Christ gives us freedom, true freedom, so that we can embrace our innate goodness, and act out of love; but just because we have been given it does not mean we will act on it:  https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/11/true-freedom/

Those Christians who treat the faith merely as some sort of intellectual enterprise are easily led, not only to error, but to accept and do all kinds of great evil, as they deem their actions unimportant. They have  lost sight of the foundation of the faith: love.  https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/11/our-engagement-with-our-faith-must-be-holistic/

The Trinity is a great mystery; we have been revealed the truth of it by Christ, and can apprehend and experience it in part now, while our knowledge and experience of it will be perfected in eternity: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/eternal-life-and-the-trinity/

Christians must not seek power for themselves, to give in to the temptation that Jesus resisted when the devil came to him in the desert, which is why, they must reject Christian nationalism, and Trump, who is promoting it. They must not let any imperfection they see in Harris lead them to ignore the threat which Trump brings with him – they must not let the perfect become the enemy of the good, but rather, they must work with those who promote the common good and are willing to change and become better in order to embrace it: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/prs-xxiv-kamala-harris-and-the-common-good/ 

Sadly, the Christian faith is often treated as some sort of legalistic enterprise, leaving no room for grace: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/works-and-grace/

While we must understand the limitations contained in any dogmatic proposition, we should not use those limitations to deny the need for us to make them:  https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/the-value-and-limitations-of-dogmatic-propositions/

The righteousness of James can be seen in the way he promoted the welfare of the poor over the rich: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/the-righteousness-of-james/

Christians should realize Trump is using them; he disregards their morality, he dismisses human dignity; he shows no respect for the common good. Why do so many either support him, or at least, normalize him? None of us should: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/prs-xxiii-we-must-not-normalize-trump/

Legalism cuts us off from growth, not allowing change or development, as it tries to reify and force one (external) form of the good, while grace always seeks to have us transcend ourselves and the good of our past: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/legalism-liturgy-and-paul-being-open-to-grace/

While Christian doctrine promotes the dignity of women, and we find instances where Christianity have helped promote their status in society, we also find many Christians resisting this and overturning those advances as soon as they can:  https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/christianity-and-the-dignity-of-women/ 

Many teachings of Christian faith were understood when they were first proclaimed, but misinterpreted later; when this happens, it is best to find a new way to say what was intended.  This is especially true with the statement: “There is no salvation outside of the Catholic Church”:  https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/no-salvation-outside-of-the-catholic-church/

Christians are called to engage the world, to help promote the common good, to use their principles while not trying to force others to live in some theocratic state: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/prs-xxii-politics/

Ecumenical councils do not just provide dogmatic declarations, they also deal with practical concerns, creating canons to deal with them; though the canons might change due to changing times and places, we should take the principles behind them seriously. Nicea II, for example, can be seen dealing with clericalism: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/clericalism-and-the-canons-of-ii-nicea/

Human freedom is guaranteed because of God’s love, for God willingly abandons control and allows us to make for us what we will, and yet, in the end, God’s plan for us will not be thwarted: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/freedom-kenosis-and-love/  

Yes, I like to have my own over-arching understanding, my own theological system, but I have learned to keep it open-ended and realize the limitations involved in any theological system:   https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/prs-xxi-recognizing-the-limitations-of-theological-systems/

Pursuing fame and honors can lead people astray, as they will begin to do and promote what is expected of them from their followers instead of pursuing what is good and true, which is not always popular: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/the-challenges-of-fame/

The Christian faith, the Gospel, is more than what can be found in a book, and so must not be confused with what is merely found in any particular book or theological exploration. Those who want to teach the faith must show they know more than some rote memorization of particular teachings, they  must confirm their faith by showing fidelity to the whole of the Gospel: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/confirming-representations-of-the-faith/

How can we be called good when Jesus said only God is good? By love, which allows us to participate in God’s goodness: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/how-to-be-good/

Non-Christians see that Christians often do not follow what Christ taught, and for that reason, find no desire to consider the Christian faith: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/christs-way-is-the-way-of-love-not-contention/

It’s October! It’s that time when we hear some Christians saying no Christian should celebrate Halloween because it is a pagan celebration, or else, it is a day celebrating evil. It is, in reality, neither: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/prs-xx-halloween/ 

What we apprehend of the absolute truth will transcend even what we can put into words, so that, when we speak about it, we must realize something will get lost in translation: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/09/translating-the-truth-into-words/

In bringing people together, Christ does not expect us to undermine our differences, but rather has a way to promote them while making us one: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/09/unity-in-diversity/

Throughout Christian history, there have been prophets of doom, proclaiming the end is nigh and there is nothing we can do about it; they have made many people desire that end in such a way to have them indifferent to human suffering and the threats which face the world: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/09/prs-xix-prophets-of-doom/