Status Updates From What It Means to Be Protest...

Absolutely fantastic so far. "Retrieving classical Protestant texts and arguments, he exposes how many of the contemporary objections leveled against Protestants are rooted in caricature. Ultimately, he shows that historic Protestantism offers the best pathway to catholicity and historical rootedness for Christians today."

Origen states that "[Christians] not only avoid temples, altars, and images, but are ready to suffer death when it is necessary rather than debase by any such impiety the conception which they have of the most high God... Origen responds that Christians have their own kinds of statues, altars, and temples—using these terms as metaphors for prayer, Christian virtues, and the Christian body."

Icon veneration is wack, yo.

"For thus it behooves one in high authority to leave what is unpleasant for others to say, while he himself appears in a milder part." -St. John Chrysostom

Doing a *blinking guy meme* every now and then, because some of these lines are straight out of videos and debates he's had. (I don't blame him, it's just funny the way books work sometimes.... saying the same things, simply in a different format.)

Looking forward to musing on Ortlund’s book What It Means to be Protestant + Littlejohn’s book Why Protestants Convert in light of ~my viral article~ and why, as I’ve had to belabor to men, an overwhelming number of women are psychologically attracted to the bodily and sexual standards of Rome and maybe why that looks attractive when men are in leadership. You know, as a woman. 😇

But I digress.

He's making more sense but I'm still squirmy

This book is making me significantly less excited about being protestant

I am having a difficult time with this as I think Ortlund's move to lump together both historic Protestantism and contemporary expressions might be fatal to his argument holding up because they exist as different entities in my mind... But it's hard to be angsty when he is so generous in his view of the Universal Church. And maybe he does distinguish this more later on. I will proceed

I feel like a third of this is soundly skipping straight over my head

not the best to LISTEN to. but very informative. all thanks to my brother in law who I guess is pretty cool after all

Audiobook on the drive the Charleston 🌞

Disappointed in the chapter on Sola Fide. Not biblically robust enough, too conciliatory, weak historical argument.

Transformative & much needed. There are surprisingly few books like this. provides a compassionate defense of a “movement of revitalization, renewal, reformation, recentering, & recovery.”

let’s find out

Gavin is COOKING right now.
Incredible stuff!

"the Church of Rome was "Antichristian & apostate", but in terms of the former, the Church of Rome ought to be considered a church for three reasons: 1 there were Christians within her, 2 she retained the Word & sacraments, however corrupted or neglected they may be, 3 she maintained "Christian & evangel truths concerning the one & triune God...by which she is distinguished from assemblies of pagans & infidels."

This is honestly one of the best books I have read in a long time. I would probably have read it all day if I could, I have only put it down when I needed to. Many Protestants tend to not defend themselves so Protestant apologetics fall greatly behind, but this book is a champion for Protestant apologetics.

Ever so slowly creeping my way through this one. Need to schedule another time to meet with my friend to discuss the book or I may not finish it very soon…

well I’ve had to google at least 3 words per page so far but this is all very interesting!!

The assumption of Mary is straight bogus.

Great observation against the papacy: if such a supreme, infallible, and successive position exists within the church, why is there absolutely no biblical passage that details qualifications for such an office like there is for elders and deacons?

Chapters 5 and 6 on Sola Scriptura are very good chapters.

Finished part one. I have some concerns but also really appreciate some of what Gavin is saying here.

I read more than four pages, please believe me! The introduction was longer than I thought it would be.

I kinda like being Protestant now

Burning heretics seemed extreme

Whereas, Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox define the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church institutionally; Protestants define it to be wherever the word of God is preached, and the sacraments are administered. Though the reformers (such as Luther and Calvin) did not mince words while critiquing the Roman church, they did still affirm the churches within Rome to be true churches and people, Christians.

“In sum, I commend Protestantism as first, a renewal of the gospel in the church; second, a return to the authority of Scripture; and third, a removal of historical aberrations” (p. xx).

Sola Fide (Justification by faith alone) and Sola Scriptura (Ultimate authority in Scripture alone) are core to Protestant identity. This is what all the Reformers agreed upon.

this is in-cre-di-bly interesting woooowwww

and Gavin is so gracious in the way he handles topics :)