Enjoying God Ministries

The recent announcement by Francis Beckwith that he is returning to full communion in the Roman Catholic Church has stirred quite a debate among bloggers. Beckwith, a professor at Baylor University, resigned not only from the presidency of the Evangelical Theological Society but also from general membership in the society.

In this post and the next I want to briefly address the delicate relationship (or lack thereof) between Roman Catholics and Protestant Evangelicals. Both of these entries were previously posted on my website under Studies in Roman Catholic Theology, but in view of Beckwith's "conversion" I thought they might be worth both slight expansion and deeper consideration.

Notwithstanding the efforts of ECT (Evangelicals and Catholics Together), the divisions between Catholicism and Protestantism are long-standing and the reasons multi-faceted. Whereas the vast majority of Protestants remain suspicious of Roman Catholicism, a few, often well-known figures (e.g., Richard John Neuhaus, Thomas Howard, Scott Hahn, and now Beckwith), find a home in Rome. Here are some observations on why most evangelical Protestants are suspicious of Rome, and are disturbed by Beckwith's decision.

By the way, the following are merely observations. I make no attempt to determine whether or not these evangelical fears are justified or misguided.

(1) Many Protestant evangelicals are energized by the Protestant martyrs of the reformation and post-reformation period: Hus, Cranmer, Tyndale, Hugh Latimer, Ridley, etc. They fear that dialogue with the RCC is a disservice and dishonor to those who gave their lives for their convictions. They were tortured and died for their refusal to embrace the RC Mass or bow to papal authority. ECT, for example, represents for many evangelicals a tacit dismissal of such heroes of the faith: "Are we selling out those who sacrificed so much? Why are we willing to compromise so easily on matters that were to them a question of life and death?"

(2) Evangelicals fear the loss of theological integrity. They believe that the only way to enter a dialogue with Rome is by compromising on several key theological issues. Most evangelicals believe that unity is theologically based. Cooperative efforts must be grounded in theological consensus. Is this biblical? Is it feasible?

(3) Many evangelicals are afraid of liturgy and ritual. They are put off by the external trappings of the RCC and believe them to be a threat to the simplicity, genuineness, freedom and spontaneity of faith in Jesus. Perhaps they grew up Catholic or know someone who is Catholic and are personally aware of the potential of relying on a religious ritual devoid of spiritual substance. A biblically based theology of symbol and sacrament would go a long way in diminishing such fears.

(4) Evangelicals often fear that RC theology and practice detract from a single-minded focus on Jesus. Devotion to Mary, praying the rosary, penance, confession, etc. strike them as distractions from and perhaps substitutions for the worship of the Son of God alone (Solo Christo). Associated with this is their belief that Catholics are obsessed with the Pope, a mere man (as evidenced by the deference shown him, the honorific titles given him, and the habit of bowing in his presence or the kissing of his hand, foot, ring, etc.).

(5) Evangelicals are concerned that the RC concept of justification, doing penance, the doctrine of Purgatory, and the Mass, etc., detract from, and perhaps even deny, the centrality and sufficiency of divine grace (Sola Gratia). This raises the question of whether or not justification by faith alone (Sola Fide) is itself the gospel.

(6) Evangelicals tend to be individualistic in their faith. Thus they do not like being told what to do and what not to do. They fear that papal authority and the magisterium of the church would rob them of their freedom as Christians. In other words, evangelicals are quite serious about the doctrine of the priesthood of the believer and the concept of "soul competency".

(7) The single most basic reason for evangelical reluctance toward ECT, as well as concerns with Beckwith's decision and other forms of dialogue or ecumenical activity, is their suspicion that Catholics are not saved. The question they ask themselves is: "How can someone be born again who denies Sola Scriptura, who puts their trust in the propitiatory sacrifice of the mass, who grants such high privilege and power to both the Pope on earth and Mary in heaven, who believes that salvation is, at minimum, a cooperative effort of God and man?"

This suspicion casts a long shadow over all efforts at dialogue between evangelical and Catholic. Of course, the crucial question here is whether or not Catholics, in fact, believe what evangelicals think they believe? It would appear that open and honest and prolonged dialogue is at this point absolutely essential.

In the next post I'll briefly address why some evangelical Protestants, such as Beckwith, convert to Catholicism.