THEO BONUS|Are Indulgences a Problem for Catholicism? w/ Dr. Mary Moorman
Summary
What are indulgences and what are some common misconceptions people have about them? What is the foundation for the Church’s doctrine of indulgences in Scripture and the early Church? How does the “nuptial covenant” play a role in understanding indulgences? How might Catholics respond to worries that indulgences are unscriptural and imply that the all-sufficient act of Christ is insufficient? Might Catholics describe indulgences in terms of “imputation”? Dr. Mary Moorman joins us to address these topics for a bonus episode.
Guest Bio
Dr. Mary C. Moorman brings her combined interests in law and theology to the fore in her initial work on the legal and theological framework which undergirds the Church’s indulgences. Mary holds a Juris Doctor in law with a focus on religious legal systems from Boston University. She completed her work in medieval systematic theology at Yale and Southern Methodist University. She has lectured in both law and religion at Boston University, Southern Methodist University, and the University of New Haven.
In addition to serving frequently as a conference speaker, her academic research has been presented at the 16th Century Society and the American Academy of Religion. Her most recent articles have appeared in “The Journal of Religion, Conflict, and Peace,” “The Wesleyan Theological Journal,” and the anthology “Seeing the Medieval: Realms of Faith and Visions for Today.” She is the author of Indulgences: Luther, Catholicism, and the Imputation of Merit, which is the subject of today’s interview.
Topics
- How did you get interested in the topic of indulgences for deep research?
- What are indulgences and what are some common misconceptions people have about them?
- Catholic theology has a bunch of relevant distinctions here between eternal debt and temporal debt as well as partial indulgence and plenary indulgence. Can you explain these terms in more detail?
- In chapter 1, you distinguish the terms ‘covenant’ and ‘unilateral testament.’ What do these terms mean and why is the distinction important?
- Can you share some of the evidence supporting the notion of ‘covenant’ from Scripture and the Christian tradition?
- What is “The Nuptial Framework” and what implications does it have for indulgences?
- How would you respond to the objection that indulgences are found nowhere in Scripture or the early Church?
- I have an objection to your use of the phrase “imputation of merit,” how would you respond?
- What else is in your book that we haven’t spoken about today?
John’s Post-interview Remarks on Imputation & Dr. Moorman’s Reply
Resources
Indulgences: Luther, Catholicism, and the Imputation of Merit by Dr. Mary C. Moorman
St. Thomas Aquinas on Penance (article) by Dr. Bryan Cross
Purgatory is For Real by Karlo Broussard
Reading Romans with St. Thomas Aquinas edited by Matthew Levering and Michael Dauphinais
Helpful Quote on Two-fold Turning Involved in Sin
Notice that mortal sin always has a two-fold component. It necessary involves a turning away from God in some respect, and an inordinate (i.e. disordered) turning to some finite created good. This two-fold aspect of sin means that justice is violated in two ways, in each mortal sin. In turning away from God, the sinner has not given to the eternal God His due, for which action the just punishment is the eternal loss of God, because the nature of the sin determines the punishment of the sin. But the sinner has also turned inordinately to some finite mutable good, for which action the just punishment is the “pain of sense,” which is a finite punishment.
Dr. Bryan Cross in “St. Thomas Aquinas on Penance” (Source)
Related Episodes
Ep #122 – Is Purgatory a True Christian Doctrine? w/ Karlo Broussard
BONUS|Grace, Predestination, & Sin w/ Dr. O’Neill
