Summary
This book argues that the biblical promises to Abraham and the patriarchs form the theological foundation for Christian faith, justification, and moral discipline. It traces how Abraham's covenant—including the promise of a son Isaac, the change of names, and the rite of circumcision—is repeatedly invoked throughout the New Testament as proof that faith, not works of the Mosaic law, justifies believers. Passages from Romans, Galatians, and Acts are cited to show that "Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice," making him the father of all nations through faith. The book also connects this Abrahamic framework to the Church's penitential discipline, arguing that laws of abstinence are not arbitrary but respond to fallen human nature—where "the flesh lusteth against the spirit." It draws on St. Paul, St. Jerome, and St. Thomas to explain how controlling the passions through practices like fasting helps man regain reason's sovereignty. A reader takes away a detailed scriptural and patristic argument linking Old Testament covenant theology to New Testament soteriology and Catholic moral teaching.
Key concepts
- Promise to Abraham — The divine covenant guaranteeing Abraham a son (Isaac), numerous posterity, and the land of Chanaan, renewed through visions and the rite of circumcision.
- Justification by faith — The New Testament doctrine, argued from Genesis 15:6, that Abraham was justified by believing God, not by works of the law.
- Fallen nature — The post-lapsarian condition characterized by darkness in the understanding, weakness in the will, and turbulence in the passions.
- Penitential discipline — The Church's laws of abstinence, framed to meet the exigencies of fallen nature by subordinating passions to reason.
- Sheep-shearing festival — An annual public thanksgiving feast among Israel's shepherd princes, with the first clip ordained for the priests (Deut. 18:4).
- "Sine Cerere et Baccho, friget Venus" — St. Jerome's quotation of Terence, meaning "without Ceres and Bacchus, Venus grows cold," used to argue that abstaining from certain foods helps control sexual passion.
From the book
Title: The Adoration of the Shepherds by El Greco← Catholic Encyclopedia ( 1913 ) → related portals : Reference works Shortcut : CE also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia ; an English-language encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia Press. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and it was completed in April 1914, and was designed to give "authoritative information on the entire cycle of Catholic interests, action and doctrine". Supplement 1 included here. 42098 Catholic Encyclopedia 1913 Contents (not listed in original) Front Matter To the Knights of Columbus Preface Tables of Abbreviations Volume 1: Aachen–Assize Volume 2: Assizes–Browne Volume 3: Brownson–Clairvaux Volume 4: Clandestinity–Diocesan Chancery Volume 5: Diocese–Fathers of Mercy Volume 6: Fathers of the…
See Priesthood, Jewish .For works with similar titles, see Abaddon . ← Aaronites Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) Abaddon by Anthony John Maas Abana → From volume 1 of the work. 89199 Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) — Abaddon Anthony John Maas Abaddon , a Hebrew word signifying (1) ruin, destruction (Job, xxxi, 12); (2) place of destruction; the Abyss, realm of the dead (Job, xxvi, 6; Prov., xv, 11); (3) it occurs personified (Apoc., ix, 11) as Ἀββαδών , and is rendered in Greek by Ἀπολλυών , denoting the angel-prince of hell, the minister of death and author of havoc on earth. The Vulgate renders the Greek Apollyon by the Latin Exterminans (that is, "Destroyer"). The identity of Abaddon with Asmodeus, the demon of impurity, has been asserted, but not proved. In Job, xxvi, 6, and Proverbs, xv,…
See Lebanon .← Abana Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) Abandonment by John Joseph Wynne Pedro Abarca → From volume 1 of the work. 89200 Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) — Abandonment John Joseph Wynne Abandonment (more properly, Self-Abandonment .) a term used by writers of ascetical and mystical books to signify the first stage of the union of the soul with God by conforming to His Will. It is described as the first step in the unitive or perfect way of approaching God by contemplation, of which it is the prelude. It implies the passive purification through which one passes by accepting trials and sufferings permitted by God to turn souls to Him. It implies also the desolation which comes upon the soul when relinquishing what it prizes inordinately in creatures, the surrender of natural…
Popular questions readers ask
- Explain the core theological significance of the "Alpha and Omega" symbol as presented in the text, and articulate why this specific symbol was chosen to convey Christ's divinity within early Christian thought.
- Considering the Catholic Encyclopedia's stated purpose to provide "authoritative information," how do the historical references and scholarly citations within the "Alpha and Omega" entry bolster or demonstrate its authority on Catholic doctrine?
- The text notes the symbol's earliest occurrence in 295 with an inverted order (Omega preceding Alpha) before its widespread adoption from the fourth century. What might this initial variation suggest about the early stages of symbolic standardization within Christianity?
- If you were explaining the concept of Christ as "the First and the Last, the beginning and the end" to a novice, how would you simplify the meaning of the Alpha and Omega symbol using only the provided textual evidence?
- Reflect on the implications of the Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) being in the public domain today. How does this accessibility affect its potential role in shaping contemporary understanding of historical Catholic "interests, action and doctrine"?