Most adult Protestants are married and value marriage. Nevertheless, Protestants are adamant that marriage is not a sacrament. Hence, Protestants and Catholics have a fundamental disagreement over the nature of marriage. So then, one of the most neglected considerations regarding a conversion to the Catholic Faith is how it will affect your marriage. How?
What Therefore God Has Joined Together: Divorce and the Sacrament of Marriage
There are some ancient Christian doctrines that only the Catholic Church has retained. One such doctrine is her teaching on contraception, which was the unanimous teaching of the Church Fathers, and which all Christians shared for nineteen centuries until the Lambeth Conference of 1930. At that conference the Anglican Church decided to permit the use of contraceptives, and were soon followed by all other Protestant denominations. Another such doctrine is the Catholic Church’s teaching concerning the indissolubility of marriage, and thus the impossibility of remarriage while the spouse lives.1
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January 26, 2012
January 25, 2012
Closing: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
“While experiencing these days the painful situation of our divisions, we Christians can and must look to the future with hope,” Pope Benedict XVI told a packed basilica of St Paul’s outside-the-walls Wednesday evening, “because Christ’s victory means to overcome everything that keeps us from sharing the fullness of life with Him and with others.”
Source: Vatican Radio.
January 24, 2012
Going to Confession: How it Works (Part 5 of Becoming Catholic)
For Protestants, the most unknown aspect of Catholic devotional life is confession. Unless you’re Catholic, you cannot experience it. A Protestant can attend a Catholic baptism, confirmation, wedding, ordination, and Holy Mass; however, he cannot attend a confession or know what it’s like until he actually makes one for the first time.
January 23, 2012
Day 6: Prayer for Christian Unity
Most gracious God, on this day of the March for Life, may your servants who marched side by side be rewarded with the strength of perseverance, with the deepest hope in your goodness, and with a renewed desire for unity with the separated brothers and sisters with whom they marched.
January 22, 2012
Salvation Pinball & the Devotional Life of Catholics (Part 4 of Becoming Catholic)
Yesterday we examined difficulties that Catholic converts experience in the context of family life. Today we look at how how your devotional might change when you become a Catholic. What would change?
Day 5: Prayer for Christian Unity
Jesus Christ, true God and true man, we know You most fully in your Blessed Sacrament, offered to us as You offered Yourself to the world in the Bethlehem manger. We know that you desire the unity of Your Body. We know that you are grieved when a foot is cut off or a limb is mangled. Your Church bleeds from many wounds, and You invite us to participate with your Holy Spirit in healing that which is broken. Please, we ask you, give us the grace to foster unity within the Body of Christ, most especially the grace of evangelizing with courteous charity and prudent zeal, so that every soul might have the opportunity to receive Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion and receive the fullness of joy that you desire to give us. We ask through the prayers of Your Mother. Amen.
Our thanks to Catherine Rose, author, revert, brave mother and devoted daughter of Christ, for accepting our request to write a prayer for this occasion.
January 21, 2012
What Would Your Family Say…If You Became Catholic? (Part 3 on Becoming Catholic)
For the last two daily posts, I’ve shared personal aspects of becoming Catholic. Today I move to one of the most difficult parts of that decision, the judgment of your family. For most people, this is the largest obstacle to becoming Catholic.
Day 4: Prayer for Christian Unity
A Prayer for Unity through the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary
January 20, 2012
How Catholicism Made Me Socially Aware (Part 2 of Becoming Catholic)
Yesterday, in Part I, I shared how I became Catholic in my heart during a Holy Mass with Pope Benedict XVI. Today’s story is less exotic. It happened about a year before I visited Rome and it happened in Fort Worth, Texas.
Day 3: Prayer for Christian Unity
In his work Called to Communion (Ignatius: 1991. German title: Zur Gemeinschaft gerufen), then-Cardinal Ratzinger wrote:
Anyone who becomes acquainted with [the Church] as she lives out her life sees immediately that the ancient Church never consisted in a static juxtaposition of local Churches. Catholicity, concretely realized in many forms, belongs to her essence from the very outset. In the apostolic period it is above all the figure of the apostle itself that stands outside the scope of the local principle. The apostle is not the bishop of a community but rather a missionary for the whole Church. The figure of the apostle is the strongest refutation of every purely local conception of the Church. He expresses in his person the universal Church; he is her representative, and no local Church can claim him for herself alone. Paul carried out this function of unity by means of his letters and a network of messengers. These letters are an exercise of his catholic ministry of unity, which can be accounted for only by the apostle’s authority in the Church universal. (P.83.)
Heavenly Father, may we become united and at peace with our Christian brothers and sisters through a better understanding of the ministries of the Apostles, bishops and fathers of the early Church. We pray in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
For older posts, visit the archives.
- Such a defense will be written in the future on Called to Communion. [↩]
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May 25, 2011
The Commonitory of St. Vincent of Lérins
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Yesterday (May 24) was the feast day of St. Vincent of Lérins, a soldier who became a monk at the monastery in Lérins, and wrote his famous Commonitory in AD 434, three years after the third Ecumenical Council at Ephesus, and seventeen years before the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon. Because Protestants generally accept both those councils, St. Vincent’s Commonitory provides a window into Catholic thought during a period treated by Protestants as still orthodox, prior to any ‘great apostasy.’
March 6, 2011
Tradition I and Sola Fide
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Readers of this website are by now thoroughly familiar with Keith Mathison’s book The Shape of Sola Scriptura. His thesis has already received ample criticism (see articles by Cross & Judisch, Liccione, and Judisch), and I do not wish to add to that particular discussion. In this post, I would like instead to grant Mathison his thesis for the sake of argument and then ask, “Given the doctrine of authority proposed by Mathison, do we have good reason to believe that the Reformation interpretation of Scripture is substantially correct?” (Continue Reading…)
February 25, 2011
Some Preliminary Reflections on Mathison’s Dialectic
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I.
About a decade ago, Keith Mathison wrote a book called The Shape of Sola Scriptura. In this book he specified a distinction between
Solo Scriptura: The Bible is the Christian’s only authority,
and
Sola Scriptura: The Bible is the Christian’s only infallible authority; however, the Church, the true bishops, the regula fidei, possess real but fallible and derivative authority for Christians as well.
Call the thesis that there is a principled distinction between Solo Scriptura and Sola Scriptura the “Distinction Thesis.” (Continue Reading…)
December 13, 2010
The Church Fathers on Transubstantiation
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This article is intended to be a resource showing the support for the doctrine of Transubstantiation in the Church fathers, and not a robust defense of the doctrine as defined by the Council of Trent.1 The Church fathers did not believe in a mere spiritual presence of Christ alongside or in the elements (bread and wine). This can be shown by three different types of patristic statements. The first and most explicit type is a statement that directly affirms a change in the elements. The second type is a simple identification of the consecrated species with the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Because unconsecrated bread is not called the Body, and consecrated is called the Body, this directly implies a belief that a supernatural change has taken place at the point of consecration. The third and final type is a statement which attributes or demands extraordinary reverence for the consecrated species itself, and not merely the solemnity of communion in this sacrament. (Continue Reading…)
November 15, 2010
Sola Scriptura: A Dialogue between Michael Horton and Bryan Cross
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In February of this year Ryan Glomsrud, the Executive Editor of Modern Reformation, invited me to participate in a roundtable discussion on the subject of sola scriptura, with Michael Horton, editor-in-chief of Modern Reformation, a co-host of the White Horse Inn, and the J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California. The article containing our discussion was just published in the November/December 2010 issue of Modern Reformation, and is titled “Sola Scriptura: A Dialogue between Michael Horton and Bryan Cross.” (Continue Reading…)
June 15, 2010
The Church Fathers on Baptismal Regeneration
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According to PCA pastor Wes White, the doctrine of baptismal regeneration is “impossible in the Reformed system.”1 By noting this, he intends to show that we should reject the doctrine of baptismal regeneration. But if the evidence for the truth of the doctrine of baptismal regeneration is stronger than the evidence for the truth of the “Reformed system,” then the incompatibility of the doctrine of baptismal regeneration and the Reformed system serves as evidence against the Reformed system. Here I present both Patristic and Scriptural evidence for the truth of the doctrine of baptismal regeneration. (Continue Reading…)
June 1, 2010
How John Calvin Made me a Catholic
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I once heard a Protestant pastor preach a “Church History” sermon. He began with Christ and the apostles, dashed through the book of Acts, skipped over the Catholic Middle Ages and leaped directly to Wittenberg, 1517. From Luther he hopped to the English revivalist John Wesley, crossed the Atlantic to the American revivals and slid home to his own Church, Birmingham, Alabama, early 1990s. Cheers and singing followed him to the plate. The congregation loved it.
May 10, 2010
Holy Orders and the Sacrificial Priesthood
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At the heart of the separation of Catholics and Protestants lies a disagreement about the ecclesial hierarchy. Who are the rightful shepherds of Christ’s flock? This article will examine the Catholic Church’s doctrine of the sacrificial priesthood, and in doing so, will lay the foundation for our subsequent discussion on the critical issue of apostolic succession. We will argue for the following four claims. The hierarchical difference between the clergy and the laity was ordained by God and is supported by the Biblical data. (Continue Reading…)
January 23, 2010
The Canon Question
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“I would not have believed the gospel, unless the authority of the Church had induced me.” (St. Augustine, Contra Ep. Fund., V, 6.)
Contents:
I. The Canon Question
II. Diversity of Theories
A. Self-Attestation and the Testimony of the Holy Spirit
B. The Original Hebrew Old Testament
C. New Testament Apostolic Authorship
D. Widespread Acceptance by the Early Church
E. That Which Preaches Christ: A Canon Within a Canon
III. Authority to Answer the Question
IV. Conclusion (Continue Reading…)
November 4, 2009
Solo Scriptura, Sola Scriptura, and the Question of Interpretive Authority
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According to Keith Mathison, over the last one hundred and fifty years Evangelicalism has replaced sola scriptura, according to which Scripture is the only infallible ecclesial authority, with solo scriptura, the notion that Scripture is the only ecclesial authority. The direct implication of solo scriptura is that each person is his own ultimate interpretive authority.
Called to Communion Podcast
Download Individual Podcast Epsiodes | Subscribe to the podcastAugust 2, 2011
Episode 16 – Stephen Beck’s Conversion Story
Stephen Beck
Stephen Beck was raised Evangelical, but read his way into the Reformed world. He became a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and then the Presbyterian Church in America. Stephen and his family were received into the Catholic Church on the Easter Vigil of 2011 at St. Andrew’s by the Bay Catholic Church in Annapolis, Maryland. He has a Master’s degree from St. John’s College in Annapolis and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Greek and Latin at the Catholic University of America. Stephen is a brilliant thinker with a deep love for Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. In this episode, Stephen’s personal friend and regular CTC contributor, Jeremy Tate, interviews him to find out the reasons behind his conversion.
Right click here to save the MP3 file.
July 16, 2011
David Anders on Catholic Answers
David Anders
On Friday, July 8, I was the guest on the Catholic Answers Live radio program, taking calls and questions from non-Catholics. The one-hour broadcast featured the following questions and discussions:
7′ A discussion of John Calvin’s view of his relation to the Catholic Church, the Catholic positions he affirmed, and his rejection of denominationalism.
15′ A discussion of the Catholic doctrine of communion of the saints, and whether the saints can hear our prayers.
22′ A discussion of legalism and scrupulosity among Catholics.
28′ Why is it difficult for Protestant leaders who recognize the truth of the Catholic Church to become Catholic? Wouldn’t remaining Protestant, in order to hold on to reputation, livelihood, etc. be contrary to Protestant theology?
33′ What are some resources for non-Catholics who want to understand the differences between Calvinism and Catholicism?
36′ What is the Catholic understanding of the relation between divine sovereignty and human freedom?
41′ How does the Catholic understanding of justification address the Reformed claim that the scriptural evidence supports the Protestant notion of justification by the imputation of the alien righteousness of Christ to the believer?
51′ What is the Catholic position on eternal security and the possibility of apostasy, and what is the support for that position?
Listen to the program:
Or download it by right-clicking here.
November 24, 2010
August 25, 2010
May 30, 2010
April 27, 2010
Episode 12 – Jeremy Tate’s Conversion
In this podcast episode, Tom Riello interviews Called to Communion regular, Jeremy Tate, on his recent conversion to the Catholic Church. Jeremy is currently finishing his degree at Reformed Theological Seminary.
Download the mp3 by right clicking here…
March 27, 2010
February 21, 2010
Episode 10 – Our One Year Anniversary
In this episode, Tom Riello and Tim Troutman reflect on the past liturgical year at Called to Communion. Topics covered include where CTC has been, where we are now, and where we are headed.
Download the mp3 by right clicking here.
October 26, 2009
Episode 9 – On the New Anglican Ordinariates
Tim Troutman interviews Taylor Marshall, former Episcopal priest, and Andrew Preslar, formerly studying for Anglican orders, on the subject of the new Anglican Ordinariates and what that means for Christianity and ecumenism.
Download the mp3 here.
September 29, 2009
For older posts, visit the archives.From the Blog
How Will the Catholic Faith Change Your Marriage? (Part 6 on Becoming Catholic)
Most adult Protestants are married and value marriage. Nevertheless, Protestants are adamant that marriage is not a sacrament. Hence, Protestants and Catholics have a fundamental disagreement over the nature of marriage. So then, one of the most neglected considerations regarding a conversion to the Catholic Faith is how it will affect your marriage. How?
Closing: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
“While experiencing these days the painful situation of our divisions, we Christians can and must look to the future with hope,” Pope Benedict XVI told a packed basilica of St Paul’s outside-the-walls Wednesday evening, “because Christ's victory means to overcome everything that keeps us from sharing the fullness of life with Him and with others.” Source: Vatican Radio.
Going to Confession: How it Works (Part 5 of Becoming Catholic)
For Protestants, the most unknown aspect of Catholic devotional life is confession. Unless you're Catholic, you cannot experience it. A Protestant can attend a Catholic baptism, confirmation, wedding, ordination, and Holy Mass; however, he cannot attend a confession or know what it's like until he actually makes one for the first time.
Podcast
Episode 16 – Stephen Beck’s Conversion Story
Stephen Beck Stephen Beck was raised Evangelical, but read his way into the Reformed world. He became a member of the ...
David Anders on Catholic Answers
David Anders On Friday, July 8, I was the guest on the Catholic Answers Live radio program, taking calls and questions ...
Featured Articles
The Commonitory of St. Vincent of Lérins
Yesterday (May 24) was the feast day of St. Vincent of Lérins, a soldier who became a monk at the monastery in Lérins, and wrote his famous Commonitory in AD 434, three years after the third Ecumenical Council at Ephesus, and seventeen years before the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon. Because Protestants generally accept both those councils, St. Vincent's Commonitory provides a window into Catholic thought during a period treated by Protestants as still orthodox, prior to any 'great apostasy.'
Tradition I and Sola Fide
Readers of this website are by now thoroughly familiar with Keith Mathison’s book The Shape of Sola Scriptura. His thesis has already received ample criticism (see articles by Cross & Judisch, Liccione, and Judisch), and I do not wish to add to that particular discussion. In this post, I would like instead to grant Mathison his thesis for the sake of argument and then ask, “Given the doctrine of authority proposed by Mathison, do we have good reason to believe that the Reformation interpretation of Scripture is substantially correct?”
