Full Communion: Recent Episodes
Full Communion
An episodic audio journal looking in depth at my journey from an Evangelical Protestant background into a place of full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. I have chosen "audio journal" rather than "podcast" to describe this medium, as I intend for this to have a finite end, whereas podcasts tend to drag on ad infinitum.
I could believe anything I want and still remain an Evangelical, as there isn't really anything like a magisterial authoritative body over any given Evangelical. Why would I make the step from belief to entry into the Catholic Church?
What is the Eucharist? It's impossible to answer for every facet of this central Sacrament, but I can at least present to you some of what helped me to grow in love for and understanding of this precious gift Christ gave to the Church.
Much of my life I rejected any form of prayer which I did not myself conceive of or write spontaneously as somehow less genuine or less effective. Is this ill-founded? Is there benefit to praying things I haven't myself written or conceived?
This week I look at some of the issues with Marian teaching and piety with which I struggled initially in this journey to becoming Catholic.
When we speak of the "Communion of Saints" in the Creed, what do we mean? Do I now worship saints because I am a Catholic? If not, how does my interaction with the eternal Church look different, if at all, from how it looked as an Evangelical?
I discuss how Christians deal with sins, and look at the practice of Confession in the Catholic context.
What is the Word of God? How have my views changed on this topic in the process of becoming Catholic?
I begin to tackle the question of why I am becoming a Roman Catholic Christian, drawing on some of the first experiences of the Catholic faith which began to tug on my heart, beginning to order my thoughts and spirit towards Rome.
I introduce myself and some of the assumptions I am bringing to the table from my upbringing, which influence this journey into the Catholic Church.