When we think of St Paul on his many great journeys fearlessly preaching the gospel, do we imagine a street preacher proclaiming his message aloud, grasping and sometimes waving around a well-thumbed leather-bound copy of the Bible? When we think of Paul writing his letters, do we imagine him writing away surrounded by a stack of bibles, commentaries and works of theology? We would be mistaken.
Saint Paul and the Bible Read Post »
Religious orders and congregations contributed heroically to the struggle against apartheid, but had a mixed record before then, as FR ANTHONY EGAN SJ explains in Part 2 of his brief history of the religious orders in South Africa.
Religious Orders: Then and Now Read Post »
Religious orders and congregations did not just help build the local Church but also the country. Fr Anthony Egan SJ
A Brief History of Religious Orders in South Africa Read Post »
Pauls moral teaching often causes controversy. Scripture scholar Victor Paul Furnish, who tries to show how a more critical reading of Pauls ethics can retrieve the spirit of what he said, observes that when one treats Pauls teaching as if it were a sacred cow, one runs the risk of turning it into a white elephant.
Understanding St Paul’s Teachings Read Post »
As we study St Paul, we are faced with the almost inevitable question: what does a Jewish preacher of the Risen Christ who was executed in Rome in around 61 AD have to say to Christians today? After all, so much has changed since Paul’s death.
What did St Paul actually know about Jesus? Before his conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-6) Paul would have known very little about Jesus. Having never met the historical Jesus of Nazareth, he had to rely initially on what was being said about him in Jerusalem by Jesus’ disciples and detractors.
Even among those who have perhaps no knowledge of St Paul, some will have heard of his dramatic conversion and we often hear the phrase “the road to Damascus” or his “Damascus” moment.
St Paul’s Big Round-Trip Read Post »
It used to be a common joke to say that while Jesus was Catholic, Paul was Protestant. Of course we know that both Jesus and Paul were Torah-observing Jews but as with many jokes it has a core of truth.
Paul and Salvation Read Post »
Deep within their conscience, men and women discover a law which they have not laid upon themselves and which they
The Reaffirmation of Conscience Read Post »
