Catholicism Episode 1: Amazed and Afraid: The Revelation of God

20 Pages·2013·0.51 MB·English

Catholicism Episode 1: Amazed and Afraid: The Revelation of God Become Man
Outline

1. Both
 God
 and
 Human

a. Christ
 is
 the
 privileged
 door
 (Chesterton)

b. The
 divine
 humor
 (Dante’s
 Divine
 Comedy)

c. “And
 on
 that
 sacred
 jest/the
 whole
 of
 Christianity
 doth
 rest
 (Chesterton)

d. Jesus
 emerged
 as
 a
 deeply
 disconcerting
 and
 subversive
 figure

2. Jesus
 is
 Lord

a. The
 incarnation
 is
 the
 central
 “hinge”
 of
 Christianity

b. The
 question:
 “Who
 do
 men
 say
 that
 the
 Son
 of
 Man
 is?”
 (Matt.16:13)

c. Buddha,
 Mohammed
 and
 Confucius
 did
 not
 claim
 to
 be
 divine

d. Jesus
 compels
 a
 choice

e. Jesus
 is
 either
 God
 or
 he
 is
 a
 bad
 man
 and
 a
 liar;
 there
 is
 no
 middle
 ground

f. “…and
 they
 were
 amazed,
 and
 those
 who
 followed
 were
 afraid”
 (Mk.10:32)

3. The
 Work
 of
 Jesus,
 the
 Messiah

a. Described
 in
 the
 Torah
 (Law),
 Prophets,
 and
 Psalms

b. The
 Messiah,
 the
 Anointed
 One,
 called
 to
 four
 tasks
 (N.T.
 Wright)

c. Jesus
 accomplished
 the
 four
 tasks
 in
 the
 strangest
 way

4. The
 First
 Task:
 Gathering
 the
 Tribes
 of
 Israel

a. This
 gathering
 is
 for
 the
 sake
 of
 the
 world

b. The
 Kingdom
 of
 God
 is
 the
 call
 to
 be
 gathered
 and
 reunited

i. Man
 is
 scattered
 due
 to
 sin

ii. God
 desires
 man
 to
 be
 gathered
 together
 into
 a
 people

c. Jesus
 shepherded
 the
 people
 of
 Israel,
 forming
 the
 New
 Israel,
 the
 Church

5. The
 Second
 Task:
 Cleansing
 the
 Temple
 of
 God

a. Adam
 was
 the
 first
 priest;
 the
 Garden
 of
 Eden
 was
 the
 first
 temple

i. Adoration
 is
 perfect,
 proper
 alignment
 to
 God

ii. Original
 sin
 is
 the
 adoration
 of
 the
 wrong
 thing(s)

b. Israel
 was
 a
 temple,
 created
 to
 teach
 right
 praise
 and
 to
 offer
 sacrifices

i. Sacrifice
 is
 the
 act
 of
 giving
 something
 of
 creation
 back
 to
 the
 Creator

ii. The
 prophets
 spoke
 of
 God’s
 presence
 leaving
 the
 Temple
 and
 looked

forward
 to
 a
 new
 and
 perfect
 Temple

c. The
 cleansing
 of
 the
 Temple
 by
 Jesus

i. Not
 an
 act
 of
 rebellion,
 but
 of
 rebuilding

ii. The
 Temple
 to
 be
 rebuilt,
 however,
 was
 the
 temple
 of
 his
 body

iii. Jesus
 is
 the
 dwelling-­‐place
 of
 God,
 the
 perfect
 sacrifice

6. The
 Third
 Task:
 Dealing
 with
 the
 Enemies
 of
 Israel

a. The
 Davidic
 Warrior

i. Israel
 was
 constantly
 oppressed
 by
 other
 peoples:
 the
 Egyptians,

Babylonians,
 Assyrians,
 Philistines,
 Romans

1. This
 oppression
 was
 the
 result
 of
 Israel’s
 sin

2. Liberation
 from
 this
 oppression
 could
 come
 only
 from
 God

ii. Jesus
 is
 a
 “Davidic
 Warrior”

1. The
 power
 of
 God
 is
 revealed
 in
 a
 baby
 in
 a
 manger

2. The
 baby
 Jesus
 was
 “behind
 enemy
 lines”
 (C.S.
 Lewis)
iii. Godly
 humility
 vs.
 worldly
 power

1. Worldly
 power:
 Quirinius
 governor
 of
 Syria,
 and
 Caesar

Augustus

2. Heavenly
 power:
 the
 True
 Emperor,
 Jesus
 Christ

3. The
 true
 emperor
 is
 not
 fed,
 but
 feeds
 (the
 Eucharist)

b. Dealing
 with
 the
 Enemies
 of
 Israel:
 Palm
 Sunday
 and
 Holy
 Week

i. Jesus
 took
 on
 “all
 forms
 of
 human
 dysfunction;”
 the
 sins
 of
 the
 world

ii. He
 embodied
 the
 Sermon
 on
 the
 Mount
 while
 on
 the
 Cross

c. The
 Resurrection

i. Completed
 the
 first
 three
 tasks
 of
 the
 Messiah

ii. The
 only
 good
 explanation
 for
 the
 early
 Christian
 movement,
 which

logically
 should
 have
 died
 with
 Christ
 Jesus

iii. Not
 a
 symbol,
 metaphor,
 or
 fable

iv. “Shalom,
 peace:”
 Jesus
 shows
 his
 wounds
 to
 the
 disciples
 in
 the
 Upper

Room

7. The
 Fourth
 Task:
 Reigning
 as
 Lord
 of
 the
 Nations

a. “Iesus
 Kyrios”
 (“Jesus
 is
 Lord”)

i. Pilate,
 by
 putting
 the
 sign
 over
 the
 crucified
 Christ,
 was,
 ironically
 and

unwittingly,
 the
 first
 evangelist

ii. The
 words,
 Jesus
 is
 Lord”
 were
 fighting
 words
 in
 the
 first
 century,

leading
 to
 direct
 confrontation
 with
 Rome
 and
 Caesar

b. However,
 it
 was
 through
 Rome
 that
 Christ
 and
 his
 Church
 would
 go
 out
 to
 all

the
 world

c. “Glad
 Tidings”
 was
 an
 imperial
 greeting;
 the
 good
 news
 (Gospel)
 was
 not

about
 Roman
 rulers,
 but
 about
 the
 King
 of
 Kings

d. The
 Cross
 taunts
 Rome
 and
 its
 successors
Catholicism Episode 2: Happy are We: The Teachings of Jesus
Outline

1. Questions
 about
 Jesus

a. There
 are
 numerous
 “versions”
 of
 Jesus.

 Which
 is
 true?

b. Who
 was
 Jesus?

 What
 did
 he
 do
 and
 say?

 What
 did
 he
 mean?

c. The
 temptation
 of
 the
 New
 Age
 Christ

2. The
 Path
 of
 Joy:
 The
 Teachings
 of
 Jesus

a. Dominus
 Iesus
 and
 the
 uniqueness
 of
 Jesus
 of
 Nazareth

b. He
 alone
 is
 the
 Son
 and
 the
 Word
 of
 the
 Father

c. Jesus’
 teaching
 is
 a
 central
 part
 of
 his
 mission

d. Jesus’
 teaching
 is
 the
 focus
 of
 early
 Christian
 writings

3. The
 Beatitudes

a. Joy
 and
 freedom
 for
 excellence

b. Two
 versions
 in
 the
 Gospels

i. Luke
 6:17-­‐49

ii. Matthew
 5-­‐7

c. Reveals
 the
 fullness
 of
 the
 Old
 Law

d. Expresses
 the
 heart
 of
 the
 New
 Law

e. Intimate
 connection
 between
 Old
 and
 New

i. Jesus
 is
 the
 new
 Moses

ii. The
 mountaintop
 is
 the
 new
 Mt.
 Sinai

iii. The
 Sermon
 is
 the
 new
 Law

iv. Given
 to
 the
 new
 people
 of
 God,
 the
 Church

f. The
 meaning
 of
 “happy”
 or
 “blessed:
 is
 difficult,
 but
 essential

g. The
 Beatitudes

i. “Blessed
 are
 the
 merciful…”:
 To
 love
 with
 the
 heart
 of
 God

ii. “Blessed
 are
 the
 pure
 in
 heart…”:
 Free
 from
 distractions

iii. “Blessed
 are
 those
 who
 hunger
 and
 thirst
 for
 righteousness…”:
 The

desire
 for
 true
 justice

iv. “Blessed
 are
 the
 peacemakers…”:
 Reconciliation
 with
 God
 and
 others

v. “Blessed
 are
 the
 poor
 in
 spirit…”:
 The
 need
 for
 humility

vi. “Blessed
 are
 those
 who
 mourn…”:
 A
 proper
 response
 to
 suffering

vii. “Blessed
 are
 the
 meek…”:
 Renunciation
 of
 power
 and
 glory

viii. “Blessed
 are
 those
 who
 are
 persecuted
 for
 righteousness’
 sake…”
 Sign

of
 detachment
 from
 the
 world

1. Charles
 Lwanga
 and
 his
 companions

h. The
 Sermon
 should
 be
 understood
 in
 light
 of
 the
 Mount
 of
 Calvary

i. Christ
 crucified
 is
 detached
 from:

1. Wealth

2. Pleasure

3. Power

4. Honor

ii. Christ
 crucified
 loved
 the
 will
 of
 the
 Father

iii. Christ
 crucified
 is
 the
 happiest
 man

i. The
 Path
 of
 Non-­‐violence
i. Love
 is
 “willing
 the
 good
 of
 the
 other
 as
 other”

ii. “Love
 your
 enemies”:
 the
 rhetorical
 climax
 of
 the
 Sermon
 on
 the

Mount

iii. Not
 passivity,
 but
 provocative
 form
 of
 resistance

iv. Examples
 of
 this
 form
 of
 resistance

4. The
 Parable
 of
 the
 Prodigal
 Son
 (Lk.
 15:11-­‐32)

a. A
 parable
 about
 divine
 mercy
 (John
 Paul
 II)

b. We
 are
 children
 of
 God,
 yet
 man
 chooses
 autonomy
 from
 God

c. By
 rendering
 grace,
 man
 exiles
 himself
 from
 familial
 love
 and
 communion

d. Desperation
 leads
 to
 awareness;
 better
 to
 be
 a
 slave
 than
 to
 feed
 pigs

e. The
 father
 is
 faithful
 to
 his
 fatherhood
 and
 to
 his
 son

f. The
 ring
 given
 by
 the
 father
 is
 marital,
 re-­‐establishes
 right
 relationship

g. The
 older
 son
 is
 not
 different,
 in
 the
 end,
 than
 his
 brother

h. The
 heavenly
 Father
 waits
 for
 man
 to
 respond
 to
 his
 fatherly
 call

5. Matthew
 25

a. Peter
 Maurin,
 Dorothy
 Day
 and
 the
 Catholic
 Worker

i. Go-­‐getters
 to
 go-­‐givers:
 the
 transformation
 of
 society
 in
 Christ

b. Mother
 Teresa

i. “You
 did
 it
 to
 me”

c. Metanoiate:
 changing
 the
 manner
 in
 which
 we
 see
 the
 world

d. “The
 Law
 of
 the
 Gift”
Catholicism Episode 3: The Ineffable Mystery of God: That Than Which Nothing Greater
Can be Thought
Outline

1. The
 Mystery
 of
 God

a. Moses

i. Moses
 was
 living
 a
 “second
 life”

ii. Moses
 had
 been
 saved
 before
 from
 death

iii. God
 spoke
 to
 Moses
 from
 the
 bush

1. “I
 am
 who
 I
 am”
 (Ex.
 3:14)

2. “This
 divine
 name
 is
 mysterious
 just
 as
 God
 is
 mystery”
 (CCC,

206)

3. Tetragrammaton:
 YHWH,”
 rendered
 as
 “Lord”

iv. God
 is
 not
 a
 being,
 but
 being
 itself
 (ipsum
 ese)

v. God
 is
 a
 mystery

b. Anselm’s
 “Ontological
 Argument”

i. God
 as
 “that
 than
 which
 nothing
 greater
 can
 be
 thought”

ii. God
 cannot
 be
 limited
 by
 the
 categories
 of
 human
 understanding

2. The
 Five
 “Ways”
 and
 the
 Argument
 from
 Contingency

a. The
 “Five
 Ways”
 of
 St.
 Thomas
 Aquinas

i. Argument
 from
 motion

ii. Argument
 from
 efficient
 causes

iii. Argument
 from
 contingency

iv. Argument
 from
 gradation
 of
 being

v. Argument
 from
 design

b. Contingency:
 all
 things
 come
 and
 go;
 everything
 is
 changing

i. It
 is
 not
 possible
 for
 all
 things
 to
 always
 exist

ii. They
 must,
 then,
 depend
 for
 their
 existence
 on
 some
 necessary
 reality

3. Ratzinger’s
 Argument
 from
 Intelligibility

a. The
 possibility
 of
 an
 intelligible
 universe
 is
 conditioned
 by
 there
 being
 a

Divine
 Intelligence,
 the
 Logos

b. All
 science
 is
 conditioned
 by
 this
 assumption

c. All
 knowledge
 is
 re-­‐cognizing
 the
 forms

d. The
 universe
 is
 marked
 by
 intelligence

4. Naming
 God

a. God
 is
 transcendent
 and
 radically
 other

b. God
 is
 intensely
 immanent
 and
 present
 to
 us
 (Psalm
 139)

i. Omnipotence

ii. Omniscience

iii. Omnipresence

c. The
 only
 proper
 response
 to
 God
 is
 love

5. The
 Provident
 Creator

a. God
 is
 “maker
 of
 heaven
 and
 earth”
 (cf.
 Gen
 1:1)

b. God
 created
 ex
 nihilo,
 from
 nothing

c. God
 sustains
 all
 creation
 (CCC,
 301)

d. God
 is
 involved
 and
 immanent
e. God
 and
 freedom
 (Veritatis
 Spendor)

6. The
 Problem
 of
 Evil

a. Why
 does
 evil
 exist?
 (CCC,
 309)

b. Evil
 is
 the
 deprivation
 of
 what
 ought
 to
 be

c. The
 example
 and
 witness
 of
 Job

d. Georges
 Sauret:
 God
 and
 Artist
 with
 a
 canvas
 of
 all
 space
 and
 time

e. William
 James
 and
 the
 limited
 capacity
 of
 minds
 to
 understand

f. The
 need
 to
 consider
 the
 Cross
 of
 Christ

7. The
 Trinity

a. The
 central
 mystery
 of
 the
 Christian
 faith
 (CCC,
 261)

b. A
 mystery
 of
 faith,
 revealed
 by
 God

c. Revealed
 through
 Jesus
 Christ,
 at
 his
 baptism
 and
 through
 his
 teachings

d. God
 is
 a
 family
 of
 love

e. St.
 Augustine’s
 analogies
 (De
 trinitate)

i. Lover,
 loved
 one,
 love
 in
 human
 experience

ii. Mind,
 self-­‐knowledge,
 self-­‐love

8. The
 Meaning
 of
 It
 all

a. The
 question
 after
 Being

b. Christian
 answer
 is
 love

c. God
 is
 love
Catholicism Episode 4: Our Tainted Nature’s Solitary Boast: Mary, The Mother of God

1. The
 Annunciation

a. The
 angel
 Gabriel:
 “Hail,
 O
 favored
 one,
 the
 Lord
 is
 with
 you!”
 (Lk.
 1:28)

b. Mary
 called
 to
 be
 the
 new
 Ark
 of
 the
 Covenant

c. Mary’s
 response
 is
 her
 fiat,
 her
 humble
 and
 holy
 “Yes”
 (Lk.
 1:38)

d. Mary
 is
 the
 New
 Eve;
 she
 was
 conceived
 without
 sin,
 filled
 with
 divine
 life

e. The
 Ave
 reverses
 Eva:
 the
 attitude
 of
 fiat
 (“let
 it
 be”)

2. Mary
 and
 Zion

a. The
 Bridge
 between
 Old
 &
 New
 Covenant

b. Chartres
 Cathedral:
 Body
 of
 Mary

c. Mary
 is
 a
 daughter
 of
 Israel,
 a
 true
 Jew

d. Mary
 personifies
 Israel,
 the
 bridal
 people
 of
 God,
 faithful
 to
 the
 covenant

e. Mary
 responded
 to
 God’s
 call,
 promptly,
 quickly,
 and
 obediently

f. The
 model
 disciple

3. The
 Mother
 of
 God

a. The
 Council
 of
 Ephesus
 (A.D.
 431)

i. Convened
 to
 combat
 Nestorius,
 the
 Patriarch
 of
 Constantinople

ii. Christotokos
 (Christ-­‐bearer)
 vs.
 Theotokos
 (God-­‐bearer)

iii. Twelve
 anathemas
 proposed
 by
 St.
 Cyril
 of
 Alexandria

b. Jesus
 Christ
 is
 one
 Person
 with
 two
 natures,
 human
 and
 divine

c. Mary
 is
 not
 the
 mother
 of
 a
 human
 nature,
 but
 a
 person:
 Jesus
 Christ

d. Calling
 Mary
 the
 Mother
 of
 God
 defends
 the
 Incarnation

4. The
 Immaculate
 Conception

a. The
 two
 dogmas,
 declared
 in
 1854
 and
 1950
 respectively,
 have
 ancient
 roots

b. Pius
 IX
 (Ineffabilis
 Deus):
 Mary
 born
 “free
 from
 all
 stain
 of
 original
 sin”

i. This
 is
 why
 Gabriel
 says,
 “Hail
 Full
 of
 Grace”

ii. Mary
 gifted
 with
 “sublime
 grace”
 (Lumen
 Gentium,
 53)

iii. Mary
 is
 a
 perfect
 and
 holy
 vessel
 for
 reception
 of
 the
 Word

iv. Mary’s
 salvation
 a
 matter
 of
 how,
 not
 if
 or
 what

c. St.
 Bernadette
 and
 Lourdes

5. The
 Assumption

a. Pius
 XII
 (Munificentissimus
 Deus):
 Mary’s
 body
 did
 not
 corrupt

i. Mary
 did
 not
 have
 to
 wait
 “for
 the
 redemption
 of
 her
 body”

ii. Mary
 perfectly
 shared
 in
 her
 Son’s
 life,
 death,
 and
 Resurrection

iii. The
 Assumption
 is
 a
 “singular
 participation
 in
 her
 Son’s
 Resurrection”

(CCC,
 966)

6. The
 Mother
 of
 the
 Church

a. Mary
 continues
 to
 be
 active
 today

b. Dec.
 9,
 1531:
 Mary
 appeared
 to
 Juan
 Diego
 in
 Mexico

c. The
 sign
 given:
 tilma
 filled
 with
 roses,
 imprinted
 with
 miraculous
 image

d. The
 image
 of
 the
 Virgin
 echoes
 Revelation
 12
7. Mother
 of
 the
 New
 Covenant

a. Human
 Sacrifice

i. Rene
 Girard:
 The
 Scapegoat

1. The
  Scapegoat
  is
  at
  the
  foundation
  of
  society;
  provides

communal
 cohesion

2. Satan
 is
 the
 Accuser

3. Christ
  rejects
  Satan;
  thus
  he
  rejects
  a
  world
  ordered
  by

violence

4. Christ
 becomes
 scapegoat
 to
 show
 s
 our
 violence

5. Christ
 orders
 society
 through
 love
 and
 non-­‐violence

8. Hopkins’
 The
 May
 Magnificat

a. Mary
 magnifies
 the
 Lord

b. Mary,
 the
 Matrix
 of
 Life
Catholicism Episode 5: The Indispensable Men: Peter, Paul, and the Missionary Adventure

1. Unique
 and
 United

a. Principal
 archetypes
 for
 disciples
 of
 Christ

b. Peter
 =
 kingly,
 leadership,
 governing

c. Paul
 =
 prophetic,
 missionary,
 teacher

d. United
 in
 apostleship
 and
 devotion
 to
 the
 Lord

2. Peter
 of
 Capharnaum

a. A
 fisherman
 and
 businessman;
 married,
 middle
 class

b. Blustery,
 direct,
 strong-­‐willed,
 but
 loyal

c. Name
 appears
 191
 times
 in
 the
 New
 Testament

i. Named
 first
 on
 lists
 of
 apostles

ii. Only
 apostle
 to
 be
 given
 a
 new
 name
 by
 Christ

iii. Exhorted
 by
 Jesus
 to
 strengthen
 his
 brethren

d. Transfiguration
 and
 Transformation

i. The
 prophecy
 and
 promise
 of
 the
 Cross

ii. Transfiguration:
 fullness
 of
 divine
 presence,
 action,
 glory

iii. Peter’s
 three-­‐fold
 denial:
 from
 light
 to
 darkness

iv. Christ’s
 three-­‐fold
 affirmation
 of
 love
 and
 duty

v. Acts
 of
 the
 Apostles:
 Pentecost,
 preaching,
 Cornelius
 the
 centurion

e. The
 Call
 and
 Confession

i. “Follow
 me
 and
 I
 will
 make
 you
 become
 fishers
 of
 men.”

ii. Caesarea
 Philippi

1. Old
 Testament
 background
 (I
 Kings
 4;
 Isaiah
 22)

2. Physical
 setting:
 site
 of
 pagan
 worship

3. Two
 questions
 (Matt.
 15:13,
 15)

4. Simon
 is
 renamed
 Petros/Kepha
 (“Rock”)

5. Appointed
 prime
 minister;
 given
 keys
 to
 the
 kingdom

f. Peter:
 apostle
 and
 Witness

i. Witness
 to
 the
 Resurrection
 of
 Christ

ii. Witness
 to
 the
 Gospel

iii. Martyred
 in
 Rome
 (c.
 A.D.
 65)
3. Paul
 of
 Tarsus

a. Devout
 Jew
 with
 perfect
 resume
 (Phil.
 3:4-­‐7)

b. Youth
 and
 education

i. Born
 in
 Tarsus
 (southeastern
 Turkey)

ii. A
 Roman
 citizen

iii. Comfortable
 with
 Roman,
 Hellenistic,
 Jewish
 cultures

iv. Classical
 education;
 foremost
 a
 student
 of
 Hebrew
 Scriptures

v. Student
 of
 Rabbi
 Gamaliel
 (Acts
 22:3)

vi. A
 brilliant,
 intense
 zealot

vii. Persecutor
 of
 the
 Church,
 first
 Christians
 (Acts
 8:1)

c. Conversion
 and
 Mission

i. Road
 to
 Damascus
 (Acts
 9:3-­‐6;
 22:4-­‐11;
 26:12-­‐18)

ii. Baptized,
 preaching,
 studying

iii. Missionary
 journeys

iv. Letters

v. Martyred
 in
 Rome
 (c.
 A.D.
 67)

d. Paul’s
 Theology
 of
 Resurrection

i. Truth
 of
 Christ’s
 Resurrection:
 A
 central
 theme
 in
 Paul’s
 writings

ii. The
 Resurrection
 fulfilled
 God’s
 plan/promises
 for
 Israel

iii. Those
 buried
 in
 baptism
 will
 rise
 again
 (Rom.
 6:1-­‐9)

e. Participation
 in
 Christ

i. “In
 Christ”
 appears
 often
 in
 Paul’s
 writings

ii. The
 New
 Covenant
 is
 entrance
 into
 God’s
 divine
 life

iii. The
 heart
 of
 the
 covenantal
 gift
 is
 the
 Eucharist

iv. Koinania
 =
 mystical
 communion,
 fellowship

v. Justification
 =
 made
 right
 with
 God
 by
 grace,
 through
 Christ

vi. Through
 faith
 we
 are
 grafted
 into
 the
 power
 of
 Christ

vii. Conformed
 and
 transformed
 by
 love