Category: Uncategorized

  • Clerical scandals in the 19th century

    Clerical scandals in the 19th century

    We can be tempted to think that clergy behaving badly is a uniquely modern phenomenon, but it is nothing of the sort. Edmund Wilson’s fantastic book Patriotic Gore contains letters from Calvin Ellis Stowe to his wife Harriet Beecher Stowe on the subject of prominent scandals in his day. He wrote: “I have thought much…

  • Rev. Dan Claire’s petition denied

    Rev. Dan Claire’s petition denied

    The ACNA’s Provincial Tribunal released a decision and order dismissing petition in the case of the Rev. Dan Claire, Church of the Resurrection, Washington D.C. Some background on the case appears at the following links: The decision itself presents the following facts: According to the papers filed by both parties and oral argument on September…

  • Jerome on how the early church used violence

    Jerome on how the early church used violence

    Jerome discusses bishops who had been Arian and then renounced their Arianism. Some people wanted them removed from being bishops, but Jerome says: Deprive the old bishops, they will say, and ordain new ones. The plan was tried. But how many whose conscience does not condemn them will allow themselves to be deprived. Particularly when…

  • Islamic apocalyptic literature and Jews

    In light of the pogrom that Hamas carried out on Israeli citizens and others, it is helpful to realize that Islamic apocalyptic literature is almost uniformly filled with hatred for Jews. Their versions of Left Behind, Late Great Planet Earth type books are full of evil towards the Jews. David Cook wrote Contemporary Muslim Apocalyptic…

  • Restoration Anglican (Minneapolis) Departs UMD

    Restoration Anglican (ACNA) in Minneapolis, pastored by Rick Stawarz, has departed the troubled Upper Midwest Diocese for the Diocese of the Rocky Mountains. I would speculate that this is all about Bishop Stewart Ruch’s disastrous mismanagement of past situations, including the Josh Moon debacle. The news as shared follows: Dear Restoration,I am happy to share…

  • ACNA Bishop Todd Atkinson Gone?

    The word is that Bishop Todd Atkinson walked away from the ACNA rather than face an investigation and trial. Where is the press release about this? Is it true? Recall that Bishop Ruch was a primary backer for Atkinson and Via Apostolica to enter the ACNA, a move which was a disaster. It is another…

  • No sir, that’s not history

    Serapis transformed into Christ. For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 2 Peter 1:16 John Roop, Anglican Diocese of the South “canon theologian” and priest at Apostles Anglican Church in Knoxville, wrote a…

  • Statues as channels of divine presence

    Alain Besancon writes: The biblical texts directly targeted popular idolatry, which confused God and the idol. For example, images were taken to the sites of battles and shared the arm’s fate. Pausanias reports the case of images that were chained to restrain the god, and of images that were mistreated when it was necessary to…

  • Image Worship

    Some people think anything old is better than anything in our age. It is often this way with image worship. Just because our fathers had statues of Baal in the Temple doesn’t mean it is ok, to put this in the context of Judah. Modern clergy who have never read Ramsey MacMullen or Furta Sacra…

  • Icons: St. Irenaeus discusses the Gnostic leader Carpocrates

    St. Irenaeus discusses the Gnostic leader Carpocrates and his followers, and in so doing, hints at the origin of icons. He says of these heretics: They style themselves Gnostics. They also possess images, some of them painted, and others formed from different kinds of material; while they maintain that a likeness of Christ was made…