Category Archives: Herbert McCabe & Friends

The Scandalous Prodigality of God’s Love for Sinners!

Posted on 24 July 2020 by

“It is very odd,” remarks Herbert McCabe, “that people should think that when we do good God will reward us and when we do evil he will punish us” (“Forgiveness,” Faith Within Reason, p. 155). It’s not surprising, of course, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Herbert McCabe & Friends | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Herbert McCabe and the Unfathomable Mystery of Divine Forgiveness

Posted on 23 July 2020 by

Consider the following scenario: We sin and God gets angry. We repent and plead for mercy. God forgives. Crudely put, I admit. Eastern readers will likely protest that the scenario is alien to the Orthodox understanding of God; Protestants and … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbert McCabe & Friends | 15 Comments

Transmutation or Transubstantiation: Sergius Bulgakov and Herbert McCabe on the Holy Eucharist

Posted on 17 March 2020 by

That the Holy Orthodox Church confesses the Holy Gifts to be the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ no one can doubt. But satisfactory interpretations of the eucharistic mystery are difficult to find. Somewhat surprisingly, Eastern theologians have tended to … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbert McCabe & Friends, Sacraments, Sergius Bulgakov | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

“The story of Jesus is the projection of the trinitarian life of God on the rubbish dump that we have made of the world”

Posted on 8 August 2019 by

I want to argue that the doctrine of the incarnation is such that the story of Jesus is not just the story of God’s involvement with his creatures but that it is actually the ‘story’ of God. There is one … Continue reading →

Quote | Posted on 8 August 2019 by

Resurrection Prolegomena

Posted on 30 April 2019 by

We are in the midst of Paschaltide; and our thoughts are focused on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and its implications for the Church, the cosmos, and our personal lives. Last week I summarized the reflections of the fine British … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbert McCabe & Friends, Paul Griffiths | Tagged , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

How “physical” is the risen body of Jesus?

Posted on 24 April 2019 by

In his account of the first resurrection appearance to the disciples in Jerusalem, St Luke reports: “But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit” (24:37). Jesus calms their fears by showing them his hands and … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbert McCabe & Friends | Tagged , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Paschal Mystery: The Victory of the Cross and the Hiddenness of Easter

Posted on 22 April 2019 by

We need to be careful, Herbert McCabe warns, not to think of Easter as annulling the cross, as if all is now bliss because “the deus ex machina has given us a happy ending after all” (God, Christ and Us, p. … Continue reading →

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If atonement ain’t penal, why the cross?

Posted on 18 April 2019 by

The theory of penal substitutionary atonement provides a clear, simple-to-understand explanation of the events of Holy Week. On the cross the eternal Son endures the wrath of God for the sins of the world. He stands in our place; he suffers the … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbert McCabe & Friends | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments