Dwight Longenecker's Blog, page 144

Ideologies and the Dynamic of Pride

In my life as a parish priest and blogger I’ve had some interesting conflicts arise with two types of Catholic who, at first glance, appear to be total opposites, but who actually operate according to the same inner dynamic. The two groups I’m referring to are ideological progressives and ideological traditionalists. By an “ideological progressive” [Read More...]

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Gorillas vs. Guerrillas

I was going to write a review of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes which I saw earlier this week, but this review by Tim Robey at the Daily Telegraph says what I would have said and it coins the very smart summary of the film: “Gorillas vs. Guerillas.” Steven Greydanus also sums up what [Read More...]

How Can You Heal Your Family Tree?

Healing the Family Tree is a groundbreaking book by the British psychiatrist Kenneth McCall. I met Dr McCall when I lived in England, and used his book in my own developing healing ministry as an Anglican priest. Dr McCall was brought up in China as the son of Christian missionaries. While there he experienced exorcisms [Read More...]

Stratford Caldecott – a Tribute

As a tribute to our friend Stratford Caldecott–Catholic scholar, intellectual, husband, father, grandfather and comic book aficionado…I publish here Strat’s conversion story which was first published by Gracewing in my first book, the best selling  volume of conversion stories, The Path to Rome – Modern Journeys to the Catholic Church. Gnosis and Grace Contemporary Paganism [Read More...]

Friend Strat: Further Up and Further In!

News today that my friend Stratford Caldecott has died from cancer. Kathy Schiffer has a great tribute to him here. Which I can’t really top. She covers all  his accomplishments and Mark Shea relates an anecdote which captures Strat’s gentle, wry, intellectual personality perfectly. Go here. “Strat” Caldecott, the G.K. Chesterton Research Fellow at St. [Read More...]

Benedict the Blessing

Tod Worner has a good post here on Pope Benedict’s real identity in contrast to the media depiction of him as the antithesis of the likable Pope Francis. Pope Francis has taken the world by storm. With an ever-present smile, affable demeanor and boundless energy, Pope Francis has waded deep into crushing crowds, ridden in tiny [Read More...]

The Queen Doesn’t Do Interviews…Neither Should the Pope

Queen Elizabeth doesn’t do interviews. She doesn’t have informal lunches with people who then go and spill the beans. She doesn’t call people up to counsel them about their personal problems. She doesn’t phone folks and say, “Good Morning, this is Betty calling…” Adam Deville writes here suggesting that the papal interviews be more controlled… The [Read More...]

What is the Point of Ecumenism?

Here’s what I wrote at the end of my recent post about women bishops in the Anglican church: Does this mean ecumenism with Anglicans is over? Not at all. Ecumenical discussions continue. It’s just that now everyone should be much clearer about the identity of our ecumenical partners. My thoughts evoked this comment: What is [Read More...]

What That Church of England Vote is Really About…

On Monday the Church of England did not simply vote to ordain women as bishops. The members of the General Synod made an even more historic decision. They decided once and for all the true nature of the Church of England. After the Protestant Revolution of the sixteenth century it was very clear for three [Read More...]

How Will Pope Francis Solve the “Celibacy Problem”?

Here is my latest post for Aleteia–suggesting some ways that Pope Francis might “solve the celibacy problem” In a recent article it was claimed that Pope Francis promised to “solve the celibacy problem.” The statement itself raises a number of questions. Firstly, what is “the celibacy problem”? Is celibacy itself a problem? As the majority of Catholic [Read More...]