Recently I was asked for my evaluation of Doug Wilson’s article titled “Authority and Apostolic Succession.” For the sake of any others who may be interested in a Catholic evaluation of Doug’s article, I am posting my evaluation here. (Continue Reading…)
The Canon Question
“I would not have believed the gospel, unless the authority of the Church had induced me.” (St. Augustine, Contra Ep. Fund., V, 6.)
I. THE CANON QUESTION.
As Christians, how is it that we know we are saved by the death and resurrection of the incarnate Son of God? For those raised as Christians, the Sunday School sing-song answer “for the Bible tells me so” may come to mind, and this fairly well summarizes the Protestant teaching on the communication of saving truth. The Belgic Confession, an historical expression of the Reformed faith used widely in Dutch denominations, asserts that we know God by the beauty of Continue Reading…
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March 12, 2010
March 11, 2010
Two Rights Declare a Wrong-on Appeals to Orthodoxy
Throughout the past year on Called to Communion, the various blog posts and full-length articles by the contributors have been met with objections of various stripes and sizes. It has been a mixture of excitement, hope, prayer, frustration, and calls for mercy for me to read many of those posts and the dialogue that has followed-my hope is that this venture has led us all to grow in learning more about one another and where we come from in our understanding of the Christian Faith. (Continue Reading…)
March 9, 2010
The Canon as its own Measure?
One major point of circular reasoning with Protestant thought on the identification of the canon is the concept of the canon as its own standard. For example, the Reformers claimed that the New Testament books were obviously canonical because of their apostolic character. But according to them where do we learn of the apostolic faith? The canonical New Testament, of course. So does it prove anything that the canonical books confirm themselves?
March 7, 2010
Aquinas and Trent: Part 7
On this day, March 7, in the year 1274, seven hundred and thirty six years ago, St. Thomas Aquinas departed from this life, and thus today is his traditional feast day.1 Last year, on this day, I began a series of posts intending to show how St. Thomas’s theology helps explain the soteriology set forth in the decrees and canons of the Council of Trent. This post is a continuation of that series. Having laid out what St. Thomas wrote about original sin, here I examine and explain what the Fifth Session of the Council of Trent taught concerning original sin. (Continue Reading…)
March 6, 2010
Can God Lie?
When I was younger, I used to think that God actually could lie if He wanted to, but He simply chose not to because of His goodness. I didn’t realize, and I think many people still don’t, that He literally cannot lie. Some theological errors can be avoided by understanding that God cannot lie. For example, imputed righteousness entails God saying something is true when it really isn’t. But if we knew that such a thing is impossible for God, then we would know that imputed righteousness is false. (Continue Reading…)
March 4, 2010
Romanism, Dispensationalism and an Interesting Inconsistency in the Soteriology of Dr. John Gerstner
Ligonier Ministries recently posted an excerpt from the late John Gerstner’s Primer on Justification. This article, taken together with things he has written elsewhere concerning the nature of faith, manifests an interesting and important inconsistency in Dr. Gerstner’s thinking about justification. Before turning to that problem, I want to make a few comments on the article itself.
March 1, 2010
February 18, 2010
Augustine on Adam’s Body and Christ’s Body – Is Reformed Theology Truly Augustinian?
Here is a simple synopsis of God’s original plan for Adam by Saint Augustine. Notice how Augustine views humanity as “between the angelic and bestial,” since man consists of a immaterial, separable soul and a material body: (Continue Reading…)
February 17, 2010
A Liturgical Year in Review
One liturgical year ago on this day, Ash Wednesday, we launched Called to Communion with the vision of engaging Reformed Christians on the fundamental issues that keep us divided. Our ultimate goal has ever been the restoration to full sacramental unity of all of God’s people. The division among Christ’s followers scandalizes a fallen world. (Continue Reading…)
February 13, 2010
St. Thomas Aquinas on the Relation of Faith to the Church
In the second part of the second part of his Summa Theologica, St. Thomas Aquinas explains the seven virtues: the three theological virtues (i.e. faith, hope, and love), and the four cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance). In his section on Faith, St. Thomas says something quite shocking to modern ears. (Continue Reading…)
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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.
September 9, 2009
Hermeneutics and the Authority of Scripture
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It is my pleasure to be able to write on a subject where we as Catholics share so much common ground with our Reformed brothers, and even with most Evangelicals. In fact, it is no small thing that we agree upon foundational truths contra mundum in a time when even many Christians deny them.
This article intends to show that, though Protestants agree with the Catholic Church on the basic truths about Scripture and its authority, the Reformed view of Scripture (Continue Reading…)
July 15, 2009
The Gospel and the Meaning of Life
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When I was a child the gospel seemed to be something that merely floated on top of my human existence. I did not perceive it as going to the very heart of my existence. I knew that I was mortal, and from the Bible I understood that when I died I would go either to heaven or hell. Of course I did not want to go to hell; I preferred to go to heaven and be with God. Hence it was obvious to me then that I should “ask Jesus into my heart,” which I did as a small child. (Continue Reading…)
July 6, 2009
Ecclesial Deism
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St. Irenaeus and St. Clement of Alexandria, who both lived during the second century, tell us that after the Apostle John returned from exile on Patmos, he remained at Ephesus “till Trajan’s time.” Trajan became emperor in AD 98. According to the tradition, St. John was the last of the twelve Apostles to die. When the angels carried his soul into Heaven, was the Church then left to fall into heresy and apostasy? (Continue Reading…)
June 30, 2009
How Might Luther Say the Church Never Disappeared?
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“Justification is the article upon which the Church stands or falls.” Luther didn’t actually write this anywhere so far as I know, but he did express the sentiment. He said, for example, that without the doctrine of justification “the Church of God is not able to exist for one hour.” And that amounts to much the same thing.
June 8, 2009
Calvin on ‘Self-Authentication’
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If the Bible alone is our authority, shouldn’t we be able to prove this from the Bible? If we can’t, and if we accept it nevertheless, doesn’t that mean that we’re de facto accepting an authority over and above the Bible? And don’t we have to do this just to delineate which books are Scriptural? And doesn’t all this business involve us in some sort of self-referential incoherence?
June 7, 2009
Christ Founded a Visible Church
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One of the most fundamental differences between the Protestant and Catholic ecclesial paradigms concerns the nature of the Church that Christ founded. According to the predominant Protestant paradigm, the Church itself is a spiritual, invisible entity, though some of its members, namely, all those believers still living in this present life, are visible, because they are embodied. (Continue Reading…)
May 9, 2009
Wilson vs. Hitchens: A Catholic Perspective
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I just finished teaching Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics this semester. This is the tenth year I have taught it, and every time I teach it, I more deeply appreciate its truth and importance. One reason for its importance can be found in the Wilson-Hitchens video that I discuss below. (Continue Reading…)
May 8, 2009
The Grandeur of Covenant Theology
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All mankind is of one author and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated. . . . As therefore the bell that rings a sermon calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come, so this bell calls us all; (Continue Reading…)
April 10, 2009
Aquinas and Trent: Part 6
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What did Christ do for us through His Passion, according to Aquinas? Was it necessary that He suffer? How do we receive the salvific benefits of Christ’s Passion? Was His Passion sufficient? Does God hate sinners? (Continue Reading…)
Called to Communion Podcast
Download Individual Podcast Epsiodes | Subscribe to the podcastFebruary 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
August 20, 2009
Episode 7 – A Dialogue on Conversion
Tom Riello and Tim Troutman, former PCA members, talk about their respective conversions in this episode. This is simply a recording of an unscripted conversation with no set topic except, generally speaking, their conversion experiences. The topics discussed include the canon, Church authority, and the papacy.
To download the mp3, right-click here.
July 29, 2009
Episode 6 – Ecclesial Deism
Tom Riello interviews Bryan Cross on the topic of his recent article on Ecclesial Deism. Also in this episode, Bryan briefly discusses the visiblility of the Church and the necessity of the Petrine ministry.
To download the mp3, right-click here.
June 27, 2009
Episode 5 – John Kincaid’s Conversion
Tom Riello interviews CTC’s newest member, John Kincaid, on his conversion to the Catholic Church. John Kincaid is a doctoral candidate at Ave Maria University. This is more than a typical conversion story and a bit longer than our previous podcasts but well worth the listen. John shares some insightful theology and gives us a glimpse into why this former Calvinist decided to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church.
To download the mp3, right click here.
May 17, 2009
Episode 4 – Faith & Reason
In this episode, Bryan Cross & Tim Troutman discuss the relationship between faith and reason and how to strike a balance between fideism and rationalism.
April 1, 2009
Podcast Episode 3
In this episode, Tom Riello interviews Sean Patrick and Tim Troutman on the topics of their recent articles on Called to Communion: Soli Deo Gloria and Sola Gratia.
February 27, 2009
Podcast Episode 2
In our second episode, Tim Troutman, Tom Brown, Tom Riello, and Bryan Cross discuss the important subject of Christian unity.
January 18, 2009
Podcast Episode 1
Tim Troutman interviews Dr. Jonathan Deane on his conversion to the Catholic Church in this first episode of Called to Communion’s podcast.
From the Blog
Doug Wilson’s “Authority and Apostolic Succession”
Recently I was asked for my evaluation of Doug Wilson's article titled "Authority and Apostolic Succession." For the sake of any others who may be interested in a Catholic evaluation of Doug's article, I am posting my evaluation here.
Two Rights Declare a Wrong-on Appeals to Orthodoxy
Throughout the past year on Called to Communion, the various blog posts and full-length articles by the contributors have been met with objections of various stripes and sizes. It has been a mixture of excitement, hope, prayer, frustration, and calls for mercy for me to read many of those posts ...
The Canon as its own Measure?
One major point of circular reasoning with Protestant thought on the identification of the canon is the concept of the canon as its own standard. For example, the Reformers claimed that the New Testament books were obviously canonical because of their apostolic character. But according to them where do we ...
Aquinas and Trent: Part 7
On this day, March 7, in the year 1274, seven hundred and thirty six years ago, St. Thomas Aquinas departed from this life, and thus today is his traditional feast day. ((A fascinating summary of his life and death can be found here.)) Last year, on this day, I began ...
Featured Article
Solo Scriptura, Sola Scriptura, and the Question of Interpretive Authority
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.
Podcast
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 ...
Christian Unity in the News
Cardinal Levada: "Union with the Catholic Church is the goal of ecumenism"
In a lengthy address delivered in Canada on March 6, Cardinal William Levada, prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, stated that the reception of communities of Anglicans into the Catholic Church is consistent with Anglican-Catholic ecumenical dialogue because "union with the Catholic Church is the goal of ecumenism."
Anglican Church in America Officially Seeks to Enter the Catholic Church
Australian Anglicans Seek Union With Rome
Patriarch of Constantinople Defends Catholic-Orthodox Dialogue
Pope Addresses Bishops from Romania & Moldova Canon Lawyer Hopes for Full Communion With SSPX Serbian Patriarch Urges Christian Dialogue
