aspiepriest
90 FOLLOWERS
I am a Roman Catholic Priest with Asperger's Syndrome ponders the Catholic Faith and human nature. I am writing this blog for other autistic readers, for anyone who has an autistic friend, and for scholars whose work touches on human nature.
aspiepriest
3w ago
In recent weeks, my spiritual reading has been from Brant Pitre. It’s rare to find a book which delights me with things I do not yet know about core aspects of my Catholic faith and practice. Some years ago, I found such a book in Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist. Was this ..read more
aspiepriest
9M ago
Recently I took myself to the cinema, expecting to see the latest Mission Impossible film – but it was sold out, so I ended up watching the Barbie movie. It wouldn’t have been my first choice, but from all the media hype it seemed like a cultural phenomenon which a preacher ought to be aware ..read more
aspiepriest
1y ago
I recently came across this article reviewing two books by Ian McGilchrist. A philosopher turned neurophysiologist, McGilchrist has gathered a wealth of scientific evidence suggesting that the two hemispheres of our brains do the same task in distinctly different ways. Both hemispheres pay attention to the world, but one (the left) does so via highly ..read more
aspiepriest
2y ago
I was recently asked, by one of my readers, if I could provide any guidance to help with confession. Like me, the autistic person prompting the query struggled with the traditional kind of “examination of conscience”. When you routinely live your life following clear principles and are rarely swayed by strong emotions, there is little ..read more
aspiepriest
2y ago
It was only while I was in seminary that I discovered that most human beings are well aware of when their bowels are building up gas, and can exert considerable control about when to hold it in as well as when to let it out. I, unfortunately, only become aware of the presence of gas ..read more
aspiepriest
2y ago
It’s been a long time since I wrote on this blog, after my triumphant Graduation Day. But a graduate is not as skilled as a professor, and I have continued to reflect on my abilities and limitations. A few days ago I watched the movie Still Alice, a portrayal of a young professor’s decline due ..read more
aspiepriest
2y ago
Dear Reader, You’ve probably noticed that in recent months, this blog has been a lot less active. I’d like to share some good news with you to explain why. The seed of this blog was planted when I made a pilgrimage to a Marian shrine in 2015. While I was there, I had a lot ..read more
aspiepriest
2y ago
Probably the third surviving text from the unfolding life of the early Christian communities, I Corinthians is a much longer, and therefore richer, source of St Paul’s thought, then the two earlier epistles. Unity & Love The Christian community in Corinth is suffering from divisions. It’s clearly very mixed in its membership (1:26-28). Richer members ..read more
aspiepriest
2y ago
Continuing our series of reviews of Scripture: St Paul has a problem. The Christian believers in Galatia are beginning to believe they have to follow the Jewish Law, despite his teaching them that they are free in Christ. But this means Paul has to explain why it was neccessary for God to make the Law ..read more
aspiepriest
2y ago
Today, I’m beginning a new series of posts, reflecting on Scripture. Marcus J. Borg challenges readers to take a fresh look at the New Testament in his “Evolution of the Word”, approaching it in the order in which its books were composed. He expects to lose potential readers who belong to fundamentalist evangelical churches, where ..read more