Dwight Longenecker's Blog, page 121

Conversion or Come to Daddy?

I read a smart comment yesterday: “Conservatives want to convert people by arguing with them. Liberals want to convert people by agreeing with them.” It’s pithy I can see the distinction, but I’m not sure it is merely a “conservative-Liberal” clash. Underlying the tensions within the Catholic Church –which blew up at the recent synod [Read More...]

Gimme That Ole Time Religion

I’m not too concerned about getting the Catholic religion up to date for people. That’s because the Catholic religion transcends time. Oh yes, we can tinker with this and that, use modern methods of communication and so forth, but no sense tinkering with the religion itself. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Sure we can [Read More...]

Pope Francis’ New Way

In this article at Aleteia I assess Pope Francis’ regular references to “the God of surprises” and his calls for Catholics to be open to new ways of the Holy Spirit At the close of a tumultuous two weeks Pope Francis has called the church to be open to “the God of surprises.” Back in January [Read More...]

On Surveying the Cross

I am in Kentucky conducting a parish mission this week, and praying before the evening session I found myself gazing at a beautiful, simple, life sized crucifix–the dominant image in an old church. I can’t say what I experienced because it was really beyond words, but I can try. What I felt was that in [Read More...]

Welcoming Gays: How Do I Do That?

The buzz word in the synod this month, and in the general discussion about homosexuals is the word “welcome” We are to “welcome homosexuals”. The problem is, no one is really explaining what this means. I hope those who feel strongly about this matter–who have responded with visceral compassion on the poor homosexual persons who [Read More...]

Book Review – Making Sense of the Saints

One of the joys and problems of writing this blog is that I receive far too many books to review. I feel guilty because I like my books to be reviewed, and I wish I had the time to read them all and write a review. I don’t. Therefore the pile of worthy books to [Read More...]

New Guest Blogger Flora Harper

Flora Harper joins the stable of Standing on My Head’s famous guest bloggers. Flora writes the Spirituality column for the Los Angeles Cosmos. She has published articles for the FemToday website, writes an advice column for Blondie and is working on her first book, “Get Your Inner Goddess Out Girl!” Flora has a degree in sociology and media [Read More...]

The Disconcerting Synod

Some Catholics are unhappy with Pope Francis. Conservatives read his closing speech to the Synod on the Family with relief and gratitude, but after the events of the last two weeks they are diconcerted. disoriented and disturbed. Damian Thompson observed here that the final result may not have been the earthquake John Thavis spoke of [Read More...]

Religion Without Dogma…

…is like playing tennis without a net. It results in a certain formlessness, the reduction of an intellectually vigorous and astringent faith to something sentimental and shallow–nothing but a religion of ‘spirituality’ and good works. Pope Francis criticized this type of religion in his recent speech concluding the Synod on the Family. He spoke of [Read More...]

Media Mutterings About the Synod

What is most frustrating in reading the media mutterings about the synod is the superficial experience of church life that most journalists have. Christina Odone is one who should know better. She is a lifelong British Catholic, a former editor of the UKs Catholic Herald and a longtime commentator on church matters. Nevertheless in this [Read More...]