Anyone know what mystogogy means? (It's related to Catholic theology)?
85000
Yes, it is related to Catholicism.\n\n"Fourth Period: Postbaptismal Catechesis or Mystogogy\n\nThis fourth period takes place after the Sacraments of Initiation and the Rite of Reception into Full Communion of the Catholic Church. This time is referred to as Mystogogy, derived from mystery....that is, the Mystery of all that God has given us through His Son, Jesus. It is a time where the newly-initiated continue to dwell on this great mystery and be nourished, especially through the deepening of sacramental life, with emphasis in the Gospel, the Eucharist, and Mission. The new members are called neophytes, which means "newly planted", so that the seed now planted within them will be deeply rooted. This period ends at the one-year anniversary of initiation."
990118
same ........ Catholic means christian..... Cathlocism was the basis for all religion and with all things that start out good, man eventually perverts it. I believe that Catholics and Christians all have some element of truth within their doctrine, but on the other hand each has their own faults. So I won't say which is better...yada yada yada\nThat's like trying to compare apples to oranges. As long as the person is a Born again believer they can differ on the fine points of religion.\n\n\nand AJ GET A LIFE!\n\nHave you heard of this? If so why do YOU sat it????\nThe Nicene Creed\nI believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.\n\nAnd in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.\n\nWho, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.\n\nAnd I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.\n\nAnd I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
326113
Like you the Gospel of Thomas would probably be at the top of the list.  I would add the Gospel of Mary and parts of the book of Epiphanius (specifically book 33 of The Medicine Chest).  I also skimmed the Malleus Maleficarum if that counts.\n\nInteresting Question, I hope you get some more answers.\n\nRegards,\nArmus
128987
How about reading his first encyclical Deus Caritas Est, God Is Love.  See the website below.
302673
Why, Theology WITHOUT Sociology is like a peanut butter sandwich without the peanut butter! How can one understand religious ideologies, choices, and freedoms without understanding the separate cultures from which they spring?\nMost certainly the latter must be woven into any Theological study, in my opinion.
109999
Try Wikipedia. Look at this link, and then, go to the very bottom and click on the other links: Catholicism, Roman Catholic... etc.\n\nAnd also, Catholics are Christians, what are you talking about?
491006
This is in the Catholic Religion??? I have NEVER heard of this one!\n\nWOW ya learn something new everyday!!!!\n\n\nCatholic baptism and salvation\nIn Catholic teaching, baptism plays an essential role in salvation. This teaching dates back to the teachings and practices of first century Christians, and the connection between salvation and baptism was not, on the whole, an item of major dispute until Martin Luther's teachings regarding grace. The Church teaches that "baptism is necessary for salvation" (Catechism, 1257) and entry into heaven; and therefore, a person who knowledgeably, willfully and unrepentedy rejects baptism has no hope of salvation. Three forms of baptism are acknowledged by the Church. Baptism by water refers to the traditional baptism where the individual is immersed or infused with water in the name of the Trinity.\n\nThe Church also recognizes two other forms of baptism: "baptism of blood" and "baptism of desire." Baptism of blood refers to unbaptized individuals who are martyred for the Faith, while baptism of desire refers to catechumens who die before they can be baptized. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes these two forms:\n\nThe Church has always held the firm conviction that those who suffer death for the sake of the faith without having received Baptism are baptized by their death for and with Christ. This Baptism of blood, like the desire for Baptism, brings about the fruits of Baptism without being a sacrament. (1258)\n\nFor catechumens who die before their Baptism, their explicit desire to receive it, together with repentance for their sins, and charity, assures them the salvation that they were not able to receive through the sacrament. (1259)\n\nAs for unbaptized infants, the Church is unsure of their fate; "the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God" (Catechism, 1261).
458142
I don't know where you get your information from.  You have been misinformed.  There are some so called "Catholics" that are misguided, as well as many others.  I was raised and taught in Catholic schools.  Not once, did anyone ever suggest praising statues or worshiping anyone or anything other than (Jesus, Holy Spirit & the Father) Holy trinity = one God.  We believe in offering prayers for loved ones, and we believe that the Staints offer they're prayers for the living.  But if someone was to assume that Catholics are taught to worship anyone or anything other than God, they are sadly mistaken.  Statues, pictures, etc... are reminders of who are good examples of how to live as Christ did.  Just like having pictures of your children.  The pictures are NOT your children, but an image of your children.  you would feed, clothe or talk to the picture.  Being Cathoilic does not mean that you are out of touch with reality.
373522
See: http://www.catholiclinks.org/bookstoreingles.htm
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It is a WORK OF FICTION. While the theories he talks about, Mary being the wife of Christ and bearing children, have been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years, there is little historical evidence on either side.\n\nIn 1945 at Nag Hammadi in Egypt, a number of early Christian Gnostic texts were unearthed, some of which are believed to be as old or older than the canonical Gospels. The early church sought to destroy these Gnostic Gospels as heritical. \n\nOne of these texts is The Gospel of Mary. According to this Gospel, it was not Peter who was Jesus' second-in-command, but Mary Magdalene. It was Mary who rallied the despondent deciples after the Crucifixion. \n\nAccording to the Gnostic Gospel of Philip:\n'But Christ loved her more than all the disciples and used to kiss her often on the mouth'. Later in the same Gospel it says 'There are three who always walked with the Lord;Mary his mother, his sister, and Magdalene, who is called his companion. His sister, his mother, and his companion were all called Mary. And the companion of the Saviour is Mary Magdalene'. Where companion implies colleague or friend, the original Greek word actually meant 'consort' or 'sexual partner'.\n\nWere Jesus and Mary married? Did they have children?  That is a question the world may never know the true answer to. But truth is irrellivant where religion is involved. It's all about faith and belief.\n\nSome other books I recommend on this topic are "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" and "The Woman with the Alabaster Jar", both of which Dan Brown draws heavily on.
819527
Very similar.  Greek Orthodoxy is a national church.  Catholicism is more universal in its leadership an application of faith.  Calendars for feast days do differ at times.  Prayers, saints, liturgies are similar.
385479
Well, I'm not Catholic so I'm not a prime example of what you're looking for, but I'll answer anyway.  I go to a nondenominational Bible Church, and I always get something out of the sermons.  Often times it is a Bible verse that strikes me in a manner that hadn't previously occurred to me, largely due to my inability to see the larger message or simply because I'd not yet read it.\n\nThe pastor delves into important points in the Bible, and applies them to our modern lives, which is very helpful for people, and goes to show that we really can learn a lot from people who lived thousands of years ago.\n\nSometimes his sermons force me to face demons inside that I'd been ignoring, out of fear and inability to do something.  He reminds us that we have to face these things, and that God will help us through them.  I walk away feeling lifted up and yes, sometimes enlightened.  Not in the context of any major revelation; sometimes it's something simple that's been going through my mind, and I find the answer in church that day.  It's a rewarding experience.\n\nIt makes my faith stronger and helps keep me close to God and his Word.  It's a place of community with other people who love and follow God, which is an excellent example for me and a blessing in a world where so many people opt for a different path and don't always understand my choice (to be Christian).  (Even though a majority of people in America identify themselves as Christians, many don't put all their stock and faith in the Bible, or go to church, or reciprocate the necessity of believing in and following Jesus.  A lot of New Agers still identify somewhat with Christianity as well...)\n\nAnyway, sorry to give such a long answer.  It's really more difficult to put into words than I'd thought.  Simply stated, church to me feels a lot like recharging my battery every week.  I never come away empty-handed and it is a firm foundation for my faith.\n\n(However, I do believe that some churches out there may not be able to provide their worshippers with as much guidance and true insight as other churches.  This is my personal opinion, and based on my preference of Biblical Christianity over denominations that become too rigid and focused on the Legalistic aspects, which can often drive people away.  In churches like those, I would probably feel skeptical myself.  But that's just my two cents...)
692379
Though I would disagree with the statement as written, what it means is as follows:\n\nDuring a period of church history known as The Protestant Reformation, the Lutheran Church as we know it broke away from The Roman Catholic Church.  A fellow by the name of Martin Luther (not to be confused with the more recent activist Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr.) had famously nailed 95 theses to the door of the church.  These theses were intellectual challenges of certain church practices and dogma.  While this may sound like a bold move, in truth there was little all that flamboyant about it.  Church doors in that place and time were also used as community bulletin boards and many people nailed notices and documents to them the way we post bills in urban areas today.  The 95 theses were little more than 95 topics of discussion for debate he'd hoped to bring attention to.  Martin Luther never had the notion of beginning a new form of the Christian religion.\n\nPerhaps the most noteworthy of the questions dealt with the then Roman Catholic Church practice of selling indulgences.  This was a transitive notion that depending on where one was either got enforced as an abuse to a large degree or got used as a quick little means of acceptance.  That's to say that people who paid the church money got absolution for sins from clergy right away, something Roman Catholics believe is necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven.  It was a practice that dated back hundreds of years in different forms and that segregated those who could pay from those who could not as if sin was a matter of barter.  Martin Luther wished to debate the practice, perhaps even eliminate it.\n\nWell, having gone so strictly against church policy, the simple questions turned into a grandiose argument that sent ripples through the Christian world without end.  The church was just too powerful to fight.  Martin Luther received the brunt of the fallout.  However, it wasn't until an almost unrelated incident, years later, when a reigning Pope excommunicated the entire nation of Germany from the church, that the people there rose up and basically said, "Hey, we don't need your church, we can follow the teachings of this guy over here, Martin Luther."  All of a sudden Luther's questions and assertions had followers.  They built their own churches, patterned after what they knew from Roman Catholicism.  They acquired their own clergy and a few practices that differed slightly from RC but ultimately fell in line with what Martin Luther had pointed out.  Though not the Protestant religion, Lutherans had much to do with the protestant movement (Protestant Reformation), a second schism away from the church after the Great Schism had divided the RC church into Eastern and Western centuries earlier..\n\nAttending a Lutheran church ceremony differs little from a Roman Catholic ceremony in the same season.  There are usually fewer images of Christ and saints, prefering a simple cross and a greater focus on the WORD.  Roman Catholics recognize seven practices as sacraments while Lutherans recognize only five.  Many of the songs are exactly the same, but sung to different tunes.  The Lutheran hierarchy goes up to bishops or so while the Roman Catholic hierarchy extends all the way to the Pope.  Lutheran churches tend to be a little smaller.  Roman Catholics traditionally go to Confession in a dark and quiet private booth called a Confessional while Lutherans tend to simply confess all their sins in a single, common sentence during part of the ceremony.  Both believe in pretty much the same versions of Christ's story and both have similar formats of services.  There’s an academic question over transubstantiation, but one of little note to a person practicing neither religion.\n\nIn recent years, post Vatican II, the similarities between the two have gotten even closer to the naked eye.  That's to say that the Roman Catholic Church has extended c
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Your not getting many unbiased answers here so I'll expand mine.\n\nIt is essentially defined as: "a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God's grace are not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions."\n\nReferences to a place of purgation (place where your purged of your sins) are made as far back as the beginning of the third century (by Clement of Alexandria) and are frequently referenced up to and beyond the bible's canonization (where they decided what books should go into the bible) in 390CE.  While no direct references to purgatory were chosen in 390CE, it was acknowledged that the concept was worthy of incorporation into other church publications.\n\nWhen the Reformation came in northern europe, the concept of purgatory was something chosen to be dropped to help distinguish the reformers from the old Church.  At the time the idea was being abused in some regions to encourage wealthy church patrons to help "buy" their way out of their sins.  This is why many of the Protestant groups today are still contemptuous of the concept, despite it's importance to earlier Christian groups. \n\nThe second act of Dante’s Inferno deals with the concept of purgatory, but if you really wish to learn more you’ll need to read translations of the works of St. Augustine and other early Christian leaders. Dan 12:10; Zech 13:9; Mal 3:2-3; 2 Mac 12:42-45; Matthew 5:26; Lk 12:47-48; Lk 12:58-59; 1 Cor 3:13-15; Apoc 21:27: are some of the biblical passages which were included in 390 that many site provide for the existence of a state of purgatory.\n\nPersonally I think it’s a concept that has an impressive historical record that I acknowledge as one of many possibilities.  In the end you’re going to need to die to really know for sure. Also contrary to what many people here are telling you, Roman Catholics aren't the only Christians to hold on to the concept of purgatory as a teaching. \n\nGood luck with your research!\nArmus
741019
The Greek word "parousia" means the second coming of Jesus Christ and parousial means related to that second coming.  If you want to ring the changes, you could try "escatological".
80518
I advise you to read (at the library) "THE CATHECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH"
182299
Is this what you are looking for?\n\nSt. Ambrose of Milan opined:\n Give, oh Lord, rest to Thy servant Theodosius, that rest Thou hast prepared for Thy saints....I love him, therefore will I follow him to the land of the living; I will not leave him till by my prayers and lamentations he shall be admitted unto the holy mount of the Lord, to which his deserts call him. \n\n(De Obit Theodosii [c. AD 395] or Migne PL 16:1397)\n\nOr is this what you are looking for?\nhttp://www.ostia-antica.org/~atexts/codex.htm\n\nThere is an English translation of the Code by C. Pharr: \nThe Theodosian Code and Novels and the Sirmondian Constitutions (Princeton, 1952).