Category: Faith
-
The Real Meaning of the Real Presence
Deal W. Hudson June 1, 2001 Although the communion lines at Sunday Mass in American churches have perhaps never been longer, polls show that more than 60 percent of American Catholics say they do not believe in the “real presence”—that Jesus Christ is bodily present in the Eucharist. What does this mean? Are U.S. Catholics…
-
Sed Contra: College at the Crossroads
Deal W. Hudson July 1, 2001 The University of Dallas (UD) has long been counted among a handful of strong Catholic colleges where committed Catholic parents can safely send their sons and daughters. Billing itself as “the Catholic university for independent thinkers,” UD is one of the top liberal arts universities in America. It is…
-
Sed Contra: The Dearth of Tragedy
Deal W. Hudson September 1, 2001 I have often learned my most valuable lessons from my worst enemies. In graduate school, I spent several years wrestling with the texts of the atheistic philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who taught me one unforgettable lesson: Those who lack the tragic sense of life are apt to invent realities to…
-
Sed Contra: Delivering Bad News
Deal W. Hudson October 1, 2002 Some Crisis readers may be startled by the lead story in this issue, “The Price of Priestly Pederasty.” They might argue that such a story damages the Church’s reputation and hurts the Church’s evangelical outreach. While such arguments are plausible, they also can undermine Catholic journalism and its benefits…
-
Sed Contra: Better Late Than Never
Deal W. Hudson October 1, 2002 Representatives of a group called Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) started appearing in the media—mainly the Boston Globe—in the months following the revelations about sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Boston. Initially, the group appeared credible. I know many faithful Catholics added themselves to the organization’s mailing list, hoping…
-
Sed Contra: More Than a Mood
Deal W. Hudson July 1, 2002 In our recent “Christianity From the Outside” symposium (May 2002), Emmy Chang remarked that she is tempted by faith when she feels expansive emotions—the sight of a dearly loved friend makes her ready to believe that God exists. Yet she worries about a faith that is undermined by subjectivity…
-
Sed Contra: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Bishops
Deal W. Hudson June 1, 2002 The April 24 communiqué from the meeting of the U.S. cardinals at the Vatican is really an agenda for the June meeting of the U.S. bishops in Dallas. Although the communiqué failed to spell out a “zero tolerance” policy for first-time sex abusers, its intent is clear: The communiqué,…
-
Sed Contra: Learning to Listen
Deal W. Hudson May 1, 2002 It’s difficult for those of us in the evangelism business to listen. After all, if you’re proclaiming the “good news,” isn’t it you do the talking? But it shouldn’t always be this way. Evangelism begins with listening: first to the Word of God and then to those who must…
-
Sed Contra: More Stories, Fewer Lectures
Deal W. Hudson April 1, 2002 In November, Crisis will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Since I arrived here six years ago, Crisis has become more a genuine magazine and less a journal—gradually publishing more articles based on original reporting. While this is expensive and requires more editorial attention, you have let us know that this…
-
Sed Contra: Zogby’s Catholic Poll Misses the Point
Deal W. Hudson January 1, 2002 The Jesuits usually take pride in being up-to-date. Sadly though, their association with a recent poll of Catholics shows they’re willing to employ some truly outdated methodologies. Pollster John Zogby was commissioned by Le Moyne, a Jesuit college in Syracuse, New York, to conduct a series of polls measuring…
Deal W. Hudson 