Archangels (in the Catholic Tradition)

Archangel [Greek archos: ruler + angelos: messenger] The Catholic catechism does not place too much emphasis on angels, but it does describe them as servants of both God and man. Perhaps this lack of hoopla is a definite move away … Continue reading →

Catholicism

Catholicism denotes the entire body of Catholic faithful along with their creeds, churches, institutions, clergy and hierarchy. Contemporary Catholics believe that the Catholic faith follows the authentic teachings of Christ as given to the apostles and recorded in scripture, these teachings … Continue reading →

Catholic

The term “Catholic” (Greek: katholikos = universal) was initially applied to the Christian Church by St. Ignatius of Antioch (c. 100 CE) in a letter to the Church at Smyrna: Wheresoever the bishop shall appear, there let the people be, … Continue reading →

St. Teresa of Ávila

St. Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) was a Spanish Carmelite Catholic mystic whose frank autobiography was criticized by the American psychologist and philosopher William James. However, this work along with The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection are widely regarded … Continue reading →

The Our Father or The Lord’s Prayer

This is a central prayer that the Christian tradition says Jesus, himself, gave to his disciples and, through them, to mankind.¹ The version in Luke 11: 2-4 differs slightly from that of Matthew 6: 9-15, probably because the two were … Continue reading →

Theodicy

Theodicy is a theological term describing attempts to uphold God‘s absolute goodness and power with the presence of evil in the world. In Christian theology evil is often seen as a necessary part of God’s plan of salvation. Most Christians … Continue reading →

Tradition

In theology, tradition is a religious teaching disseminated throughout a body of believers, usually by an authoritative figure or an appointed body. Tradition is often said to be based on scripture and tensions usually arise due to different scriptural interpretations … Continue reading →

Tramp Souls

In mystical thought, tramp souls are deceased persons said to be clinging to the material world, often to some locality. They might be holding a grudge against someone whom they feel wronged them. Alternately, tramp souls are regarded as accidental … Continue reading →

Traducianism

Traducianism is the doctrine, proposed by the Christian Father Tertullian (circa 160-225), that souls are inherited from parents, just as bodies are inherited from parents. This runs counter to the more popular Christian belief in Creationism, where God apparently creates … Continue reading →

Transmigration

Traditional beliefs Transmigration is the belief that the soul departs from the body at death and returns to another body to live another embodied life. In Eastern religions, the equivalent term is reincarnation. In the Western tradition, the belief in … Continue reading →