232Is Grace Required for Salvation?..............................................233What Does it Mean to Be in a “State of Grace”?......................233Is Grace Given in Different Measure to Different Men?..........233What is Apostasy, or Falling from Grace?................................234Are we Saved by Verbal or Creedal Professions Only?............234 What is Faith and Where Does it Come From?........................235What is the Gospel?..................................................................237How Do we Prove that we Have a Genuine Faith?...................238What are the Fruits and Objects of Faith?.................................238What is “Fiducial Faith” or “Faith in Faith”?...........................239Will Faith be Tried and Tested?.................................................239Can we Obtain Absolute Assurance of Salvation?....................239Can we Know Someone Else's Eternal Destiny?......................240How Can we Discern Another Man's Spiritual State?..............241How Shall we Approach the Doctrine of Predestination?.........241How Important are Good Works According to Scripture?........243Are we Saved by Works?..........................................................243What is Merit?...........................................................................243What is Infused Justification?...................................................243What is the Relationship of Justification to the Sacraments?...244Is Sanctification a Difficult, Lengthy Process?.........................244Does Sanctification or Holiness Admit of Degrees?.................245How Close is Anglican Justification to St. Robert Bellarmine's?How Should Evangelists Approach Dying Persons?................245What is Antinomianism, or “Cheap Grace”?............................246Is Preaching a Primary Instrument of Saving Faith?................246What is the Goal of Preaching?................................................247What Will Judgment Day be Like?...........................................247What is Original Sin?................................................................247What are the Consequences of Sin?..........................................249Does Sin (or Rebellion) Have Degrees of Willfulness?............249Can we Sin in Ignorance?..........................................................249What are the Conditions for Mortal Sin?..................................249What is Invincible Ignorance in Relation to Final Salvation?..249
XII. Jesus Christ (Christology)
Can we be Certain of the Divinity (Godhood) of Jesus?...........253How Central is “Christ Crucified” in Christianity?..................253Was the Incarnation Strictly Necessary?...................................253
How Are Christ's Two Natures Explained?...............................254How Shall we View the Atonement or Propitiation of Christ?.254Was Jesus Omniscient (All-Knowing)?....................................255Was Jesus Subjected to Concupiscence?...................................256 Can God Suffer?........................................................................256
XIII. God the Father (Theology Proper)
Is God Self-Existent and Self-Sufficient?.................................259How Much Does God Love Us?...............................................259How Shall we Regard God's “Superintendence”?....................261How Should we Conceive of God's Will?.................................261What is God's Providence?........................................................261Is Discerning God's Providence Difficult?................................262Are Images of God the Father Permissible?..............................262
XIV. The Holy Spirit (Pneumatology) and Trinitarianism
How Can we Conceptualize the Mystery of the Holy Trinity?.263Is Faith in the Holy Trinity Necessary for Salvation?...............264How Does the Indwelling Holy Spirit Work in Us?..................264How Does the Holy Spirit Interact with Christians?.................265Is the Unitarian Rejection of Trinitarianism Based on Scripture?What is Circumincessionor Perichoresis?................................266What is “Divine Nature” or “Divinity”?...................................266
XV. The Blessed Virgin Mary (Mariology)
Does Mary Intercede for us in a Special Way?.........................269Should we Invoke, or Ask for the Intercession of Mary?.........270Which Heresies Denied that Mary was the Mother of God?....271What Does it Mean to Call Mary the “New Eve”?...................271What is the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary?How was Mary's Immaculate Conception Proclaimed in 1854?Why Do Catholics Adhere to Mary's Immaculate Conception?Why is the Immaculate Conception Implausible to Protestants?What is the Historical Evidence for the Immaculate Conception?Why Did the Immaculate Conception Take So Long to Develop?Is the Immaculate Conception Rationally Difficult to Accept?How Could Mary Have a “Savior” if She Was Immaculate?....280Does Mary's Immaculate Conception Have a Physical Element?Was Mary's Assumption Very Widely Believed Before 1950?.281Is Mary Our Spiritual Mother?..................................................281
Should we Venerate Mary?.......................................................282Did Mary Have an Extraordinary Intellect?..............................282Did Mary Die?...........................................................................282Is Mary a Mediatrix and Channel of God's Graces?.................282Do the Marian Devotions of Some Catholics Go Too Far?......283
XVI. Angels and the Communion of Saints
What is the Communion of Saints?...........................................285Are Departed Saints Aware of Earthly Events? …....................286Should we Venerate the Saints?................................................286Is Veneration Infinitely Different from Adoration of God?......288Should we Venerate the Angels?...............................................288Does Everyone Have a Guardian Angel?..................................288How Eminent is Rome as a Place of Saints and Martyrs?........288Was Prayer for the Dead an Apostolic Practice?.......................289Was Prayer for the Dead Well-Attested in the Early Church?..289 Is Prayer for the Dead a Biblical Teaching?..............................289What is the Anglican Teaching on the Communion of Saints?.290Is Invocation of the Saints Unbiblical?.....................................291Do the Saints Pray (Intercede) for Us?.....................................291Are All Images in Worship Idolatrous?.....................................291Do Miraculous Relics Exist?.....................................................293
XVII. Purgatory
Are There Experiences in This Life Analogous to Purgatory?..295Is Purgatory a Third Possible State After Death?......................295Is Purgatory a Biblical Doctrine?..............................................295Is Everyone in Purgatory Saved?..............................................296Do Souls in Purgatory Suffer More than we Do?.....................296
Is There Fire in Purgatory?.......................................................296
XVIII. Penance and Asceticism
Are Penance and Absolution Necessary?..................................297What is an Indulgence?.............................................................297Is Self-Denial for the Cause of Christ a Good Thing?..............298Is Suffering Spiritually Beneficial?...........................................298Should All Clergymen be Celibate?..........................................300Is Celibacy a “Higher” Calling?................................................301
XIX. The Holy Eucharist and Sacrifice of the Mass
Is the Holy Eucharist Necessary for Salvation?........................303How Do we Know that Biblical Eucharistic Language is Literal?What is Transubstantiation?......................................................304What Did Newman Believe About the Real Presence in 1834?Does the Grace Received from the Holy Eucharist Vary?........305Is Eucharistic Adoration Spiritually Beneficial?.......................305What is the Reasoning Behind Communion in One Kind?.......306Does Validity of the Eucharist Depend on the Priest's Holiness?What Does it Mean to Say That the Mass is a Sacrifice?.........307Why Do Catholics Offer Masses for the Dead?........................308Was the Last Supper a Passover Meal?.....................................309
XX. Devotions, Liturgy, and Worship
What is the Relation of Faith and Emotions?............................311How Shall we Prevent Formal Prayers from Becoming Trite?.311Are Shorter Form Prayers Preferable to Longer Ones?............312What Makes The Lord's Prayer so Unique and Special?..........313How Relatively Important are Sermons for the Clergyman?....313How Does Kneeling Help Us to Receive Christian Truths?.....313In What Sense Can a Crucifix be Worshiped?..........................314How Much Does Scripture Teach About Public Worship?.......314
How Should we Regard Purported Miracles?...........................314What is the Great Attribute of Catholic Devotional Literature?What is the Evidence of a Particular Personal Calling?............316What is the Relation of Doctrine to Devotional Practices?.......316Do Catholics Have a Wide Freedom of Devotional Practice?..317
What is the Rationale Behind Devotion to Jesus' Sacred Heart?
XXI. The Sacrament of Baptism
What is the Relation of Baptism to the Church?.......................319Does Baptism Regenerate?........................................................319How is Baptism Related to the Holy Spirit and Justification?..320What is Conditional Baptism?...................................................320Is There Such a Thing as “Baptism of Desire”?........................320
XXII. Sacraments and Sacramentals
How Do we Define a “Sacrament”?..........................................321What are the Attributes and Benefits of Sacraments?...............322 What is Sacramental Disposition?.............................................323What is the Relationship of Preaching to Sacraments?.............323What is the Sacrament of Confirmation?..................................323Is Confession a Helpful and Biblical Practice?.........................324Can a Person Possibly be Saved Without the Sacraments?.......325Is the Sign of the Cross Permissible?........................................325How Can we Know that We Have a Vocation to the Priesthood?How Important is it to Follow Our Vocation?...........................326Can People be Mistaken About Their Supposed Vocation?......326
XXIII. Heaven and Hell / Satan and Demons
What is the Beatific Vision in Heaven?.....................................327What is the Blessedness of Heaven?.........................................327Is Hell Eternal?..........................................................................327Does Eternal Punishment in Hell Make Any Sense?................328What is it Like to Experience Eternal Punishment?..................329Is Satanic Oppression a Continuing Reality?............................329
XXIV. Education
How is Christianity Related to Education?...............................331What is the Purpose of a University?........................................332What is the Philosophy of History?..........................................332Does Much Education Tend to Counter Christian Discipleship?
XXV. Atheism, Agnosticism, Liberalism, and Secularism
What is Philosophical and Theological Liberalism?.................333How Should we Regard Theological Liberalism?....................333Is Political Liberalism Hostile to Catholicism?........................336Are There Jewish Analogies to Christian Theological Liberals?What is the Result of Resisting Theological Liberalism?.........337 Where Does Accommodation to the “Spirit of the Age” Lead? Is Atheism Fundamentally Bigoted Against Christianity?........338Do Skeptics Assume Certain Premises Hostile to Christianity?Will Atheism Satisfy the Deepest Longings of the Soul?.........340How Should we Approach a Media Hostile to Christianity?....341
XXVI. Ecumenism
Can a Person Have Faith Without Having Heard the Gospel?..343Can Non-Catholics Receive Grace?..........................................343Can Non-Catholics Possibly be Saved?....................................343Can a Good Man in Another Religion Espouse Christianity?...344Can God Use Mistaken or Heretical Men for His Purposes?....344How Should Protestants and Catholics Personally Interact?....344Does Protestantism Have Within it Much Truth?......................348Are Catholics Too Often Ignorant About Protestantism?..........350Does the Holy Spirit Act Beyond the Catholic Church?...........350How Should we Approach Religious Differences of Opinion?What is the Ultimate Aim of Ecumenism?................................351
XXVII. Science
Is Process Antithetical to Creation?..........................................353Is Theistic Evolution Antithetical to Catholicism or Theism?..353Is Darwin's Theory of Evolution Indicated by Anatomy?.........355Do Science and Revelation Clash?............................................356Do Scientists Unduly Interfere in the Domain of Religion?.....356Is There But One Interpretation of Genesis Chapter One?.......356Must Catholics Believe that Noah's Flood was Universal?......357
XXVIII. Miscellaneous
How Should Christians Regard Great Riches?.........................359Is Exorcism a Legitimate Christian Practice?...........................359How Serious of a Matter are Vows?..........................................359Do Anti-Catholics Misrepresent Catholicism?..........................360Is There But One Interpretation of the Book of Revelation?....361How Does Catholicism (and the Bible) View Slavery?............361What is Newman's Advice for Aspiring Writers?.....................364Is Spanking or Corporal Punishment Permissible?...................365How Do we Know that Souls Exist?.........................................365Are the Last Days Near?...........................................................366Should Unbaptized Persons be Married by Christian Clergymen?What Did the First Protestants Think of Polygamy?.................367

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Books by Dave Armstrong: Cardinal Newman: Q & A in Theology, Church History, and Conversion

 Completed on 24 May 2015 and published at Lulu on the same day. 367 pages.

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Miscellaneous
Cardinal Newman's Conversion Odyssey, in His Own Words (September 1839 to December 1845)
[list compiled from two of my Newman quotations books] [19 March 2015]
Facebook Excerpts


On the "Argument from Longing" [10 May 1828]

On the "Rule of Secrecy" ("Disciplina Arcani") and Development of Doctrine [26 Jan. 1834]

On How the Indwelling Holy Spirit Works in Us [29 Jan. 1835]

Prayer for the Dead is as Well-Attested in the Early Church as the Canon of Scripture [16 May 1838]

No Fundamental Difference Between Written and Oral Tradition [23 May 1838]

On the Definition of Grace [22 Jan. 1841]

On What Usually Persuades People of Christianity [Feb. 1841]

Cardinal Newman's Conversion Agonies: Jan. 1842 to Feb. 1844 

On Arian, Monophysite, and Donatist Analogies to Via Media Anglicanism [April 1844]

Still-Anglican Newman on Papal Supremacy in the Early Church  [19 May 1844]

On Pope Gregory the Great's Supposed Denial of Universal Papal Jurisdiction [ 5 Nov. 1849]

On the Falsity of Sola Scriptura [26 Feb. 1850]

On How Departed Saints Can be Aware of Earthly Events [8 March 1853]

On the Supposed Necessity of Infallible Proofs for an Infallible Church [24 April 1858]

Newman Virtually Predicts Vatican II (and a Greater Role for the Laity) in 1859 [17 July 1859]

On Biblical and Traditional Evidences for Mary's Immaculate Conception [30 May 1860]

On Invincible Ignorance and the Salvation of Protestants [4 Sep. 1862]

On the Possible Salvation of Protestants [7 Feb. 1864]

On Folks Who Pretend that Mere Theological Opinions Are Dogmas [10 March 1864]

Wonderful Argument on How we Know that Biblical Eucharistic Language is Literal [24 Aug. 1864]

On Much that is "Good and True" in Protestantism [18 Sep. 1864]

On the Importance of Catholic Laity  [30 Nov. and 2 Dec. 1864]

On the Communion of Saints and Veneration of the Saints [2 Oct. 1865]

On the Invocation of Mary [29 March 1866]

On Papal Infallibility in March 1867 [23 March 1867]

Newman's Rebuke of William G. Ward as an Exponent of a Renewed Novatian, Quasi-Schismatic, Rigorist Attitude [9 May 1867]

On Darwin and Theistic Evolution [22 May 1868]

On the One, True Visible Church [25 Jan. 1870]

On Whether Laymen Have to Interpret and Apply Church Proclamations [30 March 1870]

On Whether Pope Gregory XIII Gave Assent to the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre [9 Sep. 1872]

On the Nature of Papal Infallibility [17 Sep. 1872]

On the Intolerance and Cramped Thinking of Atheism and Skepticism [11 Jan. 1873]


Table of Contents

Dedication 
Introduction [read online]
Bibliographical Sources
I. Apologetics
What Are Some Basic Guidelines in Defending Our Faith?.......25 Is Apologetics Only for Non-Catholics or Non-Christians?.......26Should Laymen Have a Working Knowledge of Apologetics?...26How is Faith Related to Apologetic Inquiry?..............................29How is Grace Related to Apologetics and Rational Argument?.30Is Logical Demonstration All There is to Apologetics?..............30How Are Faith and Reason Related?...........................................30Is Apologetics the Same as Proselytyzing?.................................33Is “Controversy” in Apologetics a Good Thing?........................34Should a Person Exercise Faith if Still Plagued by Difficulties?Should we Avoid Ad Hominem Attacks in Argument?................36
What is the Reward of Apologetics?...........................................37Should we Know People Before Trying to Persuade Them?......37Does Proclaiming Theological Truth Offend Some People?......37Are There Times When Trying to Argue with People is Futile?.37Does the “Argument from Longing” Suggest that Heaven Exists?How Can we Communicate Catholic Truths to Protestants?......38
II. Philosophy of Religion
How Important is Philosophy of Religion?.................................41What is “Philosophical Theology”?............................................41What is “Certitude” or Faith Held in “Certainty”?.....................41Does Certainty Derive from Demonstration or Probabilities?...42How Compelling is Cumulative Evidence?................................45Does Conscience Surpass Intellect as a Way to God?.................48Is Reasoning Key in Arriving at First Premises and Axioms?....48Is the Epistemology of Religion Primarily Subjective?..............49Must Christianity Necessarily be Proven, to be Rationally Held?How Do Most Intellectuals Regard Natural Law?......................50What is the Moral Law?..............................................................51What is Rationalism and its Fundamental Deficiency?..............51How Are People Usually Convinced of Christian Truths?.........52What is the Essence of Religion?................................................53What is the Relation of Faith to Culture?....................................54Do Catholics Love the Philosophy of Plato and Socrates?.........54How Strong is the Teleological (Design) Argument for God?....54Does the Argument from Final Causes Prove God's Existence?.55
III. Church History
Are the Church Fathers Closer to Catholicism or Protestantism? Does Christian Truth or Dogma Change Over Time?.................59How Should Catholics View John Wycliffe?..............................59Was the Protestant “Reformation” a Praiseworthy Thing?.........60How Has Lutheranism Evolved?................................................60Is Church History Fatal to Protestantism?..................................61
IV. Development of Doctrine
What is the Development of Doctrine?.......................................63What is the Rule of Secrecy, or “Disciplina Arcani”?................69Does Development of Doctrine Tend to Lead One to Rome?....71How Did Newman Regard His 1845 Essay on Development?...71
V. Anglicanism
Do Anglicans Regard Themselves as a Species of Protestantism?Are the 39 Articles “Protestant” in Nature?................................73What is the Status of Anglican “Apostolic Succession”?...........74What Was the State of Anglicanism in 1835?.............................75Was Anglicanism Flourishing in 1839-40?.................................75Has Anglicanism Unnecessarily Discarded Catholic Elements?Did Newman Agonize Over Anglican Difficulties in 1840-1845?What Did Newman Think of Anglicanism After 1845?..............86Are Anglican Orders Valid?........................................................88
VI. Conversion (to Catholicism)
What Was Newman's View of the Catholic Church in 1834?.....89How Far Was Newman from the Catholic Church in 1837?.......90Were High Church Anglicans in 1839-40 Enticed to Catholicism?What Was the Initial Troubling Blow to Newman's Anglicanism?Was it “Thinkable” for Newman in 1839 to One Day Convert?.92What Was Newman's View About Conversion in 1841-1845?...93How Did Newman View His Conversion After 1845?.............110Do Converts Sometimes Become Obnoxious and Lack Humility?Does God Provide Overwhelming Assurance to Converts?.....119Should One Convert Quickly?..................................................120Should a Person Convert Merely to Alleviate Persisting Doubts?Do Converts Typically Have Last-Minute Jitters and Qualms?Are Non-Catholics Sometimes Cynical About Catholic Converts?Do Protestants Hope that Famous Catholic Converts Will Return?Can we Know Who is Likely to Convert to Catholicism?........122
Does God Use Curiosity to Bring in Converts?........................123Must Converts Get Used to Catholic “Strangeness” at First?...123
VII. Lay Participation
Do Laymen Have an Important Role to Play in the Church?....125Do Popes Consult Laypeople Regarding Dogmatic Definitions?Do Laymen Have to Interpret and Apply Church Proclamations?Was Newman's Thinking on the Laity Vindicated in Vatican II?
VIII. Bible, Tradition, and Authority
How Fundamental is Revelation to Religious Truth?...............131Does Revelation Tend to be Unpredictable By its Very Nature?What is the Relationship Between Revelation and Faith?........132Does Revelation Have Rational Evidences in its Favor?..........133Can we Expect to Understand Revelation?...............................133How Do we Come to Best Understand Scripture?....................133Are Church and Tradition Necessary to Understand the Bible?Is the Canon of Scripture Based on Tradition Only?................136Are the Five Books of Moses (Pentateuch) of Late Origin?.....137Is There a Method to Proper Bible Interpretation?...................137Are Catholics Allowed to Interpret the Bible on Their Own?..137How Are the Church Fathers Related to Bible Interpretation?.138Does the Church Authoritatively Interpret Apostolic Tradition?Is the Biblical Canon a Difficulty for Protestantism?...............139Why is Tobit Considered Scripture by the Catholic Church?...140What is the “Rule of Faith”?.....................................................140Is Sola Scriptura(“Scripture Alone”) a True Principle?...........141Does Prior Bias Influence Scriptural Interpretation?................142Should we Memorize Scripture?...............................................142In What Sense is the Authority of Scripture Supreme?.............143Is the Bible Materially Sufficient for Salvation?......................143Is the Bible Formally Sufficient for Salvation?........................143Is the Bible Inspired?.................................................................144Can the Bible Possibly Have Numerical Errors?......................144Can Biblical Manuscripts Possibly Contain Error?..................144What is Oral Tradition?.............................................................145Does the New Testament Preclude Oral Tradition?..................145Is Oral Tradition Superior to Written Tradition?.......................146Are Oral and Written Tradition Fundamentally Different?.......146How Should we Regard Extrabiblical Tradition?.....................147What is the Relation of Tradition to Church Authority?...........147What are Creeds?......................................................................148How Sure is the Deposit of Faith?............................................148Did the Jews Pass Down the Notion of Tradition to Christians?Were the Apostles Ignorant of Tradition Until Pentecost?........149Can One Possibly be Saved by Conscience Without Revelation?Is Conscience an Autonomous Authority?................................149What is Heresy and How Should it be Viewed?.......................150
IX. Doctrine of the Church (Ecclesiology)
Is There Such a Thing as One Visible, Institutional Church?...153Is the Church Infallible in Her Dogmas?..................................156How is an Infallible Church Similar to a Prophet?...................160Is Infallible Proof Required to Accept an Infallible Church?...161Must we Believe All Dogmas that the Church Teaches?..........164What Are Catholics Free to Not Believe?.................................166Can we be Absolutely Certain of Church Doctrines?...............167What is the Difference Between Doctrines and Articles of Faith?Are Dogmas and Theological Opinions Two Different Things?How Authoritative are Ecumenical Councils?..........................169What is the Relation of Popes to Ecumenical Councils?..........171Is the Church Indefectible?.......................................................171How Did Church Government Originate?................................172 Does the Church Extend Back to Apostolic Times?.................173What is Apostolic Succession?..................................................173Is the Catholic Church Our Authoritative (Orthodox) Guide?..173Is the Catholic Church Universal?............................................177Is There Salvation Outside the Catholic Church?.....................178What are the Shortfalls of Contradictory Religious Opinions?.180Is Schism a Bad Thing?.............................................................180Who Tends to Jettison Orthodoxy in Order to Foster “Unity”?How Shall we Regard Denominationalism and Sectarianism?.181What is Rigorism or an Overly Dogmatic Catholic Outlook?..182Should the Presence of Sinners in the Church Alarm Us?........185Does the Bible Teach the Concept of Excommunication?........187Is Excommunication a “Spiritual” Thing?................................189
Is Christianity Difficult and a “Narrow Way”?.........................189What is the Principle of Unity in the Church?..........................189Is Ordination of Priests or Pastors Necessary?..........................189Must Bishops Always be Obeyed?............................................190What is the Nature of a Bishop's Authority?.............................190Are Bishops the Primary Authorities in Their Own Domains?.191Did Newman Think that Vatican II Would Clarify Vatican I?..191
X. The Papacy / Papal Supremacy and Infallibility
How Powerful Was the Pope in the 5th Century?.....................193
Does the Pope Have Supreme Authority in the Church?..........193Does the Pope Possess the Gift of Infallibility?........................197What Historical Evidence Suggests Belief in Papal Infallibility? What are the Limits and Parameters of Papal Infallibility?......217Are Papal Encyclicals Infallible in Their Entirety?..................220Should Popes Normally be Obeyed, Infallible or Not?............220Did Pope Gregory the Great Deny Universal Papal Jurisdiction?Have Popes Properly Been Disagreed With?............................221What Are we to Make of the “Bad Popes”?..............................222Did Pope Gregory XIII Give Assent to a Massacre?................223Can Popes Personally be Heretics?...........................................224Does the Pope Honorius “Scandal” Disprove Papal Supremacy?Does Pope Liberius' Failure Disprove Papal Infallibility?........227What Was Newman's Personal Opinion of Blessed Pope Pius IX?Does 1 Clement Confirm Papal Supremacy in Apostolic Times?
XI. Theology of Salvation (Soteriology)
What is Grace?..........................................................................231How Powerful is Grace to Transform Men?.............................232Is Grace Required for Salvation?..............................................233What Does it Mean to Be in a “State of Grace”?......................233Is Grace Given in Different Measure to Different Men?..........233What is Apostasy, or Falling from Grace?................................234Are we Saved by Verbal or Creedal Professions Only?............234 What is Faith and Where Does it Come From?........................235What is the Gospel?..................................................................237How Do we Prove that we Have a Genuine Faith?...................238What are the Fruits and Objects of Faith?.................................238What is “Fiducial Faith” or “Faith in Faith”?...........................239Will Faith be Tried and Tested?.................................................239Can we Obtain Absolute Assurance of Salvation?....................239Can we Know Someone Else's Eternal Destiny?......................240How Can we Discern Another Man's Spiritual State?..............241How Shall we Approach the Doctrine of Predestination?.........241How Important are Good Works According to Scripture?........243Are we Saved by Works?..........................................................243What is Merit?...........................................................................243What is Infused Justification?...................................................243What is the Relationship of Justification to the Sacraments?...244Is Sanctification a Difficult, Lengthy Process?.........................244Does Sanctification or Holiness Admit of Degrees?.................245How Close is Anglican Justification to St. Robert Bellarmine's?How Should Evangelists Approach Dying Persons?................245What is Antinomianism, or “Cheap Grace”?............................246Is Preaching a Primary Instrument of Saving Faith?................246What is the Goal of Preaching?................................................247What Will Judgment Day be Like?...........................................247What is Original Sin?................................................................247What are the Consequences of Sin?..........................................249Does Sin (or Rebellion) Have Degrees of Willfulness?............249Can we Sin in Ignorance?..........................................................249What are the Conditions for Mortal Sin?..................................249What is Invincible Ignorance in Relation to Final Salvation?..249
XII. Jesus Christ (Christology)
Can we be Certain of the Divinity (Godhood) of Jesus?...........253How Central is “Christ Crucified” in Christianity?..................253Was the Incarnation Strictly Necessary?...................................253
How Are Christ's Two Natures Explained?...............................254How Shall we View the Atonement or Propitiation of Christ?.254Was Jesus Omniscient (All-Knowing)?....................................255Was Jesus Subjected to Concupiscence?...................................256 Can God Suffer?........................................................................256
XIII. God the Father (Theology Proper)
Is God Self-Existent and Self-Sufficient?.................................259How Much Does God Love Us?...............................................259How Shall we Regard God's “Superintendence”?....................261How Should we Conceive of God's Will?.................................261What is God's Providence?........................................................261Is Discerning God's Providence Difficult?................................262Are Images of God the Father Permissible?..............................262
XIV. The Holy Spirit (Pneumatology) and Trinitarianism
How Can we Conceptualize the Mystery of the Holy Trinity?.263Is Faith in the Holy Trinity Necessary for Salvation?...............264How Does the Indwelling Holy Spirit Work in Us?..................264How Does the Holy Spirit Interact with Christians?.................265Is the Unitarian Rejection of Trinitarianism Based on Scripture?What is Circumincessionor Perichoresis?................................266What is “Divine Nature” or “Divinity”?...................................266
XV. The Blessed Virgin Mary (Mariology)
Does Mary Intercede for us in a Special Way?.........................269Should we Invoke, or Ask for the Intercession of Mary?.........270Which Heresies Denied that Mary was the Mother of God?....271What Does it Mean to Call Mary the “New Eve”?...................271What is the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary?How was Mary's Immaculate Conception Proclaimed in 1854?Why Do Catholics Adhere to Mary's Immaculate Conception?Why is the Immaculate Conception Implausible to Protestants?What is the Historical Evidence for the Immaculate Conception?Why Did the Immaculate Conception Take So Long to Develop?Is the Immaculate Conception Rationally Difficult to Accept?How Could Mary Have a “Savior” if She Was Immaculate?....280Does Mary's Immaculate Conception Have a Physical Element?Was Mary's Assumption Very Widely Believed Before 1950?.281Is Mary Our Spiritual Mother?..................................................281
Should we Venerate Mary?.......................................................282Did Mary Have an Extraordinary Intellect?..............................282Did Mary Die?...........................................................................282Is Mary a Mediatrix and Channel of God's Graces?.................282Do the Marian Devotions of Some Catholics Go Too Far?......283
XVI. Angels and the Communion of Saints
What is the Communion of Saints?...........................................285Are Departed Saints Aware of Earthly Events? …....................286Should we Venerate the Saints?................................................286Is Veneration Infinitely Different from Adoration of God?......288Should we Venerate the Angels?...............................................288Does Everyone Have a Guardian Angel?..................................288How Eminent is Rome as a Place of Saints and Martyrs?........288Was Prayer for the Dead an Apostolic Practice?.......................289Was Prayer for the Dead Well-Attested in the Early Church?..289 Is Prayer for the Dead a Biblical Teaching?..............................289What is the Anglican Teaching on the Communion of Saints?.290Is Invocation of the Saints Unbiblical?.....................................291Do the Saints Pray (Intercede) for Us?.....................................291Are All Images in Worship Idolatrous?.....................................291Do Miraculous Relics Exist?.....................................................293
XVII. Purgatory
Are There Experiences in This Life Analogous to Purgatory?..295Is Purgatory a Third Possible State After Death?......................295Is Purgatory a Biblical Doctrine?..............................................295Is Everyone in Purgatory Saved?..............................................296Do Souls in Purgatory Suffer More than we Do?.....................296
Is There Fire in Purgatory?.......................................................296
XVIII. Penance and Asceticism
Are Penance and Absolution Necessary?..................................297What is an Indulgence?.............................................................297Is Self-Denial for the Cause of Christ a Good Thing?..............298Is Suffering Spiritually Beneficial?...........................................298Should All Clergymen be Celibate?..........................................300Is Celibacy a “Higher” Calling?................................................301
XIX. The Holy Eucharist and Sacrifice of the Mass
Is the Holy Eucharist Necessary for Salvation?........................303How Do we Know that Biblical Eucharistic Language is Literal?What is Transubstantiation?......................................................304What Did Newman Believe About the Real Presence in 1834?Does the Grace Received from the Holy Eucharist Vary?........305Is Eucharistic Adoration Spiritually Beneficial?.......................305What is the Reasoning Behind Communion in One Kind?.......306Does Validity of the Eucharist Depend on the Priest's Holiness?What Does it Mean to Say That the Mass is a Sacrifice?.........307Why Do Catholics Offer Masses for the Dead?........................308Was the Last Supper a Passover Meal?.....................................309
XX. Devotions, Liturgy, and Worship
What is the Relation of Faith and Emotions?............................311How Shall we Prevent Formal Prayers from Becoming Trite?.311Are Shorter Form Prayers Preferable to Longer Ones?............312What Makes The Lord's Prayer so Unique and Special?..........313How Relatively Important are Sermons for the Clergyman?....313How Does Kneeling Help Us to Receive Christian Truths?.....313In What Sense Can a Crucifix be Worshiped?..........................314How Much Does Scripture Teach About Public Worship?.......314
How Should we Regard Purported Miracles?...........................314What is the Great Attribute of Catholic Devotional Literature?What is the Evidence of a Particular Personal Calling?............316What is the Relation of Doctrine to Devotional Practices?.......316Do Catholics Have a Wide Freedom of Devotional Practice?..317
What is the Rationale Behind Devotion to Jesus' Sacred Heart?
XXI. The Sacrament of Baptism
What is the Relation of Baptism to the Church?.......................319Does Baptism Regenerate?........................................................319How is Baptism Related to the Holy Spirit and Justification?..320What is Conditional Baptism?...................................................320Is There Such a Thing as “Baptism of Desire”?........................320
XXII. Sacraments and Sacramentals
How Do we Define a “Sacrament”?..........................................321What are the Attributes and Benefits of Sacraments?...............322 What is Sacramental Disposition?.............................................323What is the Relationship of Preaching to Sacraments?.............323What is the Sacrament of Confirmation?..................................323Is Confession a Helpful and Biblical Practice?.........................324Can a Person Possibly be Saved Without the Sacraments?.......325Is the Sign of the Cross Permissible?........................................325How Can we Know that We Have a Vocation to the Priesthood?How Important is it to Follow Our Vocation?...........................326Can People be Mistaken About Their Supposed Vocation?......326
XXIII. Heaven and Hell / Satan and Demons
What is the Beatific Vision in Heaven?.....................................327What is the Blessedness of Heaven?.........................................327Is Hell Eternal?..........................................................................327Does Eternal Punishment in Hell Make Any Sense?................328What is it Like to Experience Eternal Punishment?..................329Is Satanic Oppression a Continuing Reality?............................329
XXIV. Education
How is Christianity Related to Education?...............................331What is the Purpose of a University?........................................332What is the Philosophy of History?..........................................332Does Much Education Tend to Counter Christian Discipleship?
XXV. Atheism, Agnosticism, Liberalism, and Secularism
What is Philosophical and Theological Liberalism?.................333How Should we Regard Theological Liberalism?....................333Is Political Liberalism Hostile to Catholicism?........................336Are There Jewish Analogies to Christian Theological Liberals?What is the Result of Resisting Theological Liberalism?.........337 Where Does Accommodation to the “Spirit of the Age” Lead? Is Atheism Fundamentally Bigoted Against Christianity?........338Do Skeptics Assume Certain Premises Hostile to Christianity?Will Atheism Satisfy the Deepest Longings of the Soul?.........340How Should we Approach a Media Hostile to Christianity?....341
XXVI. Ecumenism
Can a Person Have Faith Without Having Heard the Gospel?..343Can Non-Catholics Receive Grace?..........................................343Can Non-Catholics Possibly be Saved?....................................343Can a Good Man in Another Religion Espouse Christianity?...344Can God Use Mistaken or Heretical Men for His Purposes?....344How Should Protestants and Catholics Personally Interact?....344Does Protestantism Have Within it Much Truth?......................348Are Catholics Too Often Ignorant About Protestantism?..........350Does the Holy Spirit Act Beyond the Catholic Church?...........350How Should we Approach Religious Differences of Opinion?What is the Ultimate Aim of Ecumenism?................................351
XXVII. Science
Is Process Antithetical to Creation?..........................................353Is Theistic Evolution Antithetical to Catholicism or Theism?..353Is Darwin's Theory of Evolution Indicated by Anatomy?.........355Do Science and Revelation Clash?............................................356Do Scientists Unduly Interfere in the Domain of Religion?.....356Is There But One Interpretation of Genesis Chapter One?.......356Must Catholics Believe that Noah's Flood was Universal?......357
XXVIII. Miscellaneous
How Should Christians Regard Great Riches?.........................359Is Exorcism a Legitimate Christian Practice?...........................359How Serious of a Matter are Vows?..........................................359Do Anti-Catholics Misrepresent Catholicism?..........................360Is There But One Interpretation of the Book of Revelation?....361How Does Catholicism (and the Bible) View Slavery?............361What is Newman's Advice for Aspiring Writers?.....................364Is Spanking or Corporal Punishment Permissible?...................365How Do we Know that Souls Exist?.........................................365Are the Last Days Near?...........................................................366Should Unbaptized Persons be Married by Christian Clergymen?What Did the First Protestants Think of Polygamy?.................367

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Introduction to Cardinal Newman: Q & A in Theology, Church History, and Conversion

  Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman wrote in a letter dated 10 February 1869:
I am not a theologian. A theologian is one who has mastered theology – who can say how many opinions there are on every point, what authors have taken which, and which is the best – who can discriminate exactly between proposition and proposition, argument and argument, who can pronounce which are safe, which allowable, which dangerous – who can trace the history of doctrines in successive centuries, and apply the principles of former times to the conditions of the present. This it is to be a theologian – this and a hundred things besides – which I am not, and never shall be.
He stated “I am not a theologian” many times in his letters. He often qualified any theological instruction he gave, making sure to note that it was not cast in stone, and subject to correction by the Church or credentialed theologians. In the above, strict “academic” or “scholarly” sense, indeed he was not a theologian. Yet in another broader (and in my opinion, far more important) sense, he certainly was one.
Whether Newman was a theologian or not, he wrote exquisitely on theology. The very fact that he was seeking to write (especially in his personal letters) on a popular, non-technical level, makes his work in this regard so important. In effect, he becomes a catechist, and in part, an apologist, in these informal remarks in his voluminous correspondence.
Scholars – for the most part – write to and for other scholars, whereas the goal of Catholic catechists, apologists, and evangelists is to reach the masses (and Catholics) with the joyous good news of the glorious fullness of the Catholic Christian faith.
Furthermore, in Cardinal Newman's writing we find (always and everywhere) extraordinary prose almost unequaled in its eloquence: a feast of 19th century English style. Lastly – of supreme relevance and importance – we encounter a saintly (as of this writing, beatified) man, who will most likely one day be canonized as a saint. I personally firmly believe that he will also be honored as a Doctor of the Church in due course.
This is the third book of Newman quotations that I have compiled. I do so partly out of obligation for the central role that he played in my own spiritual and theological odyssey, but primarily to widen the availability of his lesser-known writings, and to share his profound thought and insights with as wide an audience as possible.
My present goal (and what makes this book different from the previous two) is to create almost a “systematic theology” from Cardinal Newman. By use of categories, I have sought to arrange his thoughts in such a way that they can be accessed all the more quickly.
Cardinal Newman (as one can see in the Table of Contents) covered a very wide range of topics in his correspondence. I have sought to collect the “cream” of his theological thoughts therein. As such, this volume might be regarded as Newman's “catch-all” book, in which he deals with many theological subjects; very unlike most of his books, which are devoted to a single topic.
May you enjoy this treasure-trove of wonderful theology, as well as Newman's ruminations on Church history and the complexities of the conversion process. In conversion, often theology, Church history, personal experience, and apologetics are all merged together. No one exemplified this mixture and the process of conversion more than Blessed Cardinal Newman.
Thus, this volume may be of particular usefulness for possible converts, as well as Catholics seeking to revive an uncertain or tentative personal Catholic faith. In these fabulous quotations, in any event, there is much precious treasure for anyone who loves theology and God, Who is at the center of it.
[see the info-page for this book]

Introduction to Cardinal Newman: Q & A on Theology, Church History, and Conversion

  Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman wrote in a letter dated 10 February 1869:
I am not a theologian. A theologian is one who has mastered theology – who can say how many opinions there are on every point, what authors have taken which, and which is the best – who can discriminate exactly between proposition and proposition, argument and argument, who can pronounce which are safe, which allowable, which dangerous – who can trace the history of doctrines in successive centuries, and apply the principles of former times to the conditions of the present. This it is to be a theologian – this and a hundred things besides – which I am not, and never shall be.
He stated “I am not a theologian” many times in his letters. He often qualified any theological instruction he gave, making sure to note that it was not cast in stone, and subject to correction by the Church or credentialed theologians. In the above, strict “academic” or “scholarly” sense, indeed he was not a theologian. Yet in another broader (and in my opinion, far more important) sense, he certainly was one.
Whether Newman was a theologian or not, he wrote exquisitely on theology. The very fact that he was seeking to write (especially in his personal letters) on a popular, non-technical level, makes his work in this regard so important. In effect, he becomes a catechist, and in part, an apologist, in these informal remarks in his voluminous correspondence.
Scholars – for the most part – write to and for other scholars, whereas the goal of Catholic catechists, apologists, and evangelists is to reach the masses (and Catholics) with the joyous good news of the glorious fullness of the Catholic Christian faith.
Furthermore, in Cardinal Newman's writing we find (always and everywhere) extraordinary prose almost unequaled in its eloquence: a feast of 19th century English style. Lastly – of supreme relevance and importance – we encounter a saintly (as of this writing, beatified) man, who will most likely one day be canonized as a saint. I personally firmly believe that he will also be honored as a Doctor of the Church in due course.
This is the third book of Newman quotations that I have compiled. I do so partly out of obligation for the central role that he played in my own spiritual and theological odyssey, but primarily to widen the availability of his lesser-known writings, and to share his profound thought and insights with as wide an audience as possible.
My present goal (and what makes this book different from the previous two) is to create almost a “systematic theology” from Cardinal Newman. By use of categories, I have sought to arrange his thoughts in such a way that they can be accessed all the more quickly.
Cardinal Newman (as one can see in the Table of Contents) covered a very wide range of topics in his correspondence. I have sought to collect the “cream” of his theological thoughts therein. As such, this volume might be regarded as Newman's “catch-all” book, in which he deals with many theological subjects; very unlike most of his books, which are devoted to a single topic.
May you enjoy this treasure-trove of wonderful theology, as well as Newman's ruminations on Church history and the complexities of the conversion process. In conversion, often theology, Church history, personal experience, and apologetics are all merged together. No one exemplified this mixture and the process of conversion more than Blessed Cardinal Newman.
Thus, this volume may be of particular usefulness for possible converts, as well as Catholics seeking to revive an uncertain or tentative personal Catholic faith. In these fabulous quotations, in any event, there is much precious treasure for anyone who loves theology and God, Who is at the center of it.
[see the info-page for this book]

Dialogue with a Baptist Philosophy Professor on Catholic-Protestant Ecumenical Relations (vs. Dr. Jerry Walls)

Jerry Walls is a philosophy professor at Houston Baptist University, and received his doctorate from Notre Dame. He will be shortly publishing a book which is a critique of Catholicism. He is not an anti-Catholic. This exchange took place on my (public) Facebook wall. His words will be in blue.

* * * * *

I knew you would not convert me, and I did not see a reasonable hope of my converting you. I believe what you do – but I believe more. I rejoice to think that you with all your heart and soul believe our Lord Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of the world, and of every soul who comes to Him for salvation; and the sole Saviour. I wish you believed the whole counsel of God. But in this bad time, when there are so many unbelievers, I rejoice to think you are not one of them.

(Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman, Letters & Diaries, v. 25; To J. F. Lloyd, 14 April 1870)

All I claimed was that he showed disdain for them in "Development," in order to bolster his "Rome or nothing claim," which is true. He also shows similar disdain for the Eastern church in that book. My only interest in Newman pertains to his celebrated argument in that book, which I found wanting in several respects, many of which are shown in Mozley's reply. And if he did not really believe it's "Rome or nothing" he should have refrained from that rhetoric. I was frankly even less impressed with his charity in that book than his arguments.

You also made a remark about Newman quite possibly rejecting Protestantism as a Christian tradition altogether. Newman treats individuals with extreme charity, regardless of affiliation. He has hard words for Anglicanism and Protestantism, but they have to be interpreted within the framework of many "ecumenical" statements like the one above.

Well it all depends on how serious he is about the "Rome or nothing line," whether it is just rhetorical exaggeration or he really believes it.

As I already stated (on your wall), that is an argument concerning logical consistency, which all thoughtful Christians make. If we believe our communion is the best or truest one, we will necessarily think that others are less logically consistent.

Newman simply extends that thought all the way, believing that only Catholicism is perfectly consistent. It doesn't follow that he denies that any non-Catholic Christian group (and esp. individuals) is Christian at all. All the evidence is against such an alleged denial.

I've done the same thing myself for 25 years, holding that any form of Protestantism is viciously circular and unable to be consistently maintained under scrutiny, in terms of logic and its relation to historical facts and the Bible.

At the same time, I have very warm, affectionate relations with many Protestants, whom I consider my esteemed brethren in Christ, and have written dozens of ecumenical posts and book chapters. 

Yes, he seems to recognize incoherent Protestants as in some sense Christians in his other writings. But in "Development" his comments about other Christians are not only dismissive but also comical caricatures.

I have already agreed that he broad-brushes. He has a deep contempt in particular for Wesley and Methodism that I have never understood. Yet even there he recognizes the good qualities found therein.


Yeah, too bad all of us Protestant Christian philosophers can't see how incoherent we are.

You say Catholicism is incoherent and inconsistent. That's inherent in any strong critique of another view. What the Hades is the difference? I see none. Insofar as we say x, y, and z in another view are incorrect, we are alleging inconsistency: more so, the more examples we submit.

No, I'm inclined to think it is possible to be a consistent RC, given your assumptions. You can be wrong without being inconsistent, or at least obviously or demonstrably so.

That's what I think about Calvinism. But that is only post-premises. If we disagree with another view, we have to either critique its premises, or consistent application from premises, or both.

So, e.g., in critiquing us, if you deny the three-legged stool rule of faith (Scripture-Tradition-Church), that is the major premise of authority we operate on. We may consistently apply it, but are wrong (in your eyes) because the premise is wrong.

Conversely, we deny your premise of sola Scriptura, and say that the massive edifice you build upon it is built upon the flimsy foundation of unbiblical, illogical sand.

Again, too bad all us Protestant philosophers have a faith that is flimsy, unbiblical and illogical. With ecumenism like this, who needs sectarians?!

Okay; what is it that you think ecumenism is? I think all trinitarian, baptized Protestants are brothers in Christ, part of the kingdom and body of Christ; the great bulk of whom will likely be saved and in heaven. At the same time they believe some false doctrines (a small minority of their entirety of beliefs) and fail to believe some things that we think they should (Catholic "distinctives").

What is so uncharitable or unecumenical in such a view? How is it vastly different from your view of Catholicism? Did I say your weekly worship adored Ba'al, as the Lutheran Confessions say of us, or that it is relentlessly blasphemous, sacrilegious, and idolatrous, as Calvin and Luther say of our Mass?

It's not uncharitable to claim that another Christian view has less support from the Bible or logic than your own. Certainly if you are writing a book about Catholicism, you will do that. You do so without being anti-Catholic or bigoted, just as I make my critiques without being anti-Protestant or bigoted.

I'm extremely grateful for my evangelical background, as I have made clear many times in papers, books, and radio interviews. I view it as a very good thing overall, but I view Catholicism as "better" and "the fullness of Christian faith."


A belief in "One True Church" is not inconsistent with a high respect for Protestants, who are imperfectly part of that Church by virtue of baptism, the Nicene Creed, and a host of commonalities. Protestants don't like talk of " The Church." Their presuppositions make it almost inevitable that they will view such a view as intolerant and insufferably arrogant. I did this myself. My biggest bugaboos were papal and Church infallibility (which I thought were the height of absurdity): far more than Mary.

I got no problem with the church, I just recognize the holy catholic Church is much larger than Rome. But we will just have to disagree and you can read my reasons if you want when our book comes out.

Exactly. The difference is on the definition of the Church. I follow the one that was held from the beginning. You prefer the post-16th century definition. :-)

It's pretty likely that I will be critiquing your book to some extent. I've been waiting for an intelligent non-anti-Catholic critique of Catholicism since Geisler's excellent book some 20 years ago now.  

Question begging as you surely know. If not, I can't help you.

I was simply stating my beliefs held in faith. Rest assured that I can defend them at extreme length (from the Bible and history). And I can criticize your ecclesiology at extreme length as well (from the Bible and history): none of which would be question-begging at all.

I still await an answer as to what is so unecumenical in a Catholic holding his views, yet respecting Protestants as Christian brethren.

[C]ultivate that great virtue, faith, which I acknowledge may be possessed in the Anglican Church; which, knowing your earnestness and sincerity, I will believe you possess in it, if you tell me so. This is not inconsistent with my holding that in reality there is ’no medium between scepticism and Catholicism --’ and on the contrary quite consistent with my saying that if you join us, it must be ’to save your soul' . . .

(Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman to an Unknown Correspondent, beginning of 1871?; from Letters & Diaries, v. 25, p. 261)

Well, I'd say thinking a fellow Christian's views are flimsy, illogical and unbiblical is not very ecumenical.

To paraphrase my actual counter-argument earlier:

"Well, I'd say thinking a fellow Christian's worship every Sunday is the worship of Ba'al, sacrilegious, idolatrous, and blasphemous is not very ecumenical."

I mean, I only think Roman views are unbiblical and flimsy, but I am inclined to think you can be consistent, given your assumptions.

So now we disagree on only one of the three (and we don't really even disagree on that). I have already stated that I think Calvinism is consistent, given its assumptions. I'd say the same for Arminianism (my old view, and similar to my Molinist [Congruist] soteriology now). So we're in exactly the same boat vis-a-vis each other's views. Yet you seem to think we are not.

I do moreover, believe you hold essential biblical truth, even if I think you hold a lot that is not.

. . . which is exactly what the Catholic Church and Catholics think of Protestantism and Protestants.

I also think you are a member of the one true church, . . .

As we do you, though in an imperfect, not fully realized sense; by virtue of baptismal regeneration.

and would gladly invite you to share the sacrament at my church.

A nice gesture . . . Closed communion, however, is not inherently "intolerant." Thus, some Protestants, such as Lutherans, practice it, on the basis of assumed prior doctrinal agreement.


I have no intention of getting into these issues here.

No need to, Jerry. I just demonstrated that we are no different at all, in terms of ecumenical outlook. We have theological differences, but not ecumenical ones (nothing serious, anyway).


I am co-authoring a book explaining why I am not a Roman Catholic. If you want to know my views you can read them there.

I will, and I will in all likelihood respond.

* * * * *

Dialogue with a Baptist Pastor on Whether Infant Baptism is Indicated in the New Testament

  By Dave Armstrong
This occurred on a public Facebook page, that shared a post I had shared, having to do with a Baptist pastor baptizing an infant. The pastor's words will be in blue. I made a dumb and unnecessary remark (though not intended as a personal attack) that offended the pastor. I later apologized for it, and explained exactly what I meant, but here I include only the theological exchanges.
* * * * *
I do Baby Dedications, which is really more about Parent Dedication than anything else. Jesus told us to "Go... make and baptizo (not really the proper tense but it'll have to do for now) Disciples..." (baptizo = submerge... same word used for the process of dying cloth... same word for describing a capsized or sunken fishing boat)... Jesus didn't give us an example of baptizing infants, he gave us an example of Baptism as the first act of obedience of a believer. an infant cannot change his mind about sin and self determination, or believe that Jesus died for them.

I'll just go with what Jesus said...

Yeah, me, too; and with what the Bible says about infant baptism:

Acts 16:15 (RSV) . . . she was baptized, with her household, . . .

Acts 16:33 . . . he was baptized at once, with all his family.

Acts 18:8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.

1 Corinthians 1:16 (I did baptize also the household of Steph'anas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else.)

Many biblical passages connect household and children (if indeed such a demonstration is necessary, so obvious is it: especially for that culture and time):

Genesis 18:19 No, for I have chosen him, that he may charge his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice . . . (cf. 31:41)

Genesis 36:6 Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, . . .

Genesis 47:12 And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their dependents.

Numbers 18:11 . . . I have given them to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due; every one who is clean in your house may eat of it.

1 Chronicles 10:6 Thus Saul died; he and his three sons and all his house died together.

Matthew 19:29 And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. (cf. Mk 10:30)

1 Timothy 3:12 Let deacons be the husband of one wife, and let them manage their children and their households well;

In other biblical passages, entire households are referred to as being saved:

Luke 19:9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.”

Acts 11:14 he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.

Acts 16:31 And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household. 

That's a pretty long leap if you are going to be honest with the text.

Do you want to actually make arguments against these passages or be content with one sweeping proclamation that is no argument?

Then of course there is also the analogy of infant baptism to circumcision: an argument that John Calvin makes at great length. 

You might want to do a little diagramming of the acts passages you partially quoted and include the entire passage not simply lifting a word or two.

Okay, cool, Pastor [Name]. Show us how all those passages are out-of-context. That should be fun.

You made the leap from acts 16: "and their household too" which is probably the better English translation that it must include their infant children. It could mean adult children, they may have had no children... you are using a general term to make a specific point. Just from memory from my Greek classes, I believe the "and their household too" refers back to " they believed" a few verses earlier... I can pull out my diagrams if you need help.

So you maintain that whenever households are mentioned in connection with baptism, these could not have ever included children? 

I'm not going to trade the plain and simple meaning of words for the hypothetical. Show me where Jesus baptized an infant, or told us to baptize infants and I'll change my mind.

I just showed how the Bible massively does. Also, where in the Bible are we told that we can believe nothing that Jesus did not specifically or explicitly address? Paul dealt with other things in a depth of specificity that Jesus never did (as, I think, we would fully expect).

I also don't buy the premise that Circumcision being equal to and being replaced by Baptism as far as infants go. I believe that's taking the parallel too far. Circumcision was the identifying mark of the Jews in Covenant relationship with God a relationship which begins at at birth. Baptism is the first act of obedience of a believer a relationship which begins when one believes (or repents "metanoia), if you will allow me to use that word). Both are indeed identifying acts of obedience but each is dependent upon when the relationship begins. And since I don't believe infants can repent, I don't baptize infants.

You are assuming that this is true in absolutely every case; just as we are assuming that "households" generally included infants.

How could it be different? [It] seems pretty specific to me. In issues of salvation, and direct relationship with God, Jesus is the ultimate authority, and the final word. in issues of Christian living and sanctification... Sure I'll go with Paul James and Peter. but if you are saying that Paul gives a different gospel or another way to be saved than Jesus taught... I'd be careful with that line of thinking. 

Yeah, I know you said that. I asked, where in the Bible is such a notion found? I said nothing about a different Pauline gospel: only a more fully explained one.

Jesus also taught baptismal regeneration, which Baptists deny:

Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Paul seems to imply an organic connection between baptism (washed), sanctification and justification.

Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit,

Compare this to John 3:5: Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (cf. 3:3: "unless a man is born again ...")

The two passages are almost exactly parallel:

Titus: "saved" / John: "enter the kingdom of God"
Titus: "washing of rebirth" / John: "born of water"
Titus: "renewal by the Holy Spirit" / John: "born . . . of the Spirit"

 
And the NT teaches baptismal regeneration and salvation through baptism:

Acts 2:38-39 And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; [39] For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him."

1 Peter 3:18-21 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Acts 22:16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.'

Romans 6:3-4 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (cf. Romans 8:11, 1 Cor 15:20-23, Col 2:11-13)

1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

I believe what I believe because I have studied scripture for decades, not because I read a theology book once and picked a side. I have a class to teach in about 30 min. We can pick this up tomorrow.

I believe what I believe because I have studied Scripture for decades, too: very intensely and continuously since 1981. Meanwhile, there are several questions I asked, and lines of argument, that you have either passed over altogether or (with all due respect) have not adequately addressed.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son. That who ever believes in Him, will not perish, but will be given eternal life" Jesus... Jn 3:16. If [salvation] was by baptism, don't you think Jesus would have included it here?

Not all theology can appear in any given verse. The same Jesus stated elsewhere: Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."

With regard to the argument made from Jn 3:16: Peter, too, is preaching the gospel in the first Christian sermon in Acts 2, on the Day of Pentecost; and what does he include in his entire proclamation?: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins" (Acts 2:38).

The baptism brings about regeneration. It's not merely a symbolic act after regeneration has occurred: ". . . for the forgiveness . . . ". Baptism is the agent or means of regeneration. Peter makes the idea of salvation through baptism even more clear in 1 Peter 3:18-21. 

I am curious to see how those who believe in adult, believer's baptism deal with all the passages that sure appear to suggest infant baptism.

See also this article by a traditional Presbyterian (OPC): The Biblical Basis for Infant Baptism.  

There is a reason (probably dozens of reasons) that this has been a debate between Catholics, Calvinists, and Armenians and many sub-groups and denominations over the last 400 years. I can quote all the proof texts for what I believe, and others can counter with proof texts of their own. . . . If you want actual answers to actual questions I will be happy to respond with factual honest biblical translation and interpretation from my point of view.

[but because I had offended him, this probably won't happen now] 

As an evangelical [1977-1990], I believed exactly as you do, and was "baptized" (full immersion) at age 24. I believe my actual baptism, however, was as a baby in the Methodist church.

I still am very curious how the passages I produced can be plausibly, consistently exegeted in a way that avoids the implication of infant baptism. Simply dismissing them all with a line or two does not do that.

[to be continued if the pastor responds anymore, and/or accepts my apology]

* * * * * 



 

Exhibit #4,8762,190 Proving that Mark Shea is Clueless When it Comes to 1) Accurately Conveying What Anyone Who Strongly Disagrees with Him Actually Believes; 2) Remembering What Happened in Ancient History (the Previous Month) with Said Persons, and 3) Wh

See my public Facebook post.

Exhibit #4,8762,190 Proving that Mark Shea is Clueless When it Comes to 1) Accurately Conveying What Anyone Who Strongly Disagrees with Him Actually Believes; 2) Remembering What Happened in Ancient History (the Previous Month) with Said Persons, and 3) Wh

See my public Facebook post.

Exhibit #4,8762,190 Proving that Mark Shea is Clueless When it Comes to 1) Accurately Conveying What Anyone Who Strongly Disagrees with Him Actually Believes; 2) Remembering What Happened in Ancient History (the Previous Month) with Said Persons, and 3) Wh

See my public Facebook post.