All entries by this author

Authentic and Inauthentic Reform: A Brief Response to Reformanda Initiative’s “Is the Reformation Over: A Statement of Evangelical Convictions”

Nov 3rd, 2016 | By | Category: Blog Posts

I was asked to respond to an article from Reformanda Initiative posted recently on The Gospel Coalition site. The article is titled “Is the Reformation Over? A Statement of Evangelical Convictions.” The full “statement,” which some evangelicals have signed, is located here at “isthereformationover.com.” For readers who may be unfamiliar with Reformanda Initiative, this is […]



Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2016: Day Eight, “Hearts burning for unity”

Jan 25th, 2016 | By | Category: Blog Posts

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace.” (Isaiah 52:7)



Catholic and Reformed Understandings of “He Descended into Hell”

Apr 4th, 2015 | By | Category: Blog Posts

Why are the Catholic and Reformed positions different regarding the meaning of the line in the Apostles’ Creed “He descended into hell,” and how can we stake steps toward resolving this disagreement? To approach those questions I consider and briefly engage below the writings of R. Scott Clark and Rick Phillips on this subject, in […]



Lawrence Feingold on Purgatory

Mar 31st, 2015 | By | Category: Blog Posts

On February 25, 2015, Dr. Lawrence Feingold, Associate Professor of Philosophy & Theology at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Saint Louis, Missouri, and author of The Natural Desire to See God According to St. Thomas and his Interpreters and the three volume series The Mystery of Israel and the Church gave a lecture titled “Purgatory” to the […]



Trueman, Lent, and Reformed Catholicity

Feb 16th, 2015 | By | Category: Blog Posts

In the Latin Rite liturgical calendar, this Wednesday (February 18) is Ash Wednesday, and marks the beginning of Lent, that forty-day period of fasting and abstinence in which we prepare for Easter. One intention for which we can fast and pray this Lent is the reunion of all Christians. Oddly enough, however, Lent is precisely […]



One thing that I seek as Bishop of Rome is communion with the Orthodox Churches

Nov 30th, 2014 | By | Category: Unity in the News

Pope Francis today concluded a trip to Turkey where on Saturday, November 29, he participated in an ecumenical prayer in the Patriarchal Church of Saint George in Phanar, Turkey, with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. At the conclusion of this prayer, Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Francis each gave a brief address to one another. On Sunday, […]



Loyalties to Our People: A Reply to D. Stephen Long

Aug 2nd, 2014 | By | Category: Blog Posts

In 2005, D. Stephen Long, professor of Systematic Theology at Marquette University, wrote an article titled “In need of a pope?,” in which he considered reasons why Protestantism might need a pope. Subsequently he was asked repeatedly why he did not become Catholic. So last week he wrote an article in The Christian Century titled […]



The Bishops of History and the Catholic Faith: A Reply To Brandon Addison

Jun 8th, 2014 | By | Category: Featured Articles

On March 24 of this year we posted a guest article by Brandon Addison titled “The Quest for the Historical Church: A Protestant Assessment.” We had invited Brandon some months earlier to write an essay for Called To Communion on the topic of his choice, and we are very grateful for his generosity, trust, and […]



Trent and the Gospel: A Reply to Tim Challies

May 7th, 2014 | By | Category: Blog Posts

On April 16, Tim Challies, a Reformed pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in Toronto, Ontario, and co-founder of Cruciform Press, published a post titled “The False Teachers: Pope Francis.” That generated much discussion, as one might imagine. I responded to it in comment #335 of “Does the Bible Teach Sola Fide?” One of the criticisms […]



Overcoming the Scandal of Division

Jan 25th, 2014 | By | Category: Blog Posts

On this last day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, let’s consider the events of the past week, and petition the Lord to help us overcome the scandal of our continued division.