Managing Monday with Thomas Aquinas – Take 2
Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) is regarded as one of the most significant shapers of Christian theology. He followed the tradition of scholasticism, and was a champion of reason and natural theology. His “necessary first cause” argument for the existence of God is still widely used – albeit a source of much debate. The Catholic Church continues to view him as a model teacher for those studying for the priesthood. While this selection from his insights cannot possibly do justice to his work, they can perhaps act as a tiny taster – and this is of course take 2. Nothing so...
Read MoreWill Kindness Win the World? Insights from the Early Church…
Recently I had the priviledge of opening the “Insight” conference for Grace Christian School in Bunbury. This is a slight rework of some of the main points I made on the day… By pretty much anyone’s calculations, 2017 was a tough year for the church – or certainly that is true for the church in Australia. There was the release of the findings of the Royal Commission on Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. It makes sobering reading – no, more than sobering – it is heartbreaking, heart wrenching stuff. Perhaps the most damning comment comes in Vol 16.3 on page 265:...
Read MoreManaging Monday with Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) is regarded as one of the most significant shapers of Christian theology. He followed the tradition of scholasticism, and was a champion of reason and natural theology. His “necessary first cause” argument for the existence of God is still widely used – albeit a source of much debate. The Catholic Church continues to view him as a model teacher for those studying for the priesthood. While a selection of a few of his insights cannot possibly do justice to his thoughts, they can perhaps act as a tiny taster… To one who has faith, no...
Read MoreManaging Monday with Billy Graham – Take 2
With tributes to Billy Graham (1918-2018) still pouring in, I thought it appropriate to dedicate Managing Monday to a few of his quotes. The most successful evangelist of the 20th century, Graham’s ministry was truly remarkable, and his legacy continues in the lives of the estimated 3.2million people who responded to the invitation to accept Jesus Christ as their personal saviour at his many crusades. To this should be added many million more who responded to his televised broadcasts – estimated to have been seen by over 2.5 billion people. Here is a second selection of some...
Read MoreFollowing Jesus or the Pharisees? A 10 Point Check
In Christian circles it is usually considered a significant insult to suggest that someone is a Pharisee. Knowing the hard time these religious leaders gave to Jesus, and the harsh words he said about them in Matthew 23 – well, who would want to be a Pharisee? Yet if the essence of being a Pharisee is being legalistic and harshly zealous about faith, quick to dismiss others as beyond the pale and even quicker to declare oneself righteous, many would suggest that there are more than a fair few Christians who fall into this category. Now obviously they couldn’t mean either you or me, but...
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