Category Archives: christianity
Why Study the Nazi Church?
I have recently been asked on several occasions why I have decided to dedicate the next three years of my life to studying for a Ph.D. focussing the Lutheran State Church under Nazi rule. The question is asked by those … Continue reading
Historical Interpretation and the Example of the Holocaust
In his brilliant panorama of German cultural and intellectual history, Peter Watson draws attention to a dimension of the Holocaust tragedy which is seldom acknowledged. The Holocaust, suggests Watson, ‘operates as an obstacle, a stumbling block, a reflecting mirror, that … Continue reading
Modern Circles of Hell: Some New Proposals
As Dante’s tour guide through hell, the Roman poet Virgil introduces the former to the nine circles of torment that will face the condemned upon death. These concentric circles roughly correspond to the seven deadly sins, but are extended to … Continue reading
Jack T. Chick and The Witches of Nar Nar Goon
The sociological phenomenon known as the ‘satanic panic’ hit the country town of Warragul in the early 1990’s, where for a brief time the locals had become alarmed at the rise in satanic ritual activity amongst the towns youth. Rumours … Continue reading
Teilhard de Chardin and the Unity of Experience and Intellect
In his introductory essay to a collection of works by renowned German theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg, Richard John Neuhaus draws attention to the unity of thought and experience in Pannengerg’s theological corpus. He writes of Pannengerg’s commitment to a ‘comprehensive idea … Continue reading
Bishop Ambrose of Milan and the Relationship between Church and Emperor: A Snapshot
For contemporary Western democracy, the idea that the Church and state should remain separate entities free from mutual influence enjoys popular acceptance. In a religiously plural and multicultural country such as Australia, it is widely thought that the Government administration … Continue reading
