Category Archives: Scripture

Telling stories

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Quentin

How much of scripture is true? That question can only be answered by respecting the difference between pre- and post-scientific understandings of truth. Thus we avoid The New Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture’s stricture of “bad science and bad exegesis”. … Continue reading →

Posted in Catholic Herald columns, Scripture, Spirituality | Tagged , , , , | 113 Comments

The written word

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Quentin

One contributor, writing to me, has mentioned the overuse of Scripture on the Blog as causing confusion. I do not disagree. As we would all expect, it is common in the discussions which appear in this Blog that Scripture should … Continue reading →

Posted in Quentin queries, Scripture | 111 Comments

Mythtake

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Quentin

In our recent discussions we were reminded that the story of creation in Genesis is mythical. And we have no difficulty in understanding this when we accept that the great truth of God’s creation had to be conveyed in a … Continue reading →

Posted in evolution, Philosophy, Quentin queries, Scripture, Spirituality | Tagged , , | 152 Comments

Entia non sunt multiplicanda…

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Quentin

Last year Mr Tom Mcintyre produced this quote from the Blessed John Henry Newman (letter to Catholic Herald, 2 August): “Darwin’s theory need not be atheistical, be it true or not; it may simply be suggesting a larger idea of … Continue reading →

Posted in evolution, Philosophy, Quentin queries, Scripture | 48 Comments

The eccentricity of God

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Quentin

I feel for the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Don’t you? All his life he has given obedience to his father, yet he has to stand by and watch his perfectly awful brother, who has broken … Continue reading →

Posted in Moral judgment, Pope Francis, Quentin queries, Scripture | 71 Comments

Body and soul

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Quentin

The Church teaches that our best understanding is that we are all descended from Adam, and from him inherit original sin. This is easily inferred from Scripture, but is less easily demonstrated from inheritance. This second method requires tracing back … Continue reading →

Posted in Bio-ethics, Catholic Herald columns, evolution, Neuroscience, Scripture | Tagged , , , | 56 Comments

Talk of the Spirit

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Quentin

In recent discussion we have discovered that many of us have had the experience of hearing voices inside our heads, or of seeing bright colours and sometimes hallucinations through closed eyes. As far as I know, none of our contributors … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Quentin queries, Scripture, Spirituality | Tagged | 57 Comments

The right to be wrong

Posted on July 4, 2012 by Quentin

Let’s go back this week to pre-history – that is, the 1950s, before Vatican II. At that time, I was a junior member of a large, international, financial company, and I had been asked to say grace at a company … Continue reading →

Posted in Quentin queries, Scripture, Spirituality | Tagged , , , , | 42 Comments

Mythtake

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Quentin

In Greek mythology we encounter stories about the doings of gods and men in the distant past, as far back as the first gods: Ouranos, Chronos and Zeus. While the stories are various they have some important characteristics in common. … Continue reading →

Posted in Catholic Herald columns, Church and Society, Scripture | 33 Comments