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St. Peter and St. Paul are two of the most well-known saints and are often spoken of as the two men most responsible for spreading the Christian message in the days of the early church. As to why they are celebrated on the same day, legend has it that they were executed on the same day under the command of Emperor Nero and buried in Rome. (Although historical accounts cite Peter being martyred in 64 AD and Paul in 67 AD.) Because of his Roman citizenship, Saint Paul was beheaded. St. Peter was reportedly crucified upside down because he said...

[Catholic Caucus] Why Ambiguity Was the Most Lethal Weapon of Vatican II’s ArchitectsEvery single ambiguity of Vatican II tended to undermine Catholic teaching in precisely the way against which the pre-Vatican II popes emphatically warned. This is not mere coincidence. Moreover, the presence of so much ambiguity fundamentally undermines the Catholic Church’s role as truth-teller. The Church obviously knew how to speak clearly and unambiguously on all of the matters that have become so contentious after the Council.In his 2024 book Flee From Heresy: A Catholic Guide to Ancient and Modern Errors, Bishop Athanasius Schneider provided the following question and...

The modern state of Israel often stirs intense debate, especially among Christians navigating its place in biblical prophecy and today’s geopolitics. Some equate the modern government of Israel with the biblical Israel of old, demanding unwavering support — a conversation that has been trending on social media as of recent, due to a fiery Tucker Carlson/Ted Cruz face-off. Others veer into antisemitism, demonizing Jewish people as a whole.Both extremes miss the mark. Scripture, particularly Romans 9–11, offers clarity: the modern Israeli government is not biblical Israel, but God’s covenant with the Jewish people endures, and hatred toward them is sin....

Catholic Zionism differs from the forms of Protestant Zionism that require a literalist exegesis of Revelation 20:2, which describes a thousand-year period of Messianic rule during which Satan is “bound” and his power restrained. Catholic Zionism does not see the creation of Israel in 1948 as inaugurating the end times. The death and resurrection of Jesus did that. Catholic Zionism does not support an “apocalyptic” showdown in the Middle East… Catholic Zionism shares one central feature of Protestant Zionism, however: It affirms that the promise made to Abraham in Genesis matters in our time. The foundation of the State of...

The top spot on my rankings of Civil War movies alternates between two classics: Clint Eastwood's The Outlaw Josie Wales, and Glory, which features an all-star cast including Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Carey Elwes and Matthew Broderick. We re-watched both within the past week. Of the two, I think Glory is the more intriguing if only because it portrays the deeds of true Civil War heroes: Col. Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. After watching it this time, I was inspired to dig a little deeper on Shaw to see what made him tick. What made a Boston...

(Fresno, California: the hometown of Free Republic. Fresno: "ash tree")Exodus 21 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. 2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. 3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. 4 And his sister stood...

The Cyrus Cylinder is an ancient clay artifact from the 6th century BCE, associated with Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Empire. It is considered one of the most significant inscriptions from the ancient Near East and is often regarded as a declaration of enlightened rule. The language is Akkadian. The script is Cuneiform. Akkadian was the diplomatic and administrative language of the region, even though Cyrus himself was Persian. The use of Akkadian ensured the text would be understood across Babylon and other parts of Mesopotamia. The Cyrus Cylinder was created after Cyrus’s conquest of Babylon in 539...

Throughout the Bible, we encounter individuals who faced deep doubt but emerged with renewed devotion.

Could artificial intelligence solve one of the Bible’s biggest mysteries? A team of researchers used AI-powered statistical modeling to analyze the authorship of the Hebrew Bible and made surprising discoveries about ancient narratives. Credit: Shutterstock A multidisciplinary team of researchers is using artificial intelligence to unravel the authorship of the Hebrew Bible’s earliest books. Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing everything from healthcare to filmmaking to finance. So, why not apply it to one of the most ancient and influential books in history—the Bible? That’s exactly what an international team of researchers set out to do. Among them was Shira Faigenbaum-Golovin, an...

Just one in four Catholic priests and Mainline Protestant pastors in the United States say they're certain that Adam and Eve were real people. In contrast, 80% of Evangelical pastors and 89% of black Protestant clergy affirm this belief with certainty. Data from the National Survey of Religious Leaders reveal significant differences among clergy in their core theological beliefs, including their views on the Bible, Hell, miracles, and the existence of God, as noted by Graphs About Religion on Substack.When asked whether they “definitely believe” Adam and Eve were historical figures, the numbers diverged sharply across denominations, dropping to 25%...

The Protestant Reformation in the 1500's literally changed the course of history. It helped bring Europe out of the Dark Ages, and led to the rise of true religious freedom. Its original principles, although not always followed, eventually found expression in the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. When it comes to religion, the governments of earth have no right to control the conscience. True Protestantism teaches salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8), and the supremacy of the Bible above the visible church (2 Timothy 3:16) - above traditions, pastors, priests,...

Luther said “That is the proof of the spiritual and wise man. He knows that he is carnal, and he is displeased with himself; indeed, he hates himself and praises the law of God, which he recognizes because he is spiritual. But the proof of a foolish, carnal man is this. that he regards himself as spiritual and is pleased with himself.”

This multidisciplinary work merges radiocarbon dating, ancient handwriting analysis, and machine learning. In a recent development, AI has been deployed to date the Dead Sea Scrolls with astounding accuracy, radically challenging misconceptions regarding their age and the historical timelines they fall under. The results show that several of the Scrolls might actually be much older than what is assumed, and in some cases, could be from the era of the biblical figures that supposedly wrote them. Pioneered by the University of Groningen, this multidisciplinary work merges radiocarbon dating, ancient handwriting analysis, and machine learning. The outcome is Enoch, the first...

At last the work was completed—the first English translation of the Bible ever made. The word of God was opened to England. The Reformer feared not now the prison or the stake. He had placed in the hands of the English people a light which should never be extinguished. In giving the Bible to his countrymen, he had done more to break the fetters of ignorance and vice, more to liberate and elevate his country, than was ever achieved by the most brilliant victories on fields of battle.

Get places, times and tickets at the link. Can we see the face of the invisible God? Do we know what our Savior looked like? The film The Face of Jesus explores two acheiropoietic images—sacred cloths not made by human hands—the Shroud of Turin and the Veil of Manoppello, as well as the most extraordinary depiction of Jesus painted by human hands: the Vilnius image of the Merciful Jesus. Filmmakers take the audience on a cinematic journey to the tomb in Jerusalem from 2,000 years ago, to Rome, Manoppello, and San Giovanni Rotondo, to discover what our Savior looked like....

At the foot of Mount Sinai -- where Moses is believed to have heard the voice of God -- stands one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world. For nearly 1,500 years, the monks of St. Catherine’s Monastery have kept watch over sacred ground, stewarding the faith through centuries of empire, conquest, and modern upheaval. Their presence a living testimony, not just to history, but to holiness. Now, that sacred presence is under threat. On May 28, 2025, an Egyptian court ruled to transfer ownership of St. Catherine’s Monastery and its assets to the state. Though the government claims...

The teachings of Luther found a congenial soil in the Netherlands, and earnest and faithful men arose to preach the gospel. From one of the provinces of Holland came Menno Simons. Educated a Roman Catholic and ordained to the priesthood, he was wholly ignorant of the Bible, and he would not read it for fear of being beguiled into heresy. When a doubt concerning the doctrine of transubstantiation forced itself upon him, he regarded it as a temptation from Satan, and by prayer and confession sought to free himself from it; but in vain. By mingling in scenes of dissipation...

This month, 1,700 years ago, was one of the most significant and consequential events in all of Church history. Across the Bosporus Straight from Constantinople, in Nicaea, a Council met to settle a question plaguing the Church: Who, precisely, is Jesus? Their work shaped the future of Christian theology. In the first few centuries after Christ’s resurrection, Jesus was understood in a variety of ways. Only the Gnostics doubted His humanity, arguing that Jesus was a purely spiritual being who only seemed human. Others suggested that Jesus was an angel or archangel, or specifically the Angel of the Lord mentioned...

Priest chaplains’ legacy of heroic serviceAmong American Catholics, indeed among American Catholic priests, are heroes too often unsung: the military chaplains.Through two centuries of warfare and peacekeeping, Catholic priests serving as chaplains in the armed services have been a lifeline for the enlisted, inevitably far from home, lonely and in harm’s way. Because of chaplains, they have found strength and consolation in their religion.While religious chaplains have served in the military since the Revolution, priests did not become part of the group, at least not in any number, until the Mexican War, waged between 1846 and 1848, not surprisingly. Anti-Catholicism...

Were the Puritans aligned in their eschatological views? This article examines various theologies of eschatology that emerged between the 17th and 18th centuries, focusing on seven prominent Puritan writers and their unique perspectives. We’re going to look at Owen, Goodwin, the Mathers (father and son), Edwards, Turreting and Wittsius. Each of these Puritan writers offers unique interpretations of eschatology that draw on specific passages from the Bible, particularly the book of Revelation. Their arguments, however, were not without their weaknesses. For example, premillennialists like Cotton Mather faced the challenge of reconciling their beliefs with passages that suggest a more spiritual...