The Roots of the Reformation: Indulgences

Everyone knows the role that Indulgences played during the Reformation. But does anyone know where they come from? A relatively recent work, The Roots of the Reformation: Tradition, Emergence and Rupture (by G.R. Evans, Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, ©2012), looks at the issues that were prominent in the Reformation, and traces them back to …

Killing Time with Good Pope Francis

Over at the Heidelblog, Sean Moore, a Reformed believer who had once studied for the Roman Catholic priesthood, commented: The roman curia got some concession, [given that the new pope’s] father was an Italian immigrant to Argentina. There was no way the curia was gonna get their guy with Ratzinger still in the city and …

Who will be the next pope?

While there’s lots of speculation as to where the next pope will come from, my thought is that we will see another Italian, a “home-body”, from among the gang who actually runs things in Rome. Here’s why: The last pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415 to end a dispute …