Wyatt Graham

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The Forearm of Saint Francis Comes to Canada

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After nearly 500 years, the forearm of St. Francis Xavier is coming to Canada for the first time. The Archdiocese of Ottawa, the Jesuits in Canada, and Catholic Christian Outreach are working together to accomplish this feat, which will allow Canadians to go on a pilgrimage to see the saint’s arm. According to the Catholic Christian Outreach, they are expecting “three particular extraordinary graces in this pilgrimage.” The extraordinary graces are: “(1) conversion of souls; (2) the raising up of missionary disciples who are abandoned to God’s will; and (3) healing.”

To announce the relic, the Catholic Christian Outreach released a video, and announcer concludes by asking, “What graces do you think Saint Francis Xavier wants to bring for you, for Canada?”

My answer? Not one iota of grace.  [Read more…] about The Forearm of Saint Francis Comes to Canada

N. T. Wright Calls Gender Confusion A Modern Form of Gnosticism

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New Testament Scholar and former Anglican Bishop, Tom Wright, wrote a letter to the editor of the London Times, arguing that gender fluidity is a “form of the ancient philosophy of Gnosticism.” He explains, “The Gnostic, one who “knows”, has discovered the secret of “who I really am”, behind the deceptive outward appearance (in Rifkind’s apt phrase, the “ungainly, boring, fleshy one”).”

According to Wright, part of this “knowing” involves denying the goodness of the natural world. The problem, he argues, is that nature “tends to strike back.” The next generation will become “confused adults” and will pay the price for this generation’s “fashionable fantasies.” [Read more…] about N. T. Wright Calls Gender Confusion A Modern Form of Gnosticism

The Gospel Option: An Evangelical Response to the Benedict Option

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“Illustration from Mikael Agricola’s New Testament” (source) PD-1996

David Brooks at the NYTimes called The Benedict Option “the most discussed and most important religious book of the decade.” Over at The Week, Damon Linker wrote that The Benedict Option “may be the most important statement of its kind since Richard John Neuhaus’ The Naked Public Square, the 1984 book that Dreher’s implicitly seeks to supplant.” 

The plethora of reviews written for The Benedict Option (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and probably many more) as well as the various discussions and controversies surrounding the book prove just how discussed The Benedict Option is. The internet, it seems, is alive with the sound of The Benedict Option.

For my part, I believe that Rod Dreher has correctly diagnosed our times but has prescribed the wrong medicine. Instead of retreating into Christian communities to create a Christian cultural witness, we need to return to a New Testament Gospel witness. But before I get to that, let’s start with what Dreher gets right. [Read more…] about The Gospel Option: An Evangelical Response to the Benedict Option

The Benedict Option: What is It?

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Author. 1825. Public Domain
Author. 1825. Public Domain

Rod Dreher’s book The Benedict Option has gained a foothold in the minds of many. David Brooks from the NYTimes calls The Benedict Option “the most discussed and most important religious book of the decade.” What makes The Benedict Option‘s influence striking is that it made such a big splash before the book was even released.

For many, however, the Benedict Option (BenOpt) is an unknown entity or fuzzy concept. In light of these factors, I will explain what the BenOpt is and will try to explain why the BenOpt has gained so much attention over the past few weeks.  [Read more…] about The Benedict Option: What is It?