Listening to the Holy Spirit in 2021

Reading Time: 5 minutes By Peter Ryan There are some passages in Scripture that we come across and scratch our heads, thinking, “Now how can I possibly follow that?” Or, in many cases it may be, “Well I know how I can do this, but that part is impossible.” Others still simply seem outdated based on what we think […]

Book Review: Why We’re Catholic

Reading Time: 3 minutes Review of: Why We’re Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love by Trent Horn. Published 2017 by Catholic Answers, Inc. By Ben Daly-Labelle, University of Rhode Island The apostle and our first pope Saint Peter tells his audience in his first epistle “but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to […]

Hamlet: The Melancholy Prophet

Reading Time: 11 minutes The following was a college essay written by Zach Watters. It has been edited and approved by Ariel Hobbs. If you have a Theology essay that you would like published that received a grade of an A- or higher, please be sure to contact us. By Zack Watters In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, everyone in the Danish […]

Catholic Response to The Unholy

Reading Time: 6 minutes By Ambrose Rucker, Christendom College On March eighth, Sony announced that its new movie, The Unholy, would be released on Good Friday.[1] This date was chosen deliberately as a direct contrast to the sacredness of the Triduum weekend. The movie’s own website points out: “On the holiest weekend of the year comes ‘The Unholy.’”[2] The […]

Who is a Priest?

Reading Time: 2 minutes By Samuel Jian Xuan Ng, University of Texas, Austin Catholic priests are a distinct sign of contradiction in our world today. The priest who wears a clerical collar sticks out in the crowd. But what distinguishes a priest from a layperson? Priests serve many roles in the Church. Many are pastors at a parish, serve […]

The Catholic Church and Other Religions

Reading Time: 5 minutes The following was a college essay written by Joseph Tuttle. It has been edited and approved by Mary Boneno. If you have a Theology essay that you would like published that received a grade of an A- or higher, please be sure to contact us. By Joseph Tuttle, Benedictine College; Read in Spanish Here. One […]

Use of Emotions at Mass

Reading Time: 9 minutes By Zach Watters, Yale University The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Clarifying Catholicism, nor of everyone affiliated with Clarifying Catholicism. We welcome respectful responses in the comments below. Catholics are generally not known for their effusiveness in worship. In fact, many Catholics downright distrust more demonstrative and affective […]

The Good King: Louis XVI as a Religious Figure and Martyr

Reading Time: 31 minutes The following was a college essay written by Meagan Montanari. It has been edited and approved by Aidan McIntosh. If you have a Theology essay that you would like published that received a grade of an A- or higher, please be sure to contact us. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect […]

Mother Knows Best: New Year’s Resolutions for Catholics

Reading Time: 6 minutes By Nick Jones, University of Rhode Island You know the drill. It’s the New Year, so everyone is posting or talking about their resolutions. Some seem better, or at least more actionable, than others. Regardless of the specifics, they all seem to hover around the idea of self-improvement. No one’s goal is ever to become […]

Advent: Why and How?

Reading Time: 6 minutes By Aidan McIntosh, Catholic University of America Welcome to Advent Reflections at Clarifying Catholicism! Throughout this season of Advent, we will be posting a variety of reflections from our writers on all different topics concerning this preparational time for the Coming of our Lord. We hope you enjoy! If you would like to commission an […]