Blog - Page 13 of 318 - John H Armstrong

Pope Francis and the Faith of Non-Christians

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:13:16-05:00October 7th, 2015|Categories: ACT 3, Current Affairs, Evangelism, Interfaith Relations and Dialogue, Islam, Jesus, Personal, Pope Francis, Religion, Roman Catholicism|

On Friday, September 25, Pope Francis visited Ground Zero in New York City to pay respect for life and to pray for healing and peace. Many Christians have expressed dismay that the pope did not mention the name of Jesus at this occasion. Some have specifically stated that he actually proved that he was a religious pluralist who does not believe that Jesus Christ is the true Savior of the world. This entire debate is often absent both the context and the content of his actual words and actions. The pope’s entire address can be read here: http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2015/september/documents/papa-francesco_20150925_usa-ground-zero.html

Pope Francis said:

I feel many different emotions standing here at Ground Zero, where thousands of lives were taken in a senseless act of destruction. Here grief is palpable. The water we see flowing towards that empty pit reminds us of all those lives which fell prey to those who think that destruction, tearing down, is the only way to settle conflicts. It is the silent cry of those who were victims of a mindset which knows only […]

Jimmy Carter: A Full Life

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:13:17-05:00October 5th, 2015|Categories: America and Americanism, Books, Civil Rights, Current Affairs, Ethics, History, Leadership, Personal, Spirituality, The Church|

Like so many I have had a mixture of feelings and responses to President Jimmy Carter over the years. It seems to me that most critics, left and right, have freely attributed to him the label of “poor president” or “political failure.” I wonder what history, long after his death, will actually say. Many thought that Harry Truman was a failure until after his death. Maybe Carter’s legacy will meet a similar fate but I have my doubts. If a president is known for his legislative accomplishments then Carter will always be seen as mediocre at best. Among conservatives he is loathed and even seen as the definition of failure and disappointment. (This was true at least until we elected President Barack Obama, who is now classed as lower than Jimmy Carter ever was by the same critics.)

It is ironic, perhaps, that Jimmy Carter is the only U.S. president I actually met in person. (It was brief and not memorable.) I have been to most of the presidential libraries and museums and read a great […]

Reading Maya Angelou

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:13:17-05:00October 1st, 2015|Categories: Books, Civil Rights, Culture, Current Affairs, Freedom, History, Marriage & Family, Personal, Race and Racism|

I owe a debt of profound gratitude to my friend Vill Harmon (second from left in this photo with my good friends and two ACT3 board members). Vill is the secretary in the office of Ecumenical and Interreligious for the Archdiocese of Chicago. In July (2015) Vill and I shared a conversation about our background, especially in terms of race and the South. Vill is African-American, and a great friend. I have come to cherish her advice and joyful spirit. When Vill encourages me to think about my past, and the present issue of race in America, I try to listen. In July she told me I should read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), written by the famous Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014). (Maya’s first name came from her brother Bailey when she was a child.)

Maya Angelou was an author, poet, dancer, actress, and singer. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and several books of […]

Fr. René Constanza on Christian Unity, Part 2

By John Armstrong|2015-09-27T22:22:56-05:00September 30th, 2015|Categories: ACT 3, Current Affairs, Missional-Ecumenism, My Christian Unity Story, Personal, Roman Catholicism, The Church, Unity of the Church|

Fr. René Constanza on Christian Unity, Part 1

By John Armstrong|2015-09-27T22:23:12-05:00September 29th, 2015|Categories: ACT 3, Missional-Ecumenism, My Christian Unity Story, Roman Catholicism, The Church, Unity of the Church|

Fr. René Constanza is a Paulist priest serving in Austin, Texas. He is also a good friend. Fr. René has participated in all three of our Catholic-Evangelical Conversations in Chicago over the last three years. This young man is a dedicated minister and true servant of Christ who prays for the unity and works with me for this purpose.

One of the Most Joyful Weeks in My Remembrance

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:13:17-05:00September 27th, 2015|Categories: ACT 3, American Evangelicalism, Current Affairs, Jesus, Love, Missional-Ecumenism, Personal, Pope Francis, Protestantism, Religion, Renewal, Roman Catholicism, Television, The Church, Unity of the Church|

As I sit this evening at my computer I am amazed. For five days every newscast and commentator has responded the visit of Pope Francis to America with such joy and positive energy. From every perspective, including the most non-religious journalists and broadcasters, people have talked about the pope but in doing so they have talked a great deal about Jesus, the Bible and the joy of the gospel. I have never heard so much public talk about matters of profound truth and faith in my lifetime, except perhaps at the funerals of President Kennedy (1963) and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1968). We have seen pictures of Pope Francis with prisoners, in a seminary speaking to bishops and students about the two greatest works of a shepherd (prayer and the preaching the gospel), praying at the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York with representatives of world religions, speaking before the United Nations, speaking before Congress, meeting with the Speaker of the House, meeting with the President and then this evening leaving our shores after being with […]

Christ Our Peace: The Radical Concept of Christian Unity (Guest Blog)

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:13:17-05:00September 17th, 2015|Categories: Missional-Ecumenism, Unity of the Church|

For He himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. (Ephesians 2:14-16)

What a radical concept Christian unity is! The fact that in Christ, we are one!

This heavenly reality certainly does not appear to be true when we look around the world. We all come from various backgrounds and cultures, life experiences, and we have our own denominational distinctions. Each person sees the world very differently, and because of this, we are inherently prone to disagree with and distance ourselves from those who are culturally, denominationally, and ethnically distinct from us.

Yes, it is easier to worship with people who look like us, act like us, and have the same theological beliefs as us. […]

The Third Annual Catholic-Evangelical Conversation

By John Armstrong|2015-09-11T07:05:44-05:00September 11th, 2015|Categories: ACT 3, American Evangelicalism, Current Affairs, Evangelism, Gospel/Good News, Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism, Pope Francis, Roman Catholicism|

“From September 1^st to the 5^th, the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein Illinois was the site for the Third Annual Evangelical and Catholic Conversation. Along with the University, the conversation is sponsored by the Archdiocesan Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs and ACT-3, a network of relational partnerships between churches, missions and leaders in missional ecumenism. Father Thomas A. Baima, Dr. John Armstrong, Dr. Craig Higgins and Pastor Norberto Saracco were the principal organizers. Participants include Catholics and Evangelicals from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Italy, Guatemala, England, South Korea and Argentina. They discussed Pope Francis’ call for dialogue, fraternity and action which he lays out in Evangelii Gaudium (the Joy of the Gospel) and heard two presentations. Fr. Thomas Baima delivered the keynote address on the biblical basis for a common understanding of the Church. Dr. Craig Higgins presented a response. Additionally, Dr. John Armstrong and Pastor Norberto Saracco led the group in discussing experiences of positive relations between Evangelicals and Catholics in their various countries.”

“This project is part of a larger effort called “missional ecumenism.” This effort operates alongside of the official dialogues […]

Michael Lindsay: Do We All Have to Agree?

By John Armstrong|2015-08-09T18:39:37-05:00August 14th, 2015|Categories: America and Americanism, American Evangelicalism, Culture, Politics|

I cannot tell you how impressed I am by the leadership, courage and clarity of President Michael Lindsay of Gordon College. This is, in my view, the kind of leadership we need in Christian higher education. I will be watching and praying for Michael Lindsay with great hope and joy for Christ and his kingdom, which happens to be the motto of my college, Wheaton.

https://youtu.be/tv7mDOvuF8c

Why Have Some Political Conservatives So Radically Missed the Pope’s Message?

By John Armstrong|2015-08-09T18:33:44-05:00August 13th, 2015|Categories: America and Americanism, Roman Catholicism|

I confess that when I saw this clip I was stunned. It amazes me what some “talking heads” will say in trying to figure out Pope Francis. This one has to “take the cake.”