Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Reformation

I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately on these and related topics. I read Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland H. Bainton (considered by many to be one of the best biographies on Luther).  Afterwards I read Is the Reformation Over? by Mark A. Noll and Carolyn Nystrom.  For some time I’ve also been absorbing Roman Catholics and Evangelicals by Norman L. Geisler and Ralph E. MacKenzie (a fascinating and detailed comparison of major doctrines).

The second book of the three gives an overview of the unprecedented cooperation between Roman Catholics and Protestants (particularly Evangelicals) in recent years.  Take for example:

• For many years, Roman Catholic Father Bob MacDougall was a regular speaker on Canada’s (evangelical) Christian TV program, 100 Huntley Street.
• The Alpha Course, started by Anglicans, is now regularly used in both Evangelical and Roman Catholic Churches.
• Billy Graham, one of the USA’s most famous evangelical voices, regularly cooperated with Roman Catholics in his crusades.  Roman Catholics participated in inviting their friends to the crusades ("Operation Andrew"), and those who responded to Graham’s message were regularly counselled by Romans Catholics and sent to Roman Catholic churches.
• Campus Crusade for Christ has done youth outreach along with Roman Catholics, and has shared materials.  In fact, the Jesus Film (primarily financed by Campus Crusade) was shown on World Youth Day in Rome (2000).  Mission agency YWAM also regularly works with Roman Catholics.
• Evangelical musician Michael Card released a joint project with Roman Catholic John Michael Talbot in 1996 entitled Brother to Brother.

So there’s no doubt we have a changing landscape, when it comes to Roman Catholics and Protestants.  Quite a difference in 500, or even 100 years ago!

Much of the book focuses on the dialogues between Protestant and Roman Catholic groups, and the agreements which came out of these.  Anglicans and Roman Catholics were originally aiming toward a full union.  Reformed churches, Pentecostals, and various other groups produced ecumenical documents.  Perhaps most newsworthy, the Lutherans and Roman Catholics came up with many documents, including the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (signed Reformation Day, 1999).  Evangelicals may remember the Evangelical and Catholics Together (ECT) documents.

In the early days of the church, as is true today (at times!), leaders of believers were zealous to teach the truth and protect their people from false doctrine.  Many of the theological statements (creeds, councils) from the early days of the church arose from these real life, often critical discussions.  (No doubt there were many other factors that influenced these councils, but many of the most important discussions started in the grass roots of local churches)

The passion of these leaders was to clarify the truth.  What exactly does the Word of God teach?  What is truth?  How can we teach it to our people so they won’t be led astray?

As I read about these many documents, I began to wonder if the the exact opposite was happening.  It seemed like people were trying to find wording that everyone could agree on.  We end up with often vague statements, carefully worded, that are broad enough that Catholics and Protestants can both agree.  Voila!  We’re all unified!  Or are we?

I think Roman Catholics and Protestants should both be concerned.  We should be clarifying what we believe – surely that would lead to a more valuable discussion, than trying to make it look like we’re all more unified than we are.

Today, it’s not only Catholics and Protestants.  For example, Muslims have reached sought common ground with Christian communities with the document A Common Word between Us and You.

Don’t get me wrong.  I believe we can learn from others.  I believe we should have dialogue.  I even think that finding common ground is important.  Discussion without violence is a wonderful thing.  And this is not an argument that we can never work together in any way.  (How that might look is a whole other discussion!)

But it’s ultimtly important for believers to know the Gospel and be able to share it clearly.  Whatever time there may be to work together, there is never a time to dilute the Gospel so we all look unified.

I was disappointed in Noll’s book, which seemed biased toward Roman Catholicism and against Evangelicalism (Noll considers himself and evangelical).  He shared stories of converts to Rome and not converts the other way.  He also virtually ignored some major, key differences between the two groups.  For example, Communion and the Eucharist – Roman Catholics believe that the Mass is a repeated sacrifice, most Protestants believe that the Lord’s Supper cannot be a repeated sacrifice since Jesus’ sacrifice was once for all.  There’s the Roman Catholic belief in pergatory, a place of punishment after death for believers.  The belief of Evangelicals that the Bible is the final authority, as opposed to the Roman Catholic teaching about tradition and the authority of the magisterium (Roman Catholic leadership) to interpret tradition and Scripture.

In spite of seemingly unified statements on salvation, there are many in the Christian tradition outside the Roman Catholic church that do not accept Rome’s way to God, and many in Rome who are not a little concerned about the teachings of evangelicals (for example) on justification, Christ’s sacrifice, and salvation.

And it’s not just a few radicals, as Noll’s book seems to imply.  Those on both sides who are opposed to theological unity are not all vengeful, narrow-minded, or uneducated.

We need to be like those Church Fathers who fought to understand and teach the truth.  We can find common ground without pretending unity where it doesn’t (or shouldn’t) exist.  If we don’t understand what we believe, how will we even know when others disagree?  We can be open minded without accepting everything that sounds spiritual.

Roman Catholics, Muslims, Protestants – whatever label you may have, don’t stop talking, thinking, and searching.  Surely we can do that without violence, and without pretending that there are no real differences at all.

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Since I linked to some of the ecumenical discussions above, it’s only fair to link to some opposing views.  Here’s a video response to the Muslim document by USA pastor John Piper here.  John MacArthur on the Roman Catholic Mass.  A review of Is the Reformation Over? from Canadian blogger Tim Challies.  Finally, for more reading on different views on the authority of Scripture, try The Shape of Sola Scriptura by Keith A. Mathison.