I began my teaching career at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Most of my students elected to attend that seminary; it was not the denominational seminary of any denomination, so choosing to attend there was a choice not to attend a particular denomination’s favored/sponsored . . . Continue reading →

Many/most expressions of the visible church on earth have some central administrative office, an office that serves the various particular churches administratively. Rome goes beyond this, however, and its pope is not merely an administrative official; he has authority to settle matters of faith and practice . . . Continue reading →

Catholicism teaches that there is a season of purification after death that prepares one for the full benefits of heavenly life: “The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a ‘purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven,’ which is experienced by those ‘who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified’ (CCC 1030). Continue reading →