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Lee Sondeno

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Salvation Outside the Church? Tracing the History of the Catholic Response

Francis A. Sullivan

    Nerdy

    Down a bit of a rabbit hole this morning and stumbled upon this article from the NY Times from 1984. We at TNC have talked often about Sci-fi parallels for today’s AI-apocalyptic-hype. Deep down, we’re hopeful (and even thrilled) because, Star Trek:

    Humanity, though tested and battered, has not just survived; it has triumphed. There is order. Machines and technology will not get the best of us. They are adjuncts, never in command, and we zip through the galaxies, going where we choose. Our universe is a splendid place. ‘‘Star Trek’’ gives us reassurance.

    Nerdy

    Longtime fan of Cal Newport. And I’m no hyper-rationalist, but reading this article from the NY Times, and especially the quote from Jensen Huang (below) as Cal’s proof positive that those who view A.I. cautiously are maybe “just being weird”, I only have one question: have none of you seen WarGames?!

    “I appreciate that many of us grew up and enjoyed science fiction, but it’s not helpful. It’s not helpful to people. It’s not helpful to the industry. It’s not helpful to society. It’s not helpful to the governments.”

    ...

    Nerdy

    The era of AGI? Ask the Sci-fi prophets.

    The “AGI era” is less about the technology and more about our attitudes around the technology. As I was reading the news (and hype) about Astra this morning, my copy of Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas sitting here next to me seemed like one of the most important documents written in my lifetime. At the same time, Brian Herbert’s (son of Frank Herbert) Dune: The Butlerian Jihad suddenly seemed prophetic. I think the question is less “are we ready” for AGI, and more about whether-or-not we’re ready for the global disruption to the idea of …

    Parish life

    Finished reading: Two X Two by John Sondag 📚

    A fun and hilarious novel by John Sondag, a Director of Religious Education here in the Twin Cities. The transition of priests/pastors/leaders from ministry can always be a difficult and challenging process, but when we find common ground in realizing the Church is bigger than all of us, we can rest assured that Truth will not only prevail, but will be the great motivation for our main purpose in ministry - the salvation of souls. In a world of fuzzy and fleeting moral therapeutic deism, our parishioners are better for our being grounded in …

    Nerdy

    This excellent article from Dr. Nigel Cundy (the Quantum Thomist) - Does God cause the grass to grow?, reminds me a bit of how necessary childlike wonder is, and how we should all read more Chesterton. Here’s a quote from Orthodoxy:

    It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore.

    Nerdy

    Excited about this new episode, Why Productivity Isn’t Everything, Your Worth More than Your Work - Nerding Out ep48 - That Nerdy Catholic, as That Needy Catholic continues walking through Pope Leo’s Magnificat Humanitas.

    Parish life

    My wife sent me this article a few days ago and it is compelling. Evangelicals churches ditched this a decade ago and are finally starting to come back to reality, which is why you’re seeing their young people jump into volunteer service: they’re raising up leaders. We’re 10 years behind:

    We cannot build a consumerist model of parish and then be surprised when consumers behave like consumers…Yet, the real risk is continuing to do what is not working. Doubling down on bulletins, pulpit announcements, and better marketing treats this issue as a messaging problem. It is not a messaging problem. …

    Interviews

    Pentecostal Roundtable

    Was blessed to be a part of a “Pentecostal roundtable” discussion with the Coming Home Network’s Journey Home show that aired last night on EWTN.

    What you don’t see are all the amazing conversations Marcus and I had leading up to the discussion as we shared memories, experiences, and how we as Pentecostals full of the Spirit and both raised in the Assemblies of God found this treasure that we both see as the Catholic Church - the Church that Christ founded. We joked that, had this been a meeting 15 years ago, the two of us would have started our own church in a storefront somewhere- we …

    Research

    Revelation Resources

    I’ll be giving a talk this week with the deacon at my parish to wrap up our study on the book of Revelation, and I get to tackle Ch. 20, which I also happen to be quite passionate about as I’ve studied and researched the various interpretations of “the millennium” for years. I thought it’d be helpful to list out some of my favorite reads that I revisit often related to the End Times, the Book of Revelation, and Eschatology:

    • The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism: How the Evangelical Battle over the End Times Shaped a Nation, Daniel G. Hummel.
    • Revelation: Four Views, A Parallel Commentary, …