024 :
05 Apr 2008

Part VII: 'On the Third Day'… Daniel today explores the most controversial part of the Christian story. Did Jesus truly rise from the dead? What are the arguments and facts as biblical scholars see them? [more]

023 :
29 Mar 2008

Part VI: 'The Son of Man's Hour'… It is an intriguing question that Daniel endeavours to explore today, with the help of a few scholars who've been thinking about the question for a long time: Did Jesus go to Jerusalem knowing he would die, or did Jesus go to Jerusalem to die? Many people's eyes probably glaze over even thinking about the question. For many others though they have pursued it as scholars with a passion and many others have sacrificed their own lives in order to try and understand Jesus and follow what Jesus was on about. What do you think the evidence shows? [more]

022 :
21 Mar 2008

Part V: 'Mighty in Word and Deed'… This is certainly a fascinating, and extended, reflection from Daniel — particularly over the Easter Triduum 2008 — looking at how Jesus perceived his role as prophet and messiah, and also looking at how his followers and opponents viewed him against their expectations. We might discuss though how does all this take us closer to finding the relevance of Jesus in our lives 2000 years later? What are people today searching for: a prophet, a messiah, a miracle-worker, a story-teller, or a model or archetype as to how we ought think and act in our lives today? [more]

021 :
14 Mar 2008

Part IV: A Messiah in the Making… There are three good reasons, whatever your age or position why this commentary is worth reading: (i) It provides a fascinating perspective on Jesus particularly on the speculations of who Jesus himself thought he was. (ii) It's fascinating looking at these questions through the mind of a young person engaging with these questions perhaps seriously for the first time in his life. (iii) This is simply the most well-written commentary yet submitted for our enjoyment, and enlightenment, by Daniel. It is simply a pleasure being part of the audience that is providing a sounding board for a talented new writer as he hones his technical skills as a writer and communicator. [more]

020 :
07 Mar 2008

Part III: The children of Abraham… Many will derive greqat value from this third part of Daniel's series trying to trace the historical Jesus. In about 3,600 words he endeavours to provide a concise summary of the beliefs and practices in the diverse Jewish sects and factions that set the backdrop for the appearance of Jesus. [more]

019 :
29 Feb 2008

Part II: Palestine in the Greco-Roman World… In this second instalment Daniel Gullotta explores the Roman political context in Palestine that Jesus was born into. [more]

018 :
22 Feb 2008

Part I: Tools of Trade… Daniel Gullotta begins his series with a discussion of the "tools of trade" scholars and students use to sort fact from fiction, or fact from pious myth, in the search for the historical or authentic Jesus. [more]

017 :
15 Feb 2008

A new series… Daniel Gullotta today begins what promises to be a very interesting series. Based on the work of Anglican theologian, Dr NT Wright (Bishop of Durham), it will be exploring the questions involved in the search for the historical Jesus. [more]

016 :
15 Nov 2007

A beautiful essay… Here is a beautiful essay by Daniel Gullotta — his last formal essay submitted as part of his theology course for the year. In it he is analysing a section of John's Gospel seeking to throw light on its fuller meaning from the traditions that reach back into our roots in Judaism. [more]

015 :
08 Nov 2007

Trying to turn the tide… Daniel Gullotta shares with us another of his essays submitted as part of his theology studies. Today he explores some of the controversy associated with trying to interpret the Book of Jeremiah — the longest book in the Bible outside the Psalms. [more]

014 :
01 Nov 2007

A critique of The Jesus Seminar… For those new to Catholica, Daniel Gullotta, is our resident theological student who shares with us some essays from his studies. In this essay he critiques The Jesus Seminar… [more]

013 :
12 Oct 2007

A Reflection from a Youth Camp… In this reflection Daniel asks himself a few questions about how his own perspectives have moved quite substantially in the space of twelve months… [more]

012 :
20 Sep 2007

The Woman by the Well… What a beautiful essay this is today from Daniel Gullotta? I am sure many who read it will feel enlightened and uplifted. It is a poignant reflection on the meaning we can take today from that ancient story where Jesus encounters the foreign woman at a well and has a conversation with her… [more]

011 :
13 Sep 2007

Immanuel — God with us… In this essay submitted as part of his theology studies at ACU National, Daniel Gullotta explores the connection between the story in Isaiah about Immanuel and how this came to be linked to the birth of Jesus… [more]

010 :
30 Aug 2007

The carpenter's son… In this essay submitted as part of his theology studies at ACU National, Daniel Gullotta explores the difficulties involved in trying to build a picture of the historical Jesus… [more]

009 :
16 Aug 2007

The politics of Paul and the Roman Empire… In this essay, which was not written as part of his theology studies but just out of personal interest, Daniel explores some interesting historical and political links on the titles humankind has given to Jesus… [more]

008 :
09 Aug 2007

The context of the Fourth Gospel… In this essay submitted as part of his theological studies, Daniel Gullotta explores the historical, social and religious background of John's gospel in an endeavour to describe the environment that led to its formation… [more]

007 :
26 Jul 2007

Sex, Love and Dogma! In this commentary, Daniel, writing from the perspective of a young single man, explores his perceptions on sex and human sexuality synthesised through Christian insight and biblical references… [more]

006 :
19 Jul 2007

Why can't women be priests? In this commentary, Daniel explains his difficulties with the Catholic Church's attitude to women which, in part, caused him to convert to the Anglican Church. [more]

005 :
12 Jul 2007

Was Jesus Married? Our lead commentary today is the fifth contribution by Daniel Gullotta, a young theology student at ACU National in Brisbane. Today Daniel examines the evidence on the recent controversies in the secular media pertaining to whether Jesus was married. This is a powerful essay from such a young writer. I think we might be witnessing here the emergence of a powerful communicator. Congratulations Daniel. I should also point out that Daniel is also responsible for choosing most of the graphics that accompany his essays. [more]

004 :
05 Jul 2007

An overview of The Book of Revelation In his fourth essay for Catholica, Daniel Gullotta is examining the Book of Revelation — the Apocalyptic last book of the New Testament. [more]

003 :
14 Jun 2007

What do we know of Judas Iscariot? Daniel Gullotta's last essay seemed to attract a lot of interest from readers of Catholica if the web logs provide a good indication of which pages are read on our website. It attracted a very good response up in the ranks of the best responses of our regular commentators who've been doing this for a long time. Daniel's essay today will probably attract similar interest as its focus is on one of the most controversial and provocative characters in all of the Gospel stories aside from Jesus himself… [more]

002 :
08 Jun 2007

The Historicity of Jesus In his second contribution to Catholica, ACU National theology student, Daniel Gullotta, examines the arguments scholars are engaged in in their attempts to better understand the historical person of Jesus. [more]

001 :
01 Jun 2007

The Problem of Evil Apart from the university lecturers amongst us whose job it is to be regularly marking student assignments, I expect this essay from one of Ian Elmer's theology students at ACU National, Daniel Gullotta, will be of interest to other readers of Catholica from two principal points of view. Firstly it enables us to see how a young person tackles one of the big questions for the first time. Daniel certainly has tackled a huge canvas for his first essay for Catholica and I think his condensation of the arguments into less than 1400 words is commendable. Secondly, and this is one of our main aims in encouraging the submission of these commentaries from younger writers, is it provides some insight into the broader perspectives of young people _Ed. [more]