Douglas Knight

Off to the Society for the Study of Theology conference, at Durham, with my half-finished short paper ‘The Whole Christ and the High Priest’ which, as usual, attempts to summarise what I have learned from everyone in the last 12 months. I’ll post it when I get back, and those Holy Week pieces too.

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The Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture Fall conference 2008 is on
The Family: Searching for Fairest Love
Only the truth will prepare you for a love which can be called ‘fairest love.’ Pope John Paul II Letter to Families

We are mindful of the fundamental role played by the family in civil [...]

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The Goal of a Catholic School is the Promotion of the Fully Human Person
I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10)
The Church’s recent teaching on the purpose of Catholic education states clearly that its goal is the promotion of the human person. What does thismean for the schools and colleges [...]

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One clue about the significance of Robert Spaemann is that Oliver O’Donovan translated his Persons: The Difference between ‘Someone’ and ‘Something’.
Now have you seen
Das unsterbliche Gerücht. Die Frage nach Gott und die Täuschung der Moderne and at Amazon.de ?
Das unsterbliche Gerücht
Gottesbeweise nach Nietzsche
Deszendenz und Intelligent Design
Christentum und Philosophie der Neuzeit
Funktionale Religionsbegründung und [...]

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The Centre of Theology and Philosophy
presents
The Grandeur of Reason: Religion, Tradition and Universalism
1-4 September 2008 Rome
The Pope’s argument for an enlarged sense of reason is an argument for a re-hellenization of reason. In this context the universalism of Christianity has a concrete role to play as that particular cultural exemplar of the [...]

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At this time as well as thinking of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we are asked to consider again what I have described as the “essential aspect of a Christian vocation – namely to be a missionary people”. I think that there is a greater need than ever before for each and [...]

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In his Easter Sunday message, given at Durham Cathedral, Rt Rev Tom Wright issued a rallying call to all faiths to object to the “1984-style” proposals.
As pressure from religious leaders mounted on prime minister Gordon Brown to allow a free vote on the issue of embryo research in the Commons, Bishop Wright warned that society [...]

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Easter Sunday
Fear is natural, and so is grief at the death of another (Jesus, remember, shed tears for the death of a friend). Don’t attempt to avoid it or deny its seriousness. On the contrary, keep it in view; remind yourself of it. When the tradition of the Church proposes that you think daily about [...]

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Easter Saturday
The wood of the cross – that is the world. The wood is dead now, but look again and see this wood sprouting shoots and bursting into life again. That is what you see on the mosiac on the north transept side of the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral. There is Christ on the [...]

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Good Friday

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?

Why did Jesus quote these specific lines during his suffering, ‘unless he was somehow trying to catch our attention, to make us understand, ‘this psalm was written about me?’ (Exp 2.3 of [...]

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Today, according to the Lectionary, our readings are from Isaiah 49 – ‘in the shadow of his hand he hid me’, and I Corinthians 1 ‘The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing’, and John 12. ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Unless a grain [...]

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Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and [...]

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On Palm Sunday morning we met on the Kingsland High Road with St Paul’s West Hackney, and Hackney Baptist Church and processed back along Church Street the mile to St Mary’s singing
All glory, laud and honour
to thee Redeemer King
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.

and
Ride on! Ride on Majesty!

and
There is a [...]

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During this period of Holy and Great Lent, our Church calls us to repentance. Doubtless, as contemporary man hears this invitation to repentance, he does not feel comfortable, because he has accustomed himself to a certain way of life, and does not wish to question his own rectitude. Calling one’s own rectitude into question produces [...]

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The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Holy Week Lectures(PDF)
The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr Rowan Williams delivers a series of lectures after Evensong at Westminster Abbey
Monday 17th March Faith and Science
Tuesday 18th March Faith and Politics
Wednesday 19th March Faith and History
* * * [...]

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Bishop Patrick O’Donoghue of Lancaster is my hero. In Fit for Mission? he has produced the single most evangelical document that I have seen from any bishop in Britain. Every page is quotable. Here is his Introduction.
. . .
As you will be aware, the diocese is undertaking the ‘Fit for Mission’ review, the overall [...]

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MPs prepare to vote on abortion for the first time in 18 years

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, currently before the House of Commons, provides an opportunity for MPs to vote on amendments to the abortion law. With your active participation we can change the law, save unborn lives and create a society where women [...]

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The Bishop of London
Tracing the Drama of Holy Week:Preparing for the Resurrection Life
Monday 17th March, 1pm
Tuesday 18th March, 1pm
Wednesday 19th March, 1pm
St Stephen Walbrook

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Bede Professor of Catholic Theology at the University of Durham

The Department of Theology & Religion seeks to appoint a Roman Catholic scholar of international standing who is engaged in the critical-constructive analysis of issues of contemporary significance in Catholic thought and practice, evidenced through extensive publication at the highest academic level. This is a [...]

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The Saint-Serge Institute in Paris has awarded the title of Docteur Honoris Causa to Metropolitan John Zizioulas. Here are details and video of his acceptance speech. Bishop John responded with ‘La contribution de la théologie orthodoxe occidentale’ (PDF). The Laudatio by Michel Stavrou included this:
Il faut noter que votre style littéraire est simple et dépouillé, [...]

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