Comments on: What's a Modernist? http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/03/28/whats-a-modernist/ Politics and Culture from a Catholic perspective. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:18:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Tito Edwards http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/03/28/whats-a-modernist/#comment-31566 Tito Edwards Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:41:32 +0000 http://the-american-catholic.com/?p=6576#comment-31566 Well said Donald. The demands of the Catholic Church may be difficult, but the rewards are eternal. I may make mistakes, but I try my best to rectify them and follow the path that Jesus as set out for me. I love the Catholic Church unconditionally. Well said Donald.

The demands of the Catholic Church may be difficult, but the rewards are eternal. I may make mistakes, but I try my best to rectify them and follow the path that Jesus as set out for me.

I love the Catholic Church unconditionally.

]]> By: Donald R. McClarey http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/03/28/whats-a-modernist/#comment-31565 Donald R. McClarey Sun, 29 Mar 2009 10:42:21 +0000 http://the-american-catholic.com/?p=6576#comment-31565 Brian, you are correct that the Bishop of Woolwich, CS Lewis, who didn't think much of Honest to God, referred to him privately as the Bishop of Woolsworth, argued for an early dating of the Gospels, and that is a credit to his intellectual honesty. However, I think the contention that his book gave a huge impetus to modernism is uncontroversial. As to his position today, since he died in 1983 I truly have no clue, although during his lifetime he was always firmly in the camp of those most eager to overturn traditional Christian beliefs. The most important theological battles are no longer between the Church, our separated brethen, and the disputes among their sects, but within the Church and within the sects between those who believe that Jesus is God as part of the trinity, and those who at bottom reject all of this as superstitious mumbo-jumbo. That of course is why modernism, I actually would call it agnosticism-lite, is a path to extinction for any group within Christianity that embraces it. Why attend a "church" that really believes in nothing, can promise nothing after the grave, and might as well be flying a flag atop its steeple with a question mark emblazoned upon it? Brian, you are correct that the Bishop of Woolwich, CS Lewis, who didn’t think much of Honest to God, referred to him privately as the Bishop of Woolsworth, argued for an early dating of the Gospels, and that is a credit to his intellectual honesty. However, I think the contention that his book gave a huge impetus to modernism is uncontroversial. As to his position today, since he died in 1983 I truly have no clue, although during his lifetime he was always firmly in the camp of those most eager to overturn traditional Christian beliefs. The most important theological battles are no longer between the Church, our separated brethen, and the disputes among their sects, but within the Church and within the sects between those who believe that Jesus is God as part of the trinity, and those who at bottom reject all of this as superstitious mumbo-jumbo. That of course is why modernism, I actually would call it agnosticism-lite, is a path to extinction for any group within Christianity that embraces it. Why attend a “church” that really believes in nothing, can promise nothing after the grave, and might as well be flying a flag atop its steeple with a question mark emblazoned upon it?

]]> By: Mark http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/03/28/whats-a-modernist/#comment-31564 Mark Sun, 29 Mar 2009 06:59:32 +0000 http://the-american-catholic.com/?p=6576#comment-31564 "The Church of England is trying to be more relevant" "To God?" "Of course not!" Hahaha....so true...reminds me of Notre Dame.... “The Church of England is trying to be more relevant”

“To God?”

“Of course not!”

Hahaha….so true…reminds me of Notre Dame….

]]> By: Brian http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/03/28/whats-a-modernist/#comment-31563 Brian Sun, 29 Mar 2009 03:53:08 +0000 http://the-american-catholic.com/?p=6576#comment-31563 Donald, John Robinson is a pretty complex case. His biblical scholarship often questions so- called modernist presuppositions. There is much to take issue with in his work, for sure, but I doubt that he would think of himself as a "modernist" today. And can we really accuse any Catholic prelates of modernism, as defined by the Church? I just think we should be careful tagging people as modernists. There was a period in the Church when the reigning opinion was that Henri de Lubac and Congar were modernists. I'm sure that Ratzinger was considered one by the conservatives at the eve of VII. Donald,

John Robinson is a pretty complex case. His biblical scholarship often questions so- called modernist presuppositions. There is much to take issue with in his work, for sure, but I doubt that he would think of himself as a “modernist” today. And can we really accuse any Catholic prelates of modernism, as defined by the Church?

I just think we should be careful tagging people as modernists. There was a period in the Church when the reigning opinion was that Henri de Lubac and Congar were modernists. I’m sure that Ratzinger was considered one by the conservatives at the eve of VII.

]]> By: Donald R. McClarey http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/03/28/whats-a-modernist/#comment-31562 Donald R. McClarey Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:54:41 +0000 http://the-american-catholic.com/?p=6576#comment-31562 "How many self- described “modernist” prelates are there?" Lots in the Anglican Church ever since John Robinson's Honest to God book in the sixties. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._T._Robinson The good news regarding modernists is that they tend to destroy the sects that embrace them as they have done in the Anglican Church. I doubt if they will do lasting harm to Christianity. The bad news is that they destroy the faith of those few who do embrace their "updating" of the faith. “How many self- described “modernist” prelates are there?”

Lots in the Anglican Church ever since John Robinson’s Honest to God book in the sixties.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._T._Robinson

The good news regarding modernists is that they tend to destroy the sects that embrace them as they have done in the Anglican Church. I doubt if they will do lasting harm to Christianity. The bad news is that they destroy the faith of those few who do embrace their “updating” of the faith.

]]> By: Brian http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/03/28/whats-a-modernist/#comment-31561 Brian Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:35:40 +0000 http://the-american-catholic.com/?p=6576#comment-31561 "When they stop believing in God, they call themselves modernists." How many self- described "modernist" prelates are there? Very few, I would imagine. Rather, isn't it usually a label tagged on by others who disagree with their pastoral approach.... and are perhaps lacking in faith themselves? Just something to ponder... “When they stop believing in God, they call themselves modernists.”

How many self- described “modernist” prelates are there? Very few, I would imagine. Rather, isn’t it usually a label tagged on by others who disagree with their pastoral approach…. and are perhaps lacking in faith themselves? Just something to ponder…

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