Tag Archives: Phillip Cary

Mortal Sin, Reflective Faith, and the Search for Assurance

Posted on 19 November 2014 by

The problem with mortal sin is that it’s so damned mortal. It scares me—as it rightly should. Mortal sin is nothing less than a state of spiritual death and impenitence. I know that the reason I was drawn to Martin … Continue reading →

Posted in Grace, Justification & Theosis, Preaching | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Clinging to Externals: Weak Faith and the Power of the Sacraments

Posted on 23 October 2014 by

by Phillip Cary, Ph.D. Behind the debates about the objectivity of Christ’s presence in the Reformed view of the supper are crucial pastoral questions about the nature of faith, and I think it will bring clarity to the debate if … Continue reading →

Posted in Sacraments | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Calvin and Luther: Is Jesus REALLY Present in the Supper?

Posted on 21 October 2014 by

by Phillip Cary, Ph.D. Is Christ’s body objectively present in the sacrament, according to John Calvin? Unfortunately, that depends on what you mean by “objective,” which is a slippery and ambiguous word with no exact equivalent in the 16th-century discussion. … Continue reading →

Posted in Sacraments | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

St Augustine and the Varieties of Monergism

Posted on 30 September 2014 by

by Phillip Cary, Ph.D. Synergism is just a Greek way of saying “co-operation,” which in turn is just a Latin way of saying “working together.” Paul uses the corresponding Greek verb when he describes himself and his colleagues as “co-working” … Continue reading →

Posted in Theology | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

St Augustine on Justification by Grace

Posted on 17 September 2014 by

by Phillip Cary, Ph.D. To ask about Augustine’s view of justification is already something of an anachronism. To begin with, Augustine does not make a distinction between justification and sanctification. Of course he speaks a great deal about righteousness (i.e. … Continue reading →

Posted in Grace, Justification & Theosis | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Irresistible Grace: Is Sergius Bulgakov an Augustinian?

Posted on 22 July 2014 by

“The theophany of the parousia,” Sergius Bulgakov declares, “has all-conquering power and irresistible force” (The Bride of the Lamb, p. 492). As we saw in the previous article, he believes the persuasive power of the parousial manifestation of the glorified … Continue reading →

Posted in Eschatology, Grace, Justification & Theosis, Sergius Bulgakov | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment