by R. Jeffrey Grace I. Introduction We begin with some preliminary comments about the gospel of Matthew in general, followed by an in-depth analysis of the passage, Matthew 12:38-42, and then end with a reflection on what the message of the particular passage in question means for us today.There is a general consensus among biblical scholars in dating the composition of … [Read more...] about Exegesis of Matthew 12: 38-42
Science & Faith
by R Jeffrey Grace One of the most vexing issues facing ministers in the Church is the pastoral impact of the debates raging in our media and schools over the implications of evolution for those of us who believe that God created "the heavens and the earth" which includes human kind. At the heart of this vexation lies a very critical and fundamental issue: The nature of … [Read more...] about Science & Faith
The Church and the Cosmological Revolution
By R. Jeffrey Grace In order to understand why the cosmological revolution in early modern Europe was first met with resistance by the Catholic Church we can take a closer look at the most famous example of this resistance: the confrontation with Galileo over the heliocentric view of the universe. To place it all into context, recall that the accepted view of the world … [Read more...] about The Church and the Cosmological Revolution
The Monkey Business of Religion
by R. Jeffrey Grace As I argued in my article The Church and the Cosmological Revolution, the opposition by the Catholic Church to Galileo and the cosmological revolution in general, was due to a pastoral concern. To summarize my argument, the news that the Earth was NOT the center of the universe shattered the common understanding of how everything was put together. In … [Read more...] about The Monkey Business of Religion