How I Leaned To Give God A Name

Last updated on: June 25, 2025 at 1:59 am By Henry Karlson

I became a Byzantine Catholic in my junior year of college. At that time, and for years afterward, two of the most important influences I had for my theological and philosophical development were the works of patristic writers and those philosophers who were, in some way or another, associated with the Platonic tradition (from the ancient Platonists like Plato, Plutarch, Iamblichus and Proclus, to medieval philosophers from the school of Chartres, to modern writers including C.S. Lewis and many of... Read more

Some Christians Embrace A Death Cult Mentality With Trump

Last updated on: June 23, 2025 at 2:03 am By Henry Karlson

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It’s hard not to believe that much of Trump’s support comes from those who embrace some sort of nihilistic death cult. They want the world to end. They come from Christian traditions which talk about the end of the world, and they think they can and will make the conditions right so that prophecies concerning the end can be fulfilled. They want to force Christ’s hands, to make him come back, and to do so in their lifetime, thinking if... Read more

God’s Work Among Nations: Understanding Salvation History

Last updated on: June 22, 2025 at 2:05 am By Henry Karlson

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God has been and continues to be at work with all the nations of the earth, each in their own particular way. Some nations have a more central role in salvation history, but all of them have something special God has given to them, something which God intends them to share with everyone else. Each nation has something to contribute for the good of all. Because the incarnation comes to us through the Jews, they have a special, indeed, unique... Read more

Becoming The Person God Intends Us To Be

Last updated on: June 20, 2025 at 2:03 am By Henry Karlson

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Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, but we are not. We, at least currently, find ourselves to be temporal beings, always changing, with who and what we have become constantly changing with the flow of time. As we change, our relationships with others, including Christ, will change. This does not mean Christ changes, for he does not, but how we approach Christ, how we relate to Christ, what we apprehend of him, what, indeed, we are capable of... Read more

Seek Not Fame Or Fortune, But The Will Of God

Last updated on: June 18, 2025 at 2:03 am By Henry Karlson

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Jesus frequently told us to make sure our intentions are good and pure, that we don’t do things out of vainglory or pride, nor to gain some power or authority over others. We should do what we do out of love, promoting the good of others and not just ourselves. It is imperative we have our priorities straight, and if we don’t, we will find ourselves straying far away from God and all that God wants for us. If we... Read more

Pacifism Must Embrace Justice In Its Peacebuilding

Last updated on: June 17, 2025 at 3:38 am By Henry Karlson

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One of the things I came to appreciate after I became Catholic was the importance of peace-making, and with it, the way of non-violence and pacifism. Not only did it follow Catholic insistence of the dignity of every person, but it did so in a way that complemented what Christ taught throughout his temporal ministry: Love your neighbor, including your enemy; blessed are the peacemakers; those who live by the sword, shall die by the sword. What Catholic teaching denies... Read more

Byzantine Saints: Embracing Divine Holiness Through Grace

Last updated on: June 16, 2025 at 11:05 am By Henry Karlson

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Celebrating The Saints Throughout the Easter season, the Byzantine (Catholic and Orthodox) calendar gave us several Sundays which suggested the various ways Jesus engaged his ministry before his death and resurrection anticipated the greater work he would do after his resurrection from the death. We were also presented the way the risen Christ was first encountered, and how those who encountered him in his resurrected form saw he had the same body as before his resurrection, though now revealed to... Read more

Navigating The Noise: Embracing Silence In Modern Life

Last updated on: June 18, 2025 at 12:11 pm By Henry Karlson

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We have found it difficult to embrace silence, and yet times of silence are necessary for our own personal, psychological and spiritual well-being. We need to journey within our own very being, cutting ourselves off from everything outside of ourselves, to attain silence and the peace which silence can bring. Once we do so, we must be patient, and accept the silence, not trying to fill the void with anything, including and especially our own thoughts. Of course, as we... Read more

Everyone Has Worth, No One Needs To Prove It

Last updated on: June 10, 2025 at 5:09 am By Henry Karlson

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Back when I was living in Silver Spring, Maryland, doing doctoral studies at the Catholic University of America, I went to a drug store to pick up a few items. It was busy, so when I got to the checkout lane, I had to wait in line for one of the cashiers to be open. After several minutes, it was finally my turn, but then a man rushed forward with a newspaper in his hands, and went to the cashier... Read more

Christians Are Called To Resist Authoritarianism In America

Last updated on: June 8, 2025 at 8:40 am By Henry Karlson

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I read the news today, oh boy. Woke up, got out of bed, washed up, and got on the internet only to read what happened on Saturday night: the Trump Administration ramped up its attacks against law and order calling the California National Guard and potentially the Marines into Los Angeles to help ICE in Trump’s campaign to take (abduct) migrants (and American citizens!) and immediately “deport” them (or send them to cruel third-world prisons, paid for by American money).... Read more