Table of Contents

• Foundations
  • Apologetics Without Apology
  • An Incomplete Picture
  • Dearly Beloved Catholic Brothers and Sisters
  
  
• Being Catholic and Christian: Faith and Salvation
  • The Transmission of Authoritative Doctrine
  • Apostolic Confessions of Faith
  • Post-Apostolic Confessions of Faith
    • The Apostles Creed
    • The Nicene Creed
  • Salvation: A Biblical Portrait
  • Salvation: "Being Saved"
  • The Catholic Response to "Are You Saved?"
  • The Knowledge of Salvation
  • Faith and Works
  • The Process of Christian Initiation
  • The Church: A Biblical Portrait - A New Testament Apologetic
    • Jesus Christ preached a Reign or Kingdom, the Kingdom of God (or of heaven).
    • Jesus preached an end-times kingdom but one already existing on earth.
    • Jesus preached that the kingdom was primarily spiritual and internal but also visible and external.
    • Christ called and founded an exclusive, inner core group of twelve men called the "apostles."
    • Christ committed His very mission to this twelve man inner core group, his Apostles, alone.
    • Christ gave to the Twelve, the Apostles, the power of ruling, teaching and sanctifying.
    • Christ at the same time instituted an obligatory hierarchical society for all people.
    • This same church Christ willed to endure until the end of the world.
    • Christ instituted only one church, and that society was both formally and specifically a visible one.
  • Labels Among Christians
  • Genealogy of Christian Faith Communities
    • American Christian Branches Among European Founded Churches
    • Lutheran Branch
    • Reformed Branch
    • Anglican Branch
    • Presbyterian Branch
    • Baptist Branch
    • Anabaptists
    • Methodist
  • Modes of Transmitting Authoritative Doctrine
  
  
• Divine Revelation "By Letter" (2 Thess 2:15): The Bible
  • Divine Revelation
  • The Bible: Written Revelation
  • The Hebrew Scriptures: Books of the Old Testament
  • Historical and Geographical Background for the Development of the Two Old Testament Canons
  • Background Chart: Development of the Old Testament Canons
  • Chronology of the Apostolic Age and the Development of the New Testament Canon
  • The Canon of the Bible
  • Comparison of Terms for Disputed Books
  • Inspiration of the Bible
  • Hermeneutics: Understanding Revelation
    • Literal Sense
    • Literary Form of John 6:25-69:
    • Literary History of John 6:25-69:
    • Interpretation of John 6:25-69:
    • Fuller Sense
    • Typical Sense
  • Major Church Pronouncements on the Bible
  
  
• Divine Revelation "By Word of Mouth" (2 Thess 2:15): Handing On
  • Paradosis: Handing On Divine Revelation
  • The Biblical Model for Handing On Truth and Refuting Error: Acts 15, The Council of Jerusalem
  • Acts 15 Model: General or Ecumenical Councils of the Church Universal
  • General Councils of the Church
    • Jerusalem (Acts 15:2)
    • Nicea I
    • Constantinople I
    • Ephesus
    • Chalcedon
    • Constantinople II
    • Constantinople III
    • Nicaea II
    • Constantinople IV
    • Lateran I
    • Lateran II
    • Lateran III
    • Lateran IV
    • Lyons I
    • Lyons II
    • Vienne
    • Constance
    • Florence
    • Lateran V
    • Trent
    • Vatican I
    • Vatican II
  • Apostolic Fathers of the Church
    • Clement I, St. (Clement of Rome)
    • Ignatius of Antioch, St.
    • Polycarp of Symrna, St.
    • Unknown Author of the Didache
    • Barnabas
    • Papias of Hierapolis
    • Hermas
  • Post-Apostolic Fathers of the Church
    • Justin (Martyr), St.
    • Irenaeus, St.
    • Clement of Alexandria
    • Tertullian
    • Origen
    • Cyprian, St.
    • Athanasius, St.
    • Cyril of Jerusalem
    • Basil, St.
    • Gregory of Nazianzus, St.
    • Gregory of Nyssa, St.
    • Ambrose, St.
    • Jerome, St.
    • John Chrysostom, St.
    • Augustine, St.
    • Cyril of Alexandria, St.
    • Gregory I, St. ("The Great")
    • John Damascene, St.
  • Doctors of the Church
    • Ephrem The Syrian, St.
    • Athanasius, St.
    • Cyril of Jerusalem, St.
    • Basil, St. (the Great)
    • Gregory of Nazianzus, St.
    • Ambrose, St.
    • Jerome, St.
    • John Chrysostom, St.
    • Hilary of Poitiers, St.
    • Augustine, St.
    • Cyril of Alexandria, St.
    • Peter Chrysologus, St.
    • Leo The Great, St.
    • Gregory I, St.
    • Isidore of Seville, St.
    • Bede The Venerable, St.
    • John Damascene, St.
    • Peter Damien, St.
    • Anselm, St.
    • Bernard of Clairvaux, St.
    • Anthony of Padua, St.
    • Albert The Great, St.
    • Bonaventure, St.
    • Thomas Aquinas, St.
    • Catherine of Siena, St.
    • Theresa of Avila, St.
    • Peter Canisius, St.
    • Robert Bellarmine, St.
    • Lawrence of Brindisi, St.
    • John of the Cross, St.
    • Francis De Sales, St.
    • Alfonsus Liguori, St.
  • Handing On Divine Revelation: Vatican Council II
  
  
• Truth Handling and Teaching Authority
  • Peter: A Biblical Portrait
  • Matthew Chapter 16, Verse 18: The Primacy of Peter
  • The Charism of Truth Handling: Infallibility
  • Bishop of Rome
  • Bishops of Rome: Popes
    • First and Second Centuries
    • Third and Fourth Centuries
    • Fifth and Sixth Centuries
    • Seventh and Eighth Centuries
    • Ninth and Tenth Centuries
    • Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries
    • Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries
    • Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries
    • Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
    • Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
  • The Charism of Infallibility: The Magisterium
    • Vatican Council II, The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Chapter 25
  
  
• The Sacraments: The Life of The Christian
  • The Sacraments: Opportunities of Grace
  • Baptism: Initiation and Regeneration
    • Infant Baptism
    • Baptism by Water: Immersion, Pouring, Sprinkling
  • Reconciliation
    • A Biblical Portrait of Sin
    • The Existence of Sin
    • Indulgences
  • Confirmation
    • Baptism and Confirmation and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
  • The Eucharist: The Lord's Supper
    • The Mass: Synagogue Service and Last Supper
    • Remembrance: One Sacrifice--Calvary--Continued
    • Transubstantiation
  • Healing/Anointing of the Sick
  • Matrimony
    • Annulment: There Never Was A Marriage
  • Orders
    • Clerical Celibacy
    • Priests as "Father"
  
  
• The Communion of Saints
  • A Biblical Portrait of Saint
  • The Role of the Saints
  • The Intercession of the Saints
  • The Canonization of Saints
  • Images and Relics of the Saints
  • Praying to the Saints / Praying for the Dead
  
  
• Mary the Mother of Jesus: Saint
  • Mary: An Introduction
  • A Biblical Portrait of Mary
  • Mary: Virgin and Ever Virgin
    • Constant faith of the Church
    • Magisterium of the Church
    • Protestant Reformers
    • Objections to Continued Virginity
  • The Immaculate Conception of Mary
  • The Assumption of Mary
  • Private Devotions to Mary: The Rosary
    • Development of the Rosary
    • Prayers of the Rosary
  • Apparitions of Mary
  
  
• Eschatology: The Last Things
  • Death
    • Immediately after Death: Particular Judgment
    • Reincarnation
    • Being Taken Up Into Heaven
  • Heaven
  • Hell: Reprobation
  • Purgatory
    • Limbo
  • The Parousia: Christ's Second Coming
    • Millennialism: A Thousand Year Reign
  • Resurrection of the Dead
    • General Judgment
    • The New Creation
  
  
• Appendix: A Personal Relationship With Christ
  
  
• Bibliography
  • Document References
    • For the Roman Catholic foundations for Sacred Scripture:
    • For English translations of Vatican Council II documents:
    • For biblical references as bases for Catholic theology and belief:
    • For the Fathers of the Church and their teachings:
    • For the teachings of the ecumenical councils:
    • For explanation of general Catholic teaching:
    • For the genealogy of Christian communities:
    • For general historical facts:
    • Additional reading:

Last Updated: January 3, 1997