MSI Press Blog

  What Is Evil? 1. The Question What is evil. Not as a villain in a story, not as a label we slap on what we fear — but as a real, persistent question: What do we mean when we say something is evil? 2. The Human Angle You see a news story that makes your stomach turn. You hear about cruelty that feels incomprehensible. You witness someone act with coldness, calculation, or indifference to suffering. And you think: That’s evil. But then you pause. Is it? Or is it brokenness? Ignorance? Illness? Is evil a force, a choice, a shadow, a wound? 3. The Inquiry Philosophers and theologians have offered many lenses: St. Augustine : Evil is not a thing, but the absence of good — like darkness is the absence of light. Manichaeism : Evil is a real, opposing force — locked in cosmic battle with good. Kant : Evil is the corruption of the will — choosing self-interest over moral duty. Schopenhauer : Evil is the blind will to live — trampling others in pursuit of desire. Nietzsche : Evi...

  Recently,   Spiritually Homeless  (Girrell), reached   #187 in mysticism and spirituality and #219 in faith and spirituality. Book description: Many have walked away from organized religion not out of apathy, but out of honesty. Still the spiritual hunger remains; the longing for community and a place called home persists.  Spiritually Homeless   offers a deeply compassionate and practical guide for those navigating spiritual life beyond church walls. Whether you left organized religion years ago or never belonged to some sect to begin with, this book will meet you right where you are. Through stories, reflection, and decades of experience in spiritual leadership and psychological insight,  Spiritually Homelesss   explores how we find belonging, create ritual, face the dark night, and rediscover awe—without needing to return to doctrines that no longer fit. keywords: spiritual hunger; spiritual seekers; leaving organized religion; life beyond ch...

If you walk into a Catholic church during Lent, you’ll often see people quietly moving from station to station, pausing before small images on the wall. This ancient practice—the Stations of the Cross —is one of the most beloved Lenten devotions in the Church. But what exactly is it, and why do Catholics do it? 1. A pilgrimage without leaving your parish The Stations of the Cross are 14 moments from Jesus’ Passion , beginning with His condemnation by Pilate and ending with His burial. Early Christians in Jerusalem walked the actual path Jesus took to Calvary. Over time, as travel became impossible for most people, the Church brought the pilgrimage home. Parishes installed “stations” so the faithful could walk with Christ spiritually, even if they could never set foot in the Holy Land. It’s a pilgrimage of the heart. 2. A way of slowing down the Passion The Gospels tell the story of Good Friday with stark simplicity. The Stations invite us to linger —to notice the falls, the face...