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https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/140956| Title: | The proof of identity |
| Authors: | Calleja, Carlo |
| Keywords: | Christian life -- Catholic authors Love -- Religious aspects -- Christianity Identification (Religion) Globalization -- Religious aspects -- Christianity Cultural pluralism -- Malta Church history -- Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600 Francis, Pope, 1936-2025 -- Travel -- Malta Malta -- Emigration and immigration |
| Issue Date: | 2022 |
| Publisher: | Allied Newspapers Ltd. |
| Citation: | Calleja, C. (2022, May 15). The Proof of Identity. The Times of Malta. Retrieved from https://timesofmalta.com/article/proof-of-identity-fr-carlo-calleja.954370 |
| Abstract: | In this 2022 opinion piece, Fr Carlo Calleja reflects on the challenges of group identity in a globalising Malta, where cultural differences are eroding and encounters with "the other" – whether migrants, new family members, or colleagues – often provoke defensive or exaggerated reactions. Drawing on Rodney Stark's sociological analysis in The Rise of Christianity, Calleja argues that the early Church's rapid spread stemmed from its radical ethic of mutual love and mercy, which Jesus presents in John 13:34–35 as the sole authentic proof of Christian identity. External symbols have value, but true Christian (and Maltese) identity must be countercultural, expressed through loving service rather than exclusion, as Pope Francis also emphasised during his visit to Malta. |
| URI: | https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/140956 |
| Appears in Collections: | Scholarly Works - FacTheMT |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The_proof_of_identity.pdf | 237.48 kB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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