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Roman Catholicism: Evangelical Protestants Analyze What Divides and Unites Us
In this collection of essays, respected evangelicals such as Alister McGrath, Ronald Nash, and Michael Horton, along with many other leading Protestants, duiscuss the theological issues that separate Protestants and Catholics.
345 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1994
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September 12, 2024
A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS FROM PROTESTANT THEOLOGIANS ON MANY SUBJECTS
Editor John Armstrong wrote in the Introduction to this 1994 book, "a significant group of leading evangelical and Roman Catholic theologians, ethicists, writers, and teachers have signed a major document of agreement known as Evangelicals and Catholics Together. This document... has raised the level of discussion between evangelicals and Roman Catholics to a whole new level...
"Into this uniquely contemporary context this present book is directed. It is not an anti-Catholic book... It is an attempt at candid consideration of where we agree and where we still disagree. Many of us count as Christian friends some who are communicant members of the Roman Catholic Church...
"This book is meant to be both an apologetic and a dialogue. It seeks to explain and support the Protestant evangelical heritage by looking at our history and our theology. It will also examine some of the issues that still keep us apart, though this division saddens us... This book will explore... why we differ in our approach to spiritual life as we do, and it will suggest that we need to further efforts at honest dialogue, but not at the expense of serious disagreements that we still have..." (Pg. 17-19)
Contributors include Robert Strimple, Donald Bloesch, Harold O.J. Brown, Ronald Nash, Alister McGrath, Kim Riddlebarger, and John Armstrong.
One essayist states, "Were Calvin to evaluate Rome today from the perspective of these five points, what would he conclude? He would surely conclude that Rome is worse off today than it was in the sixteenth century. The Word of God is compromised not only by church traditions but also by corrosive criticism of its reliability. Worship has become even more syncretistic. Justification... is often misunderstood in a universalistic sense. The sacraments... may be administered somewhat more simply, but they continue to be understood in an idolatrous and magical manner. The church continues to insist on the authority of its pope and traditions." (Pg. 79)
Another essayist quotes the late, preeminent Catholic biblical scholar Raymond Brown about "perhaps the most important insight of modern Roman Catholic theology: the full recognition of the 'historicity,' that is, the 'time-conditioned' character of all human statements, including those found in the Bible---which points to the limitations, the errors, the less-than-full-and-forever adequacy of those statements." (Pg. 99)
Another argues, "Because modern Roman Catholic theology has imbibed the ethos and spirit of modernity in this century, it is imperative that evangelicals recognize the influence of this spirit and respond more accurately and faithfully to the present situation as it really is. The most significant historical theological affirmations... are no longer a basis for agreement... every doctrine of our historic Christian faith has been challenged; therefore we must gird up our minds if we are to respond adequately." (Pg. 113)
Another suggests, "Here, then, is another reason many evangelicals are being drawn to Roman Catholicism. Many evangelicals have rejected the concept of sola scriptura in principle, either through the acceptance of the ... conception of a 'sacred tradition' as an equal authority with Scripture, or because of the charismatic movement, wherein many evangelicals are becoming increasingly open to the concept of God speaking to them directly (immediately) through 'prophets' or popular 'gurus,' apart from the written Word of God... Many evangelicals appear to be comfortable with the concept of the Bible PLUS something else as constituting authority for faith and practice." (Pg. 226) He adds, "It is clear that sola scriptura is a biblical doctrine even if there is no one single text that expressly states, 'Scripture is the only authority for faith and practice.'" (Pg. 235)
This book will be of great interest to anyone studying Catholic/Protestant issues and dialogue.
Editor John Armstrong wrote in the Introduction to this 1994 book, "a significant group of leading evangelical and Roman Catholic theologians, ethicists, writers, and teachers have signed a major document of agreement known as Evangelicals and Catholics Together. This document... has raised the level of discussion between evangelicals and Roman Catholics to a whole new level...
"Into this uniquely contemporary context this present book is directed. It is not an anti-Catholic book... It is an attempt at candid consideration of where we agree and where we still disagree. Many of us count as Christian friends some who are communicant members of the Roman Catholic Church...
"This book is meant to be both an apologetic and a dialogue. It seeks to explain and support the Protestant evangelical heritage by looking at our history and our theology. It will also examine some of the issues that still keep us apart, though this division saddens us... This book will explore... why we differ in our approach to spiritual life as we do, and it will suggest that we need to further efforts at honest dialogue, but not at the expense of serious disagreements that we still have..." (Pg. 17-19)
Contributors include Robert Strimple, Donald Bloesch, Harold O.J. Brown, Ronald Nash, Alister McGrath, Kim Riddlebarger, and John Armstrong.
One essayist states, "Were Calvin to evaluate Rome today from the perspective of these five points, what would he conclude? He would surely conclude that Rome is worse off today than it was in the sixteenth century. The Word of God is compromised not only by church traditions but also by corrosive criticism of its reliability. Worship has become even more syncretistic. Justification... is often misunderstood in a universalistic sense. The sacraments... may be administered somewhat more simply, but they continue to be understood in an idolatrous and magical manner. The church continues to insist on the authority of its pope and traditions." (Pg. 79)
Another essayist quotes the late, preeminent Catholic biblical scholar Raymond Brown about "perhaps the most important insight of modern Roman Catholic theology: the full recognition of the 'historicity,' that is, the 'time-conditioned' character of all human statements, including those found in the Bible---which points to the limitations, the errors, the less-than-full-and-forever adequacy of those statements." (Pg. 99)
Another argues, "Because modern Roman Catholic theology has imbibed the ethos and spirit of modernity in this century, it is imperative that evangelicals recognize the influence of this spirit and respond more accurately and faithfully to the present situation as it really is. The most significant historical theological affirmations... are no longer a basis for agreement... every doctrine of our historic Christian faith has been challenged; therefore we must gird up our minds if we are to respond adequately." (Pg. 113)
Another suggests, "Here, then, is another reason many evangelicals are being drawn to Roman Catholicism. Many evangelicals have rejected the concept of sola scriptura in principle, either through the acceptance of the ... conception of a 'sacred tradition' as an equal authority with Scripture, or because of the charismatic movement, wherein many evangelicals are becoming increasingly open to the concept of God speaking to them directly (immediately) through 'prophets' or popular 'gurus,' apart from the written Word of God... Many evangelicals appear to be comfortable with the concept of the Bible PLUS something else as constituting authority for faith and practice." (Pg. 226) He adds, "It is clear that sola scriptura is a biblical doctrine even if there is no one single text that expressly states, 'Scripture is the only authority for faith and practice.'" (Pg. 235)
This book will be of great interest to anyone studying Catholic/Protestant issues and dialogue.
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