Father Thomas Joseph White entered the priesthood after spending countless hours as a Brown University student engrossed in the thoughts of the great philosophers - from religious thinkers such as Thomas Aquinas to existentialists like Nietzsche. Ultimately, he found the Thomism of Aquinas to be an ideal religious response to our contemporary times because it reconciles modern contradictions between faith and reason. Father White’s background gives him a unique insight into some of the biggest questions facing believers and nonbelievers alike concerning faith, its role in society, and the priesthood.
Aside from explaining Aquinas’ unique popularity among today’s young theologians and priests, White shared his thoughts on religion in America. For one, White doesn’t believe that religion has the influence on politics that many perceive it as having. In fact, the perception that religious voices are necessarily “fundamentalist” – a messy word to White – is preventing America from engaging in a vital nonreligious discussion about moral goods.
White also explains that the priesthood crisis that many of us hear about is not as dire as some of us may think; in fact, though there is a decline in the number of believers in America, there is also an encouraging movement of young people committing their lives to the faith.
Some of White’s most compelling thoughts involve the dynamic between faith and reason. He opens up questions about whether relying on “faith alone” is truly the right approach to a full experience of God, and places reason high on the hierarchy of the spiritual gifts bestowed upon humanity.
Finally, White introduces us to two of his heroes: a medieval religious pioneer, and a contemporary literary icon.
Discuss
Musycks on September 2, 2009, 5:34 PM
Unfortunately Mr White comes over like a condescending twerp… banging on about ‘simple people’ and spewing forth his scholarly rhetoric a mile a minute. As for the substance of what he has to say? well, it’d be nice if there was some. Apart from reading some old books and trying to conjure reason into the argument where faith leaves no room, Mr White’s schitck is painfully empty but typical of the psuedo logic the religious academics have been pushing for years. To sum him up.. the Invisible Sky Wizard of Love did it all, and aren’t we the lucky ones.
garbage in, garbage out.
tim hall on September 2, 2009, 11:37 PM
Looks like we just got hit by another drive-by. It reminds me of the looser riding around with all the megaphones mounted on top of his step-van. This fool poses as a well educated person. He is only educated in teaching people to believe in a fasity, afaid to stop his van and debate the truth.
Verisoph sapiens on September 3, 2009, 6:09 AM
Compelling thoughts, – my foot
And Nietzsche, who condemned Christianity as a movement led by sick men whose aim was to infect everyone else, well, -he would have sorted this friar out.
But this Friar surely does not do debate, just “preaching” to to gullible. He is as credibly as the pair of Jehova’s Witnesses at my front door.
HerbieP on September 3, 2009, 3:00 PM
You guys…
David on September 7, 2009, 10:48 PM
Verisoph,
“But this Friar surely does not do debate, just “preaching” to to gullible."
Absolutely. With religous apologists, it’s all about saving souls rather than finding truth.
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