I recently wrote a piece for Catholic World Report on the relics of the nails used in the crucifixion. Here’s a bit of it: Spread throughout the world, in cathedrals and chapels, are perhaps three dozen rough iron nails claiming to be the nails that pierced the flesh of Christ. With so many claimants, there’s a temptation…
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The Wild Costumes of the Schembartlauf
A lavish Shrovetide procession, as recorded in a 17th century illustrated manuscript.
Ghosts in the Bible: New Testament
There are no ghosts in the New Testament. We do, however, find the language of spirits and references to death that can illuminate the subject. When we read passages such as Matthew 8:22 (”Let the dead bury the dead”) and 22:32 (”God is not the God of the dead but of the living”) we may…
St. Augustine’s Three Types of Vision
Before we get down to St. Augustine’s thoughts on ghosts, I need to do some spadework by exploring his understanding of different ways of seeing. He explains this in On Genesis Literally Interpreted (De Genesi ad litteram), his sprawling twelve-part study that is one of his least-read major works. (Don’t confuse it with the minor, earlier…
Weird Catholic 
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