Dwight Longenecker's Blog, page 194

The Prosperity Gospel

Rod Dreher has two posts commenting on the extravagant lifestyle of America’s prosperity preachers. This one reports on the death of Paul Crouch–the founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Mr. and Mrs. Crouch have his-and-her mansions one street apart in a gated community here, provided by the network using viewer donations and tax-free earnings. But Mrs. [Read More...]

Are You a Self Absorbed Promethean Neo Pelagian?

What on earth is a “self absorbed promethean neo pelagian” anyway? The Pope is actually criticizing trendy and traddy Catholics. I’m writing an article for National Catholic Register on this tomorrow. Fr Ray Blake jumps in and explains here. I like Fr Ray’s very English personal touch. Here’s how he feels when he reads Pope Francis… [Read More...]

Gone Fishing

Here’s a faith story I heard today: We’ll call her Carol. She says, My late husband Jim used to go fishing down at the cabin most every Saturday. He was friendly with the neighbor–a professed agnostic named Harry. They never talked about religion, but every Saturday afteroon right on the dot Jim would pull the [Read More...]

The Church and the Poor

Ross Douthat at the New York Times give his usual clear analysis–this time on the economic and political tensions evident in Pope Francis’ exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. In this article Douthat points out that some conservatives are upset by Pope Francis’ economic views, and some are trying to twist the exhortation their way with alleged mistranslations and supposed misunderstandings. [Read More...]

Myth for the Masses

I’m re-reading The Power of Myth–Bill Moyer’s interviews with the mythologist Joseph Campbell. I’m fascinated with Campbell–who was brought up as a Catholic but left the faith. By the way, I met a fellow who gave good anecdotal witness that Campbell was reconciled with the church on his deathbed. I’m intrigued by Campbell for several [Read More...]

Taylor’s Top Ten Manly Christmas Gifts

Here’s a great article by my friend (and fellow former Anglican priest) Taylor Marshall. His top ten manly Christmas gifts. When your man gets back to work after Christmas and someone asks, “So what did you get for Christmas?” let him say something more than “Oh you know, a couple of new shirts and a [Read More...]

The Imaginative Conservative

I have started writing regularly for The Imaginative Conservative website. I’m delighted to have this forum to explore subject and issues wider than just the Catholic faith. In England it was difficult to embrace the title “conservative” because that was the name of one of the two main political parties. The Imaginative Conservative website is [Read More...]

Walking the Tightrope of Marriage Discipline

Here’s the problem I have as a parish priest.  The Holy Father hints that we need to be more pastoral when dealing with Catholics in illicit marriages. Some Catholic pastors say, “that divorced and re-married Catholic needs the nourishment and strength of the sacrament! They should not be excluded from communion!” Now I want to [Read More...]

The First Thanksgiving…was in Florida

…and they served bean soup not turkey, and it was Catholic. Go here to learn more. Robin Gioia has written a kids book about the early Spanish settlers dining with the native Americans… Gioia, who serves her own family bean soup on the Sept. 8 anniversary, has her work cut out for her elsewhere, however. [Read More...]

Gallery of Beautiful Churches

Check out this gallery of beautiful churches photographed from top to toe– from the Daily Telegraph.