by Matthew Gaetano Gisbertus Voetius (1589-1676) was a major Dutch Reformed theologian whose works demonstrate mastery not only of Scripture, the Church Fathers, and medieval theology, but also a command of the works of contemporary Roman Catholic scholastic authors. He studied at Leiden, participated in the Synod of Dort, and then taught at Utrecht, where he confronted the… Read More Gisbertus Voetius and Reformed Catholicity
by Trevor Anderson I was born about twenty years after the Second Vatican Council, and came into communion with the Roman Catholic Church about twenty-five years after that, so I have no recollection of what the Catholic Church was like before Vatican II. Likewise, I have no recollection of what the relations between Protestants and Catholics,… Read More Trent and Vatican II: Suggested Principles for Analysis
by Eric J. DeMeuse In his now classic study of Martin Luther, Heiko Oberman writes that ‘Luther does not stand for the alternatives “truth not unity,” “conscience not institution,” “individual not community”.’ This sentence sums up, I think, Oberman’s project rather succinctly; namely, to overturn an old, ingrained ‘Here I stand’ narrative of radical discontinuity… Read More Does Unity Matter? Luther on the Unity of the Church
by Matthew T. Gaetano In my previous post, I wanted to challenge the perspective of some (unnamed) Catholics who are wrongly suspicious of Protestant views of learning. The great writers of ancient Greece and Rome (such as Aristotle and Cicero) were appropriated by Reformed and Lutheran writers, just as they had been by medieval and Renaissance… Read More Protestantism, Liberal Learning, and Scholasticism: Part 2
by Matthew T. Gaetano In certain circles, I think that ecumenical dialogue may be hampered by mutual mischaracterizations related to liberal learning. Some Reformed thinkers criticize Roman Catholics for being excessively optimistic about human reason. Catholic thinkers, it is said, fail to recognize the damage done to human reason by original sin–in other words, the noetic… Read More Protestantism, Liberal Learning, and Scholasticism: Part 1
Our interview with Charles Raith continues below: [Go here for Part I of this interview] It is commonly held that the main difference between Protestant and Catholic conceptions of justification is between “external” forgiveness and “internal” renewal. Put another way, for Protestants justification occurs by faith alone whereas Catholics insist on cooperating with grace for justification. How do… Read More An Interview with Charles Raith on Aquinas, Calvin, and Ecumenism: Part 2
by Matthew T. Gaetano In what follows here and in future posts, I hope to address specific ways in which Roman Catholic and Reformed theologians have historically mischaracterized one another for a variety of reasons. At the same time, I will seek to avoid the appearance of reducing serious confessional differences to mere misunderstandings. And I would like to… Read More Faith and Works in Cajetan