In a talk from our 2011 Deep in History conference, Marcus Grodi shares how he has come to understand the importance of sacred tradition in the Christian life. For Marcus, as for many Christians, St. Paul’s warning to avoid the “traditions of men” in Colossians 2:8 seemed to mean that previous centuries of Christian history, liturgy, authority and devotion should be discarded. But what then was he to make of St. Paul’s other admonition in 2 Thessalonians 2:15, to “hold fast to the traditions which you have been taught?” Marcus shares how his quest to understand this tension eventually helped lead him to the Catholic Church.
Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD
Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2011 Deep in History Conference.
Study Questions:
-Before his conversion to the Catholic Church, Grodi began to notice just how integral tradition was to his life. Are you able to think of certain traditions or authorities that shape your daily life?
-Can you identify with Grodi’s timeline of the “journey home” to the Catholic Church?
-How important was Church history in Grodi’s life as a Protestant?
-What is one of the primary purposes of the Church? Why does this purpose of the Church make sense, in light of Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 1:9 through 2:2?
-Do all churches “guard” tradition? What parts of Catholic Sacred Tradition are commonly held by Protestant denominations?