This source is an introduction and initial chapter from Robert Edward Brennan’s Thomistic Psychology, a work dedicated to unifying scientific research with the philosophic analysis of the nature of man. The text primarily explores the Aristotelian foundation of psychology, defining the soul not as a mysterious ghost, but as the substantial form or "first actuality" of an organized body that is potentially alive.
This text provides a theological and psychological examination of demonic influence and its impact on human faculties, primarily through the teachings of Fr. Chad Ripperger. It categorizes diabolical activity into ordinary temptation and extraordinary forms such as possession, obsession, and oppression, noting how these forces exploit physical organs like memory and imagination.
This 1977 text by Robert L. Pierce investigates the historical and political origins of the "Pre-Tribulation Rapture" doctrine, arguing it functions as a tool for religious neutralism. The author contends that this theology, popularized by the Scofield Reference Bible, paralyzes American Christians by teaching that global evils are inevitable and that believers will be supernaturally rescued from coming hardships.
The concept of "Mystery" in the Bible is not merely a puzzle for the curious; it is a demarcation line between the "profane" and the "initiate." In the Greek New Testament, the word is mystērion (μυστήριον), derived from myein (to close the eyes or lips).
Jesus Christ was absolutely NOT born on December 25th. By using information given to us about the conception and birth of John the Baptist, statements about the conception of Jesus as well as the priestly divisions laid out in Leviticus, we can accurately estimate the Birthday of Jesus to be early to mid September.
The "four winds" refer to the winds emanating from the four cardinal directions, also described as the "four quarters" or "four corners" of the earth or heaven.