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Hello and welcome to another broadcast of the White Horse Inn as we are continuing our series "Christless Christianity," and at the heart of Christless Christianity throughout the centuries has been a heresy known as Pelagianism. I know we've talked about it on the program, sort of assuming that people were familiar with it. In this program we want to actually focus on the historical heresy that is identified with a fifth century monk who came from somewhere in Britain, probably Ireland, a lay monk arriving in Rome and he attracted a following for his austere and ascetic piety. At...

The Harmony of the Gospels, Book I Chapter 26. Of the Fact that Idolatry Has Been Subverted by the Name of Christ, and by the Faith of Christians According to the Prophecies. 40. For truly what is thus effected by Christians is not a thing which belongs only to Christian times, but one which was predicted very long ago. Those very Jews who have remained enemies to the name of Christ, and regarding whose destined perfidy these prophetic writings have not been silent, do themselves possess and peruse the prophet who says: "O Lord my God, and my refuge in...

I’ve been following with great interest the texts of Pope Benedict’s reflections during his Wednesday morning General Audiences; and it has led to some reflections which many might consider erudite, if not downright snobbish. Nevertheless . . . Popes have routinely used the weekly General Audience to focus on some kind of thematic series. John Paul II, having been pope some twenty years, ran through several themes: the Epistles of St. Paul, the theology of the body, etc. Pope Benedict’s first “flight” of General Audience themes has been a series on the Fathers of the Church, which is still ongoing....

If you happened to be in a crowded room at The Beacon Drive-In one Wednesday in late August, you would have heard a man in a suit reference Genesis Chapter 50, the book of Isaiah, and using two fish and five loaves of bread to feed thousands of people. It wasn't a sermon. It was former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a 2008 presidential contender, during a stump speech in front of a room full of Republicans. Using biblical references on the campaign trail isn't unusual, especially in the conservative core of South Carolina. Often, they can be heard when candidates...

Limbo as a concept is exiting Catholic theology. But as a word, limbo will never leave our everyday language. We and our ancestors have been using the word in a variety of ways for almost 700 years. The present position of limbo in Catholic theology is of much interest not only to Catholics, but also to the national press.Limbo was the subject of a major article in The New York Times (Dec. 28, 2005) by Ian Fisher. It was discussed in a full-page essay in Time magazine (Jan. 9, 2006). And really we should not wonder why Time’s essayist, David...

On August 26, 410, the unthinkable happened. After 900 years of impenetrable security, Rome was sacked by the Gothic army led by Alaric. St. Jerome, the translator of the Latin Vulgate, was in Palestine at the time, and wrote, "If Rome can perish, what can be safe?" Rome did not perish immediately. It would be another 66 years before the Germans deposed the last Emperor. But the shock waves of the invasion reached the city of Hippo about 450 miles southwest of Rome on the coast of North Africa where Augustine was the bishop. He was 55 years old and...

3. AUGUSTINE replied: What amazing folly, to disbelieve what Matthew records of Christ, while you believe Manichaeus! If Matthew is not to be believed because he was not present when Christ said, "I came not to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfill," was Manichaeus present, was he even born, when Christ appeared among men? According, then, to your rule, you should not believe anything that Manichaeus says of Christ. On the other hand, we refuse to believe what Manichaeus says of Christ; not because he was not present as a witness of Christ's words and actions, but...

RENO, Nev. (AP) - The brother of the late state Controller Kathy Augustine appealed to the public Tuesday to come forward with any information that may help answer questions about her death and her husband's attempted suicide. "There have been many rumors and suspicions raised about the circumstances of Kathy's death," Philip Alfano told reporters at a news conference. "While our family hopes and prays she died of natural causes, we are extremely grateful an investigation has been launched," he said. "Our family requests that anyone with any information that could assist investigators with this task, please come forward." Alfano,...

The husband of state Controller Kathy Augustine apparently tried to kill himself Friday morning, as suspicions surfaced about the circumstances surrounding his wife's unexpected death. Chaz Higgs, 42, slit his wrists about 10:30 a.m. in the Las Vegas home he had shared with Augustine, according to Las Vegas police. Paramedics took him to University Medical Center, which had discharged him by evening. Final autopsy results have not been released, but Reno Police Deputy Chief Jim Johns confirmed Friday that preliminary autopsy indications were that "there wasn't evidence of long-term heart disease." Reno police and the state Division of Investigation were...

In the ancient world books were rare. If you had a book, you were probably wealthy. If you got your hands on a book, you had to remember what you read because you might not ever see that particular book again. There would be public readings of books so that more people could hear them. People had to read aloud, actually, to help their memory. The more senses you could involve, the easier it was to remember the material. This holds true today! But, in the ancient world, everyone who read, read aloud. There is a famous moment recounted by...

Nevada's State Controller Kathy Augustine has died after suffering a massive heart attack. Augustine died Tuesday afternoon surrounded by her family at a hospital in Reno. Augustine, who was 50, had been on a respirator, in critical condition since her heart attack on Saturday. Her husband, Chaz Higgs, found her and administered CPR. Higgs says his wife had no signs or symptoms of heart problems, but says the stress of running for State Treasurer and maintaining a busy schedule took a toll on his wife. Augustine was the only state constitutional officer to be impeached while in office. The Nevada...

A two-fer this week; first, a picture of the strong Augustine eruption that happened Sunday. The linked page goes to the page with numerous IMPRESSIVE pictures of this year's activity. Part 2: "The River Wild" was on TV this weekend. I searched and found that the two rivers it was filmed on were in Montana. One of the rivers is the Kootenai River, featuring Kootenai Falls. According to the caption for this picture, Kootenai Falls at this stage is "runnable".

The level of seismicity remains high at present and ash emission is continuing. An explosive event occured at 11:17 AKST (20:17 UTC)that lasted approximately 5.5 minutes. The reported height of this cloud varied, from greater than 50,000 ft above sea level on the basis of pilot reports, to 25,000 ft from the National Weather Service radar. An AVO observation flight is in the air and at 12:20 AST (21:20 UTC) reported that the cloud is moving SW. Please see the following link for more information about ash cloud heights and trajectories: http://pafc.arh.noaa.gov/augustine.php

Though this picture isn't from the Web site below, the first picture I found of this waterfall is from the Web site below. The second link is Amazing Planet's picture of Chamarel Falls. Amazing Planet has a lot of great nature photography, and I may borrow a couple more from there in the future. Amazing Planet Chamarel Falls, Mauritius In other news, the link below is to the USGS site for Augustine volcano (Alaska). They have a Webcam located on Augustine Island itself. Every now and then (it refreshes every 30 minutes), you can get a glimpse of the...

ALASKA VOLCANO OBSERVATORY INFORMATION RELEASE Tuesday, January 17, 2006 8:00 AM AKST (1700 UTC) AUGUSTINE VOLCANO (CAVW#1103-01-) 59.3633°N 153.4333°W, Summit Elevation 4134 ft (1260 m) Current Level of Concern Color Code: RED A strong seismic signal began at approximately 7:58 AST, marking an the onset of an explosive eruption of Augustine. We are changing the level of concern color code from ORANGE to RED. AVO is monitoring the situation closely and will issue further updates as new information and analyses become available.

Introduction John Cassian was a zealous monk whose theology (unfortunately, one might say) has been massively influential on the church’s understanding of the whole of the gospel since the fifth century. His particular theology (commonly known as semi-Pelagianism), which was developed largely in response to Augustine’s doctrines of predestination, grace, and free will, has been adopted by many Christians—academics, clergy and lay people alike—throughout the centuries.Two major influences were at work in Cassian’s life and teachings. First, Greek neo-platonic philosophical theology shaped his understanding of anthropology in a way that prevented him from being able to engage Augustine on the...

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – Alaska Airlines announced it has canceled 28 flights scheduled to operate this afternoon through Saturday morning as a result of the Mt. Augustine volcano eruption. The airline has canceled flights as a safety precaution related to the possibility of volcanic ash existing at altitude. Starting at 3 p.m. Alaska time today, the airline will not operate scheduled flights between Anchorage, Alaska, and the following cities: Chicago; Juneau and Kodiak, Alaska; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Portland, Ore.; and Seattle. In addition, the airline will not operate scheduled flights between Fairbanks and Seattle. Alaska Airlines expects to resume these...

UPDATE: The National Weather Service reports that Augustine Volcano erupted again around 11:30 a.m. today. HOMER - An explosive eruption of Augustine Volcano just before 9 a.m. Friday morning reportedly sent ash eight to ten miles into the sky, following closely on a somewhat smaller eruption earlier in the day. More eruptions are possible today, scientists said. Ash from the explosions was drifting slowly toward the southern Kenai Peninsula. Flights were not being diverted as of mid-morning, according to aviation officials. But airliners flying into Alaska from the east were being spaced farther apart so that they could safely change...

AUGUSTINE VOLCANO (CAVW#1103-01-) 59.3633°N 153.4333°W, Summit Elevation 4134 ft (1260 m) Current Level of Concern Color Code: ORANGE The level of Concern Color Code for Augustine Volcano is now RED At 4:44 a.m. (AST) this morning, AVO began recording seismic signals interpreted as explosions at the summit of Augustine Volcano that likely mark the onset of an eruption. The current activity may be emitting ash, steam, and volcanic gases. If the volcano follows a pattern similar to the 1976 and 1986 eruptions, we would expect a further intensification of seismic activity prior to a larger explosive event. It is also...

AUGUSTINE VOLCANO (CAVW#1103-01-) 59.3633°N 153.4333°W, Summit Elevation 4134 ft (1260 m) Current Level of Concern Color Code: ORANGE The level of Concern Color Code for Augustine Volcano is now ORANGE. Over the past six hours, earthquake activity beneath Augustine has increased markedly. AVO considers this activity indicative of a heightened possibility of an explosive eruption within hours to days. AVO is monitoring the situation closely and will issue further updates as new information and analyses become available. Onsite staffing at AVO has now expanded to 24 hour operations. Further information on Augustine Volcano and related hazards and response plans can...