Ignatius Insight Interview with Dr. Beckwith
Carl Olson interviewed Francis Beckwith for his online magazine. With each successive interview, he brings out more of his reasonings for conversion.
He answers the question that I had as to why the recent conversions are occurring in philosophy professors in Texas. (Turns out it's not the water, which is what I thought)
"...I do think that there is something about philosophy and the natural law tradition that makes a transition to Catholicism easier for an Evangelical trained in philosophy and open to natural law. The latter goes hand-in-hand with natural theology, which claims that one can discover some truths about God and ultimate reality apart from special revelation."
At the end of a very long day, the truth is that our journey in Christ is a mystery and can't be charted or plotted or even "predicted" as I attempted with my Tiber Jumper Early Defection Kit. (Though I did predict based on my analysis that Dr. William Dembski would be the next Jumper, but it turns out he previously had jumped the Bosporus, then jumped back, so the program failed me)
Bottom line: Each one of us has to obey the call Christ has on our lives. Personally speaking, if I had not reverted to the Church three years ago when I was finally brought to the precipice, I would have been ignoring the path He set out for me.
I pray for all those who are at the precipice of conversion, especially the ones who won't be getting interviews, accolades or setting off blogospheric disturbances.
posted by Russ Rentler, M.D. | 8:10 AM
3 Comments:
I can certainly attest to the unique paths that get us where God wants us to be! Thanks for keeping up with this story.
Please pray for our friends Ivan and Mary. They're going through a lot, she with cancer and he with being on this "precipice" of conversion. They came to our RECON meeting this past Sunday. He's been on this journey seeking searching and digging for 4 years now and has got one foot off and ready to jump. He's an M.D. and has had many deep, thoughtful questions. I hope he'll visit your blog TJ. I told him you two would have much in common.
PAX,
susie
Excellent article.
A Pentecostal minister who has been a dear friend of mine for nearly 25 years was (and still is) extremely supportive of me becoming a Catholic. He understands why I had to go, and I think he's suffering his own crisis of faith. He's an intellectual who still believes in good old Bible preaching, but he's become so marginalized in a denomination that not only has a strong anti-intellectual current but is focussing more and more on attractions than the Word. Sometimes he sounds pretty disillusioned. We talk all the time and sometimes he asks me about the Catholic perspective on issues.
I have no idea if he would ever be open to the possibility of being a Tiber swimmer, but I just pray and leave him in the Lord's hands.
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