Katnut d'Katnut

by Brother Gilbert Bloomer

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are called synoptic Gospels because of the similarities of many of the stories they recount. This essay will focus on a comparison of the Gospels of Mark and Luke in their historical and cultural context.  There are many competing theories as to the priority of the Gospels, where they were written and in what time period. The identity of the writers is also queried. Many of these theories are based on subjective criteria and circular reasoning rather than historical, archaeological and philological research and argument.

by Brother Gilbert Bloomer 

This essay will discuss the historicity of the death and Resurrection of Jesus with an emphasis on its Jewish cultural context. For the orthodox Christian whether Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant the historicity of these events is central to their faith.

by Brother Gilbert Bloomer

The three journal readings I have chosen all reflect my personal focus on the mysticism or theology of the heart. As a Catholic Jew I also reflect on everything through the prism of my Jewish identity and tradition and my Catholic faith and understanding.  I am a product of my past and present experiences which is reflected in why I chose those particular sentences and sections of these three readings to reflect on.

There are many ways of exploring the canonicity of the Bible and what that means for the different Christian faith communities. In this very brief essay it is not possible to cover this broad topic except in the most superficial manner thus, I have chosen to discuss this topic by returning to the source of the canon in its Jewish roots and to mainly concentrate on the differences in regard to the acceptance of the Old Testament canon .

by Brother Gilbert Bloomer

“Any Christology ‘from below’ implies its counterpart, a Christology ‘from above’...” writes Jesuit priest Gerald O’Collins.[1] Father O’Collins describes Christology ‘from below’ as that Christology that begins with the humanity of Jesus in his cultural heritage and history. He describes Christology ‘from above’ as that which begins with the Divinity of the pre-existent Word who descends into the world of man.

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov                                                   Pope John Paul II

by Brother Gilbert Bloomer

This essay will discuss, from a Jewish and Catholic perspective, the Jewish Hasidic teachings of Kabbalah in the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810) on the mysteries of the Divine Man (Adam Kadmon) and the ten sefirot in the context of a phenomenological approach to music, song, melody and dance as a manifestation of Divine Mercy in action (hasidut).

by Brother Gilbert Bloomer

This essay will address the connection between eschatology and the Eucharist in the context of the Jewish ‘roots’ or origins of both Christian eschatology and the Eucharistic Mystery and how this manifests in the teaching of the Western and Eastern Churches. Lumen Gentium 11[1] and the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1324[2] teach that the source and summit of all Christian Life is the Eucharist.