Blog

To judge by some very recent controversies, you might think that scholars are bitterly divided over this question. But in reality, that Jesus really existed is a mundane and rarely contested fact of history. As Bart Ehrman, an agnostic scholar who is widely regarded as an expert on New Testament documents, writes, “The view that Jesus existed is held by virtually every expert on the planet.”When skeptics ask, “Is there evidence for Jesus?” they usually mean “Is th …

Among all the dozens of stigmatists who have been declared saint or blessed, the stigmata of scourging appears to be the rarest of the stigmatic injuries.  St. Colette of Corbie (1381-1447) is principally remembered as one of the most important influences of the Poor Clares, as she established many new convents and reformed existing ones. But she also had a tremendous devotion to the passion of Christ, and would commonly go into ecstasies focused on it. During one such ecstasy, Colette&rsq …

Biblically, an idol is anything to which we give the adoration and submission that are due to God alone. The ancient world worshiped personal idols, such as Zeus and Athena. Our contemporary world struggles with more spiritual idols, idols that are more discreet and seductive, such as pleasure, money, and power.Just as, in the early centuries after Christ, ancient peoples tried to retain their idolatry and impose it upon the gospel, leading to Christological heresies such as Docetism and Ariani …

The four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—are our principal sources of information about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. For two thousand years, they have nourished the faith of Christians across the world. In our own, skeptical age, the Gospels still have a unique place. Even those who don’t regard Jesus with the eyes of faith acknowledge that he is the most influential man ever to have lived, having left a major mark on history, culture, and language. There is tremendous …

The Gospel vs. Myths and Fiction Unlike myths, the gospel is based on historical facts. It is not “Jesus and the Seven Dwarves.” Its events are attested, chronicled, archived, preserved. They are not fiction, and neither are they a parable that uses fiction to convey moral lessons or wishful thinking. The gospel is not real because it’s intellectually satisfying or because it provides emotional consolation. It is not real because it’s a cherished family tradition. It is not real b …