While we are in this life we are still engaged in waging war against sin, despite the fact that it has no lawful power over us.

The encyclical has little sense of the tragedy of sin, sees the gospel as a process in which nature is made more perfect and justifies the Church's role as a mediator between man and God.

How can we respond with grace and truth to stories of leaders who fall?

However much it is expressed in lively, pop-culture language, Staglianò’s theological framework is the old Thomism rejuvenated by John Paul II in the encyclical Fides et Ratio (1998).

The way we deal with cases of abuse in our communities is not a minor issue: it is a profoundly spiritual, pastoral, ethical and also missionary matter. An essay outlining three models and four mistakes that churches often make.

As we remember at Easter, the cross of Christ isn’t the end of the story. After tragedy comes redemption, and after the apparent end comes a new beginning.

Intercessory prayer knows no boundaries, true faith often requires obedience before evidence, and Christ’s mercy intentionally extends to outsiders and marginalised groups.

At its core, repentance is relational. True repentance does involve a turning from sin, but that turning becomes a fruit of our turning to God.

Colombian university lecturer Lina Fernanda Montoya has accompanied around 20 victims. In Madrid, she explained observable patterns when abuse occurs in evangelical churches.

María Eugenia Prendes expressed her support for initiatives that “open the eyes to an unnoticed reality that is important to address” in faith contexts.

The author’s thinking on the subject is summarized as follows: “God is present in every human being from the moment of conception, not only as Creator, but also as Savior”

What saves us from judgment is not that God turns a blind eye to sin and tones down the demands of the law, but that Jesus fulfils the law in our place and offers his grace to repentant sinners.

Faith is sufficient for salvation, as it brings us all the benefits of God in Christ.

The fruit of the grace of God is not merely legal, as amazing as that is, it is relational too.

Abraham Kuyper’s letter in 1898: “When government intrudes upon the pulpit or dictates family life, it overreaches. When religious groups or ideological movements seize the state to impose their own views, they too violate the balance of spheres”.

Expert lawyer Robert Peters has investigated all kinds of cases of abuse in churches. In an interview with ‘Evangelical Focus’, he argues why the “historically passive and superficial approach” in churches must change radically, and offers keys for action.

A viral behaviour that has contaminated the body of Christ is to minimise sin while protecting one's public image. It is not transforming grace, but its scandalous denial.

If we simply instruct people how to behave and act like Christians, then they will co-opt and corrupt that instruction to serve their incurvedness.

Amish communities generally hold their worship services in German, even though many do not speak that language. Reading the Bible independently is often discouraged. Failure to follow the ordnung can result in shunning or exclusion from the community.

On the 80th anniversary of his death, his message and his words continue to stand the test of time, and resonate with more authority than ever before.

Silence in the midst of suffering is not a judgment of condemnation, but a purification of faith.

When we assess evil, we always take the position of the judge who observes what is happening. Our problem is that our criteria are always flawed.

Dominican veteran player Al Horford became a key part of the victory. He thanked God in Spanish as he received the trophy. Head coach Joe Mazzulla also spoke clearly about his Christian faith.

Joseph and Mary face the stigma of sin because the child was Jesus, the One who would save His people from their sin, Immanuel, God with us.

The Maltese are proud of their Christian heritage stretching back to Paul’s shipwreck on their island. How might God want to turn the ‘raging storms’ presently buffeting Europe and the Middle East into the advance of his kingdom?