David sat down with Fr. Calvin Robinson to discuss his faith Journey, the state of the church in England, and practical steps to reignite the zeal of Christians in the West.
Discussion
01. “Faith Journey”
Q. When, for you, did your faith really come alive?
–
02. “C.S. Lewis’ Influence”
Q. You ascribe to a form of old-school Anglicanism, the kind that I read about in Lewis’ life. What has C.S. Lewis’ role been in your faith journey?
- Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
03. “The Ransom Trilogy”
Q. I heard you say on Pints with Aquinas that you were going to take the Ransom Trilogy with you on holiday. I’m very curious, how did your reading go?
- Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis
- Charles Williams
04. “Lesser-liked Lewis”
Q: What are some of Lewis’ works that you have been less of a fan of?
- The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
- The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis
We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
If we insist on keeping Hell (or even earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell.
C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce
- Miracles by C.S. Lewis
05. “Holy Orders”
Q: Let’s talk about holy orders for a bit. How did you discern the call, and what does your path look like through to today, and your role in the Nordic Catholic Church?
06. “The Nordic Catholic Church”
Q. For people who haven’t heard of the Nordic Catholic Church before, can you explain where you fit in within the different ecclesial bodies?
–
07. “Healing the Divide”
Q. I would like to talk about ecumenism. What you see as the future, in terms of healing rifts between Christian denominations, and how do we progress that?
Let us by all means pray for one another: it is perhaps the only from of ‘work for re-union’ which never does anything but good.
C. S. Lewis, Letters to an American Lady
08. “Building Jerusalem”
Q. When I try to describe the state of faith in Britain to Americans, it’s hard to describe it as anything other than apathetic. Given that this is your chief field of ministry, what do you see as the future of England with regard to Christianity, and do you see America heading in a similar direction?
- Jerusalem (“And did those feet in ancient time”) by William Blake, converted into a hymn.
09. “Doing it again”
Q. One of my comforts is in reading the early Church Fathers, and seeing the persecution they underwent. It was through persecution that Christianity was not only preserved, but thrived. Do you think, if God’s revitalised the church once, he can do it again?
The blood of the martyrs is seed [of the church].
Tertullian, Apologeticus
10. “Revitalizing the Church and World”
Q. In your current role as a pastor and in broader ministry, what would be your plan to revitalise the church?
–
