Enjoying God Ministries

Evangelical Protestants often look on with stunned disbelief as their friends seek full communion with the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Many have expressed this sentiment since hearing of the decision by Francis Beckwith. So, why is it that a number of Protestants are converting to Catholicism? What is it about the RCC that draws them?

There are multiple reasons people cite to explain their decision, five of which I've noted below. Whether or not these are legitimate reasons to seek full communion with Rome is not my concern. I'll leave that with you to decide.

1) Aesthetic - Many appeal to the experience of being moved by the architecture of RC church structures, the incense, the beauty of liturgy, the mystery, the solemnity, the drama, the vestments of the clergy, the church calendar, the sense of transcendence, religious symbolism, etc.

I can vividly recall the response of one of my seminary professors when asked why he was leaving his independent Bible church for fellowship in an Episcopal congregation. He said, quite matter of factly: "I'm tired of worshiping beneath a basketball goal." Of course, he had other reasons as well, but his point is well-taken. There is a wholistic dimension to RC worship that is often absent in the somewhat Spartan and stripped down orientation of much of evangelical Protestantism.

On the other hand, it has been pointed out that, for some at least, it is often precisely the accoutrements and external trappings of RC worship that obscures the simplicity of the gospel and breeds an unhealthy reliance on sight, sound, posture, and gesture rather than on Christ alone.

2) Historical - Some appeal to the belief that the Reformation was a rebellion and that Protestantism is a deviation from the historic stream of the true church. They also point to a desire for unity with the past and the appeal of tradition.

Although he didn't use these precise terms, Beckwith acknowledged the appeal of historical and theological continuity with the earliest generations of the church as one reason why he was drawn back to Rome.

3) Theological - Some convert for strictly theological reasons. They insist that sola scriptura, sola fide, etc. are wrong. Many have become persuaded of a sacramental/sacerdotal approach to God's mechanism for dispensing grace together with a belief that Protestantism is Gnostic and fails to embrace the incarnational principle of scripture.

Beckwith cited his belief that the Catholic doctrine of justification is more biblical than that of evangelical Protestantism. I would suggest, of course, that this is perhaps the most fundamental reason why I remain steadfast in my own evangelical Protestant affiliation. I'm thoroughly persuaded that the doctrine of forensic justification by grace alone through faith alone is the only biblically defensible position. Beckwith would obviously disagree.

4) Social - The growing secularization of society, together with the diminishing influence of the evangelical church, have led many to Rome. They often find in the RCC a stabilizing anchor and unified front to fight the battle against the paganizing of culture.

Somewhat related to this is the disappointment such "converts" feel with the evident divisive and schismatic nature of much of Protestantism. The proliferation of denominations and the incessant internecine warfare that keeps them separate is disturbing to these Catholic converts and indicates a serious failure to take seriously the call for unity issued by Jesus in John 17 and Paul in Ephesians 4 (among other texts).

Of course, one must also reckon with the theological fragmentation that exists in Catholicism and the various "catholicisms" that one can easily identify around the globe.

5) Personal - Many Protestants point to their bad experience in the church, often citing an oppressive and legalistic fundamentalism. The appeal of papal infallibility, as over against the theological schisms in Protestantism, offers a stability in which their souls/minds might find rest in an uncertain and irrational age.

One particular personal dimension to Beckwith's decision was his reference to the place of virtue and holiness in the Christian life. He evidently fears there is an intrinsic tendency toward antinomianism in Protestantism that fails to highlight the necessity of good works, not so much as the ground of salvation but as the necessary expression of it. I can only say that I think this reflects a woefully deficient view of the relationship between faith and works. Anyone who thinks that the Scriptures minimize the importance of the ethical transformation of those who have embraced Christ as Lord and Savior simply do not understand the teaching of God's Word.