“If in fact Jesus Christ was truly human and truly divine, and if in fact he enters into us as persons, then our full humanity must be engaged in our response to the Lord” – Msgr. Frank Lane

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2004 Deep in History Conference.

Study Questions:

-Have you ever been asked, “Why don’t Catholics take the Bible literally?”

-According to Msgr. Lane, what does it mean to be a “spiritual person” in modern culture?

-What problem does divorcing context (Hebrew culture) from Jesus’ teachings cause in our modern understanding of
Christianity?

-According to the Early Church Fathers, how does it happen that Jesus Christ’s blood is flowing through our veins?

-How does Platonism help interpret Scripture?

-What important point does Msgr. Lane make about the Old Testament’s understanding of graven images and the creation of man in the image of God? Why is that important to understanding Catholic practices today?

-How do we in modern society define “symbol”? How did the Early Church Fathers define “symbol,” especially pertaining to the Eucharist?

-How do we get back to the understanding of the early Church, according to Msgr. Lane?

Vocabulary:

Inculturation: Understanding Jesus’ words in light of the Hebrew culture and then interpreting His teachings to the Greco-Roman culture.

Early Church Fathers: A title that gradually came to be applied to Christianity’s earliest teachers, who in the period of the Church’s infancy and first growth, instructed her members in the teaching of Jesus Christ and that teaching which He very specifically had given to His Apostles. An Early Church Father must be of orthodox doctrine and learning,
living a saintly life, and having a certain antiquity (usually, prior to the Council of Chalcedon, 451).

The post The Early Church and Our Faith Today – Msgr. Frank Lane appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2004 Deep in History Conference.

Study Questions:

-The question ‘how are we saved?’ had an immense impact on Grodi’s life: How do you know what you now believe is eternally true? Have you considered this question? Has it had an impact on your faith journey?

-Consider the following verses in light of Grodi’s talk. What do you think Paul meant by “the obedience of faith”?

“…we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith …” Romans 1:5

“Now to Him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel … according to the revelation of the mystery … to
bring about the obedience of faith …” Romans 16:25-27

(For further reading or discussion, see: Romans 2:6-8, Romans
4:1-25, Romans 5:18, Romans 8:14-17, James 2:14-26)

-How were people saved in the Old Testament? What did Jesus teach about the Law?

-How are we saved in Christ according to the New Testament and the Church?

Vocabulary:

Talmud: A central text of Judaism, which is divided into two parts: Judaism’s Oral Law and the accepted interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures.

The post How Are We Saved? – Marcus Grodi appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2004 Deep in History Conference

Study Questions:

-Have you ever heard of the Early Church Fathers? If so, what impact have they had on your understanding of Christianity?

-What was the purpose of the Oxford Movement? What was the surprising result of this movement?

-Why did Clement of Alexandria and Origen have such an impact on Cardinal John Henry Newman?

-Cardinal Newman stated that Protestantism “would need to become either far more rationalistic or more truly Catholic, or it would not hold up under controversy.” Do you think this is a prophetic statement?

-What importance does Cardinal Newman place on learning the contextual history of the writings of the Early Church Fathers? Do you think this is important?

Vocabulary:

Early Church Fathers: A title that gradually came to be applied to Christianity’s earliest teachers, who in the period of the Church’s infancy and first growth, instructed her members in the teaching of Jesus Christ and that teaching which He very specifically had given to His Apostles. An Early Church Father must be of must be of orthodox doctrine and learning, living a saintly life, and having a certain antiquity (usually, prior to the Council of Chalcedon).

The post Classic Converts and the Early Church – Fr. Charles P. Connor appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2004 Deep in History Conference

Study Questions:

-Moss recounts her understanding of the way in which Passover was celebrated for her as a modern-day Jew. What insights into the Catholic, Eucharistic celebration does she draw?

-What point does Moss make about illiteracy and Bible-alone Christianity?

-Moss describes how Evangelical Christians first illuminated the Hebrew Scriptures for her, showing that Jesus fulfills all the Messianic prophesies. After hearing her story, how important is it for Christians to know how to describe salvation history? What difference can it make in another person’s life?

-Moss quotes Archbishop Charles Chaput, regarding the importance of history: “A people without a sense of history,
is like a people with amnesia. They don’t know who they are. They’ve lost their identity. The past gives meaning to the
present and the present determines the future.” Why is it important to know who we are? Why is it important to pass
on identity to our children?

-Have you ever experienced what Scott Hahn refers to as “Holy Shock”?

-What point does Moss make regarding sola scriptura (“Bible-alone”) Christianity?

-Moss discusses the visible Church in light of the Kingdom of Israel. Did you gather any new insights about the nature of the Church? If this differs from your faith tradition, what are the differences?

Did Moss’ Jewish heritage enlighten Christianity for you? If so, in what ways?

The post Discovering the Fullness – Rosalind Moss appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2004 Deep in History Conference

Study Questions:

-Why does Revelation necessitate authority of interpretation, according to Fr. Ryland? Do you agree?

-What historical and biblical response does Fr. Ryland give to the following arguments?

• The authority given to Peter in Matthew 6:16-18 was a type of “generic” authority given to all the disciples of Christ. (Isaiah 22:22)
• When Jesus made the statement in Matthew 6:16-18, he did not mean the Church as a whole, but rather the church in
  Jerusalem.
• If Jesus had truly meant Peter was the head of the Church, He would have stated it, so as to save the Church from future disagreement.

-What evidence in the early Church supports that Christians recognized the authority of the Bishop of Rome? How much later did other forms of authority (councils, majority rule, etc.) arise?

-What does “papal authority” mean, according to Fr. Ryland’s description? What part of the history of papal authority that Fr. Ryland recounts surprised you? Why?

-What point does Fr. Ryland make about the early Church councils and the pope’s authority?

The post Papal Authority and the Early Church – Fr. Ray Ryland appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2004 Deep in History Conference

Study Questions:

-What ramifications did the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into other languages have?

-What does Fr. Pacwa say about the Books of Sirach and Wisdom?

-What lesson can Christians learn from the way Jews confronted the Greek world? In contrast, what was the view of
the Pharisees?

-Have you ever been told that Jesus fought against “religion” or “the law”? Does Fr. Pacwa’s description of the Pharisees shed light on this assumption?

-What was the main principle that the early Christians valued for interpreting Scripture? What are your goals for reading the Bible? Do your goals affect how you interpret Scripture?

-What was a turning point the early Church, according to Fr. Pacwa? How must the Old Testament be interpreted by
Christians?

Vocabulary:

Exegesis: Critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of the Bible.

Gnostic: A member of certain sects among the early Christians who claimed to have superior knowledge of spiritual
matters, and explained the world as created by powers or agencies arising as emanations from the Godhead; Salvation by knowledge.

The post Scripture and the Early Church – Fr. Mitch Pacwa appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2004 Deep in History Conference

Study Questions:

-Did Bennett’s opening story make an impression on you? If so, what was that impression? Have you experienced a similar occasion in your faith journey?

-Have you ever heard of the “Great Apostasy” to which Bennett refers? How does Constantine play a part in the supposed “apostasy”? How does Bennett’s talk put the “apostasy” notion into perspective?

-Bennett said that his understanding of the Great Apostasy was based on claims that the Catholic Church and Constantine invented teachings that the first Christians did not believe.

-Bennett claimed that after reading the Early Church Fathers, he began asking the opposite question: “When did some
Christians stop teaching these things?” Have you had this experience?

-What was Christ’s method of passing down His truths before the Bible was compiled? How were Christians formed before the Bible?

-Discuss some of the descriptions of early Christianity that surprised you.

-Was post-Constantine Christianity very different that pre-Constantine Christianity?

-What is missing in the Great Apostasy theory according to Bennett? What was actually happening during the Great
Apostasy period?

Vocabulary:

Early Church Fathers: A title that gradually came to be applied to Christianity’s earliest teachers, who in the period of the Church’s infancy and first growth, instructed her members in the teaching of Jesus Christ and that teaching which He very specifically had given to His Apostles. An Early Church Father must be of must be of orthodox doctrine and learning, living a saintly life, and having a certain antiquity (usually, prior to the Council of Chalcedon).

The “Four Witnesses”: Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus of Lyon.

The post Four Witnesses Brought Me Home – Rod Bennett appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2004 Deep in History Conference

Study Questions:

-How did the fourth century Church know the Church of the first and second century? Why is this an important question?

-What impression did Dr. Marshnerʼs listing of the succession of the Early Church Fathers (bishops) have on you? Does this give you confidence in their writings?

-What does Dr. Marshner say to the question: Was all that evidence by the Early Church Fathers too late to be trusted?

-What point does Dr. Marshner make regarding the response to change and the evolution of religions?

-Read 1 Corinthians 1: 1-24, 1 Corinthians 8: 6, Philippians 2: 6-10, and John 1. How does Proverbs 8 illuminate the highly mysterious person of Jesus, according to Dr. Marshner?

Vocabulary:

Gnostic: A member of any of certain sects among the early Christians who claimed to have superior knowledge of spiritual matters, and explained the world as created by powers or agencies arising as emanations from the Godhead; Salvation by knowledge.

Form Criticism: Sorting parts of Scripture into their correct literary genre, particularly the Psalms and the sayings of Jesus. Rudolf Bultmann, a Lutheran theologian, sorted the stories chronologically, with the intention of proving which verses were actually attributed to Jesus and which were “invented later.”

The post How Do We Know the Early Church? – Dr William Marshner appeared first on The Coming Home Network.