I've been interested lately by the fact that many Modern Evangelicals and Catholics have a similar theology in some regards. I'm not talking about the catholic elements that all Christians share: doctrine of the Trinity, deity of Christ, etc. I have my own idea of it, but I thought I might ask here first:
What doctrine do many/most evangelicals (read: influenced by charismatics and anabaptists) and Catholics hold that Reformed/Lutherans do not hold?
or
What doctrine do both Evangelicals and Catholics deny that Reformed/Lutherans affirm?
6 comments:
Hmmm from a Confessional Protestant way of seeing things, I would assume the answer is that for both Catholics and Evangelicals (*read Anabaptists*), justification is of necessity about something WE do, or cooperate with. Decision theology and Arminianism are very close to Catholic theology that the remission of sins depends on the contrition or interior state of the person (plus sacramental desire, if they are a Catholic).
Whereas Confessional Protestants affirm that justification is solely the work of God, and solely a legal process, a declaration.
Whilst many evangelicals are unwittingly rejecting sola fide and sola gratia by saying that we 'choose' God in our conversion.
Just the ol' synergism-monergism divide.
Definitely sola fide.
I'd also add sola Scriptura, given evangelicalism's denial of Scripture's sufficiency.
So, that covers both the formal and material principles of the Reformation.
I am going with sola Scriptura as to where I think you are going. Basically the common error is that there are more revelations necessary or at least helpful. Be it Jesus whispering in my ear or a feeling to do something that MUST be the Holy Spirit prompting me. Or perhaps the cannons of church councils that are so good and contradicting each other. (Go council of Orange! That is the good council!) It is all extra revelation and pretty much the common error. That is my stab at it.
Sola Scriptura wins the prize. Now I just need to get time to do blog posts...
"I've been interested lately by the fact that many Modern Evangelicals and Catholics have a similar theology in some regards." Fully coherent with my own experience.
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