Theologia et Vita

The Catholic Church and Communion Under Both Kinds: A Study in Doctrinal Contradiction J. Neil Daniels Introduction The administration of communion under both kinds—the distribution of both the bread and the wine to the laity—stands as a compelling case study in doctrinal discontinuity within Roman Catholicism. This issue highlights the manner in which ecclesiastical decisions have, at times, conflicted with both the plain teaching of Scripture and longstanding ecclesial practice, only to be reversed centuries later. The Catholic Church’s evolving stance on this matter exposes a tension between its assertion of doctrinal infallibility and the manifest mutability of its teaching and discipline over time. Biblical Foundation for Communion Under Both Kinds The biblical basis for administering both elements of the Eucharist to all communicants is clear and unequivocal. Christ’s institution of the Supper explicitly includes the command that all partake of both bread and ...

“Apostles of Apostasy”: Caesar Baronius and the Saeculum Obscurum of the Papacy J. Neil Daniels Nota Bene : The following was inspired by a post on X (link here ) by The Presbytery Inn (@ PresbyInn ) Introduction The Roman Catholic doctrine of apostolic succession holds that the popes, as successors of Peter, are not only legitimate ecclesiastical leaders but also the divinely appointed guardians of orthodoxy and unity in the Church. This doctrine undergirds related teachings such as the indefectibility of the Church and, in more recent centuries, papal infallibility. However, the historical record contains numerous periods of crisis, corruption, and doctrinal ambiguity that challenge the unqualified continuity claimed by Rome. I have explored these difficulties at greater length in a previous essay, “ The Historical Complexities (and Impossibilities) of Roman Catholic Apostolic Succession Claims ,” which may be consulted for a broader survey of the issue. One of the most ...

Oneness Pentecostalism: A Critique of Contemporary Modalism J. Neil Daniels  Introduction Oneness Pentecostalism—commonly referred to as the "Jesus Only" movement—constitutes a pronounced departure from the doctrinal foundations of historic Christianity. Arising between 1913 and 1916 within the Assemblies of God, the movement diverged sharply from classical Pentecostalism by repudiating Trinitarian theology in favor of a novel reinterpretation of the divine nature. Though birthed within a revivalist milieu, it has since developed into a distinct and theologically aberrant movement, encompassing several major denominations such as the United Pentecostal Church International, Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, and others, collectively claiming an estimated four million adherents worldwide. Institutionally, Oneness Pentecostalism has established a robust infrastructure, including a denominational publishing arm (Word of Flame Press), educational institutions, socia...

Evaluating a Theological Argument: A Methodological Essay J. Neil Daniels Introduction: The Imperative of Doctrinal Discernment Theological argumentation lies at the heart of Christian intellectual life, from the apostolic witness and the ecumenical councils to the enduring efforts of reform and renewal within the church. The Christian community is not called to receive doctrine passively but to engage it critically, to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God" (1 John 4:1) and to "examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good" (1 Thess 5:21). In our present context, characterized by both unprecedented access to theological resources and widespread doctrinal instability, the need for sound, charitable, and rigorous theological evaluation has never been greater. This task is no mere academic exercise. Doctrine is not abstract theory but the church’s effort to articulate the truth of God as revealed in Scripture, and it necessaril...

The Akathist Hymn and Marian Devotion:  Poetry, Propitiation, and the Displacement of Christ J. Neil Daniels Revised 23 July 2026 On the fifth Saturday of Great Lent, Orthodox congregations stand for the length of a long hymn ( akathistos means “not seated”) and address to Mary a sentence the apostle John wrote about her Son. “Rejoice, propitiation of all the world,” the third oikos salutes her.1 First John 2:2 confesses of Christ: “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”2 The hymn has not borrowed Johannine vocabulary loosely. It has taken the exact predicate John reserves for the crucified and risen Christ, propitiation on a universal scale, and transferred it to his mother. Everything this essay argues is contained in that transfer. The question is whether such language can be absorbed as poetry, excused as indirection, or whether it is what it appears to be: the ascription to a creature of an ...