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Building Bridges Between Orthodox and Catholic Christians

Building Bridges Between Orthodox and Catholic Christians | Christopher B. Warner | CWR

An interview with Archimandrite Robert Taft, SJ, prominent Byzantine liturgical theologian and lifelong healer of Christian relations between East and West

The April 22nd kidnapping of Syrian archbishops Mar Gregorios Ibrahim of the Syriac Orthodox Church and Paul Yazigi of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, and the killing of their driver, has reminded us once again of the vulnerability of ancient Christian peoples living in the Middle East. More than 1,000 Christians have been killed to date in the Syrian conflict and more than 80 churches have been destroyed. The majority of Christians in Syria are Greek or Syriac Orthodox or Melkite Greek Catholic. This recent violence in Syria can remind us to pray for suffering Christians in the Middle East and afford us the opportunity to practice solidarity with our Greek Catholic and Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters.

Catholic World Report had the recent privilege of asking Archimandrite Robert Taft, SJ for his perspective on current Orthodox-Catholic relations. Father Taft has been the leading scholar in Byzantine liturgical studies for decades. Taft has devoted his life to preserving the liturgical treasury of the East and building bridges between Orthodox and Catholic Christians. As a young Jesuit, Taft first became interested in the liturgical traditions of the Christian East while teaching at the Baghdad Jesuit College in Iraq (1956-1959).

In 1963, Taft was ordained a Catholic priest of the Byzantine Slavonic (Russian) Rite. He is Professor-emeritus of Oriental Liturgy at the Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome, where he received his doctorate in 1970 and remained to teach for 38 years. The Oriental Institute is the most prestigious institute in the world for Eastern Christian studies.

A prolific writer, his bibliography comprises more than 800 articles and 26 books, including A History of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (vols. II-VI), Orientalia Christiana Analecta, Rome, 1978-2013. Several of his writings have been translated into other languages.

Taft is the personal friend of many prominent Orthodox scholars, living and deceased, like Father Alexander Schmemann and Father John Meyendorff. He has many friends in and ties to the Russian Orthodox community, where he is admired and respected. For example, he directed the doctoral studies for both of St. Vladimir Seminary’s liturgical professors: Paul Meyendorff and Father Alexander Rentel.

CWR: Father Robert, thank you very much for your willingness to share with us some of your recent thoughts on Eastern Christian ecumenism.

Many people who are sensitive to Orthodox-Catholic dialogue noticed that when Pope Francis appeared on the balcony a month ago, he was not only very humble, but spoke of the Church of Rome as the Church “which presides in love” and referred to himself as the bishop of Rome concerned for the Christians of Rome. These past few weeks he has definitely set the tone for his pontificate.

This quotation from the second-century letter of St. Ignatius of Antioch to the Roman Church, “which presides in love,” could not have been coincidence considering Pope Francis’ noteworthy sensitivities to Eastern Christian ecclesiology. Plus, the historically unprecedented response to Francis’ election in the form of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s attendance at the papal installation Mass seems to mark Pope Francis as another welcomed bridge-builder between East and West. As an aside, I think it is beautiful that pontifex means “bridge-builder” in Latin. Perhaps Pope Francis will bring a new understanding of that title through his ecumenical dialogue and his local focus on the duties of the bishop of Rome? Could you comment on how you think Pope Francis’ humble “style” will be viewed by Orthodox Christians?

Taft: Pope Francesco is making a wonderful impression on most of the world by just being himself, the self of a real Christian in love, not with himself or his image, but with what real Christians love…God and all His creatures He died to save, especially the poor and needy and downtrodden. This has come across clearly to all of us, including Orthodox I know, who as real Christians can spot a fellow-Christian a mile away.

In addition, even more interesting from the ecumenical perspective is Francesco’s emphasis on his primary title, “Bishop of Rome.” Because a prelate’s title to his primacy comes from his local primatial see, not from some personal or super-imposed ecclesiological distinction. I can’t imagine that any of our attentive Orthodox observers have missed that!

Continue reading on the CWR site.

Revisiting Joseph Smith’s Novel History

Revisiting Joseph Smith’s Novel History | Joseph F. Martin | Catholic World Report

The underestimation of the divide between Mormonism and mainstream Christianity

It is safe to say that when the Mormons built a fantastic, six-spired, gleaming Mormon Temple outside of Washington, DC in 1974, not too many East Coasters were familiar with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) story. I recall gawking at the temple during a drive, as my brother’s Catholic friend knowingly intoned that the gold figure topping the tallest spire represented the angel Gabriel blowing his trumpet at the end of the world. To my then-Methodist ears that sounded appealingly Evangelical. And of course it was entirely wrong. But it was typical of how most people approached Mormonism, interpreting their encounters with LDS believers with the assumption that they shared a common Christian vocabulary and frame of reference with the group, which, while maybe a bit separatist, had to be essentially like all the other “denominations.”

In the years since, thanks to Mormonism’s exponential growth and our accelerated media culture, the LDS church has become far less of a mystery in many ways. Stories of Joseph Smith’s vision and his digging up golden plates from which he translated The Book of Mormon—essentially an Incan reimagining of the New Testament—as well as Brigham Young’s trek across the Rockies have become just another chapter in American lore. Mormons tend to be outstanding people, salt of the earth—and with Western culture rapidly secularizing, many Christians now are advocating that the LDS are actually separated, albeit peculiarly so, brethren.

This seems to be the take of Stephen Webb. In a fascinating piece for First Things (Feb. 2012), titled “Mormonism Obsessed with Christ,” he says that for a large part of his teaching career, he did not try to hide his condescension towards Mormonism. But, Webb writes, “I have come to repent of this view, and not just because I came to my senses about how wrong it is to be rude toward somebody else’s faith. I changed my mind because I came to realize just how deeply Christ-centered Mormonism is.” Concerning The Book of Mormon, he says that while it is “lackluster,”

it is dull precisely because it is all about Jesus. There are many characters in this book, but they change as little as the plot. Nobody stands out but him. “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins” (2 Nephi 25:26). … Every page of the book prepares the way for its stunning climax, which is a literal appearance of Jesus to the ancient peoples of America.

He concludes: “The Book of Mormon raises a question for Christians. Can you believe too much about Jesus? Can you go too far in conceiving his glory? Let me answer that question by posing another. Isn’t the whole point of affirming his divinity the idea that one can never say enough about him? And if Smith’s stories are not true, aren’t they more like exaggerations or embellishments than outright slander and deceit?”

Continue reading on the CWR site.

Peter and Andrew: Brother Pilgrims to Jerusalem

Peter and Andrew: Brother Pilgrims to Jerusalem | Christopher B. Warner | Catholic World Report

Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew continue the 50-year legacy of Catholic-Orthodox dialogue begun by Paul VI and Athenagoras.

Pope Francis met with fraternal delegates of the Orthodox Churches, other Christian churches, and world religions on Wednesday, March 20. These representatives had come to Rome for Francis’ inauguration Mass on Tuesday. Prior to the Wednesday’s meeting, the Holy Father and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople had a 20-minute private conversation. Father Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, said the discussion was both “beautiful and intense.” Over the past week, Francis and Bartholomew have set a foundation for further cooperation and dialogue by reaffirming their joint desire to cooperate as Christian brothers in promoting the stewardship of God’s creation, helping the poor and suffering, and witnessing to life in Christ.

Bridge-building between Catholic and Orthodox Christians has not missed a beat following the papal election. It is well known that Pope Francis served as the ordinary for Eastern Catholics in Argentina so he is very familiar with the liturgical traditions of the East. “He knows our Tradition very well,” says Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, “as well as our Liturgy.” Shevchuk was ordained a bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Buenos Aires in 2009 and has worked closely with the current pope.

When Pope Francis appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in simple regalia and humble manner, he used gestures and phrases that Eastern Church hierarchs could not fail to notice. He spoke of the Church of Rome as the church “which presides in love” and referred to himself as the bishop of Rome concerned for the Christians of the city of Rome. Referring to Roman primacy as a “primacy of love” harkens back to the famous second-century quote from St. Ignatius of Antioch in his letter to the Roman church. This choice of wording, which describes the Rome episcopate in terms of pre-schism ecclesiology, could not have been a coincidence.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s attendance at the events this week in Rome likely marks the first time ever that a patriarch of Constantinople has been present for the inauguration of a pope. “This is a profoundly bold step in ecumenical relations between the Orthodox and the Roman Catholics,” says George E. Demacopoulos, Ph.D., historian for the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University. “One that could have lasting significance.”

Continue reading on the CWR site.

Benedict XVI Honored by Eastern Orthodox Hierarchs

Benedict XVI Honored by Eastern Orthodox Hierarchs | Christopher B. Warner | Catholic World Report

Another look at the Constantinople-Rome schism and a way forward for reconciliation

Following the announcement of Benedict XVI’s retirement, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the chief hierarch of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, issued a statement expressing his profound respect and friendship to Benedict. Bartholomew honored Pope Benedict as an eminent theologian and reaffirmed his desire to keep dialogue open between Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians “for the union of all.” Benedict and Bartholomew’s friendship has been marked by their common mission to restore Christian culture to Europe. The Russian Orthodox Church issued a similar statement thanking Benedict for his efforts to restore relations between the Vatican and the Moscow patriarchate.

Benedict XVI played an important role in modern efforts to heal the schism between the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Dialogue began in 1964 when Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I went together as pilgrims to Jerusalem. The work of restoring communion was renewed by Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Dimitrios I during the 1980s. Between 1980 and 2000 the Mixed Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church worked to find common ground that would lead to further unity. After a period of interruption, Benedict and Bartholomew reopened the work of the commission in 2007. Pope Benedict signed a joint statement with Patriarch Bartholomew in 2006 that renewed their commitment to building Christian unity and working together for the common good of humanity. Admittedly, progress has been slow—too slow for some critics, but then long histories of contention between alienated peoples take a lot of time to heal, Christian or not. Hasty reconciliation attempts between Rome and the Eastern Orthodox in the past did not prove successful.

Like the Oriental Orthodox, the Eastern Orthodox Churches have counterparts who are in full union with the pope, called Eastern Catholics. The Eastern Catholic Churches are part of a long-standing effort to reunite Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians. Unsuccessful reunification attempts took place in Lyon (1274) and in Florence (1438), but the current Eastern Catholic communion was established by the Union of Brest in 1596. At this council the Metropolitan of Kiev (in modern Ukraine) united his church to the Pope of Rome, which is why they are sometimes called “Uniates.” The Ukrainian Catholic Church is the largest of 22 Eastern Catholic Churches, sui iuris, in the world. The Ukrainian Catholics even have a cardinal, Cardinal Archbishop Emeritus Lubomyr Husar, who was papabile at the 2005 papal conclave but is no longer eligible because of his age.

Continue reading at www.CatholicWorldReport.com.

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What Evangelicals Can Learn From Catholics

What Evangelicals Can Learn From Catholics | Joseph Pavicic | Homiletic & Pastoral Review

The biggest thing that Evangelicals can learn from Catholics is how to worship … liturgy, when celebrated reverently, can also give worshipers a connection to the sacred that is just not available through the type of worship service … in Evangelical churches.

Several years ago, I wrote an article for HPR entitled: “What Catholics Can Learn from Evangelicals.” I argued that Evangelical Protestant churches do a better job of teaching Scripture to their congregations than most Catholic parishes. Evangelicals are also more comfortable with evangelizing their neighbors than are Catholics. These remain areas where the Catholics can learn to improve by emulating their Evangelical brethren. However, Evangelicals also have a lot to learn from Catholics.

The idea of Evangelicals learning from Catholics is not really a novel one. Many Evangelical missionaries study the history of Catholic missions to improve the effectiveness of their own missionary activity. Some Evangelicals, obeying St. Paul’s dictum to “test everything; hold on to what is good,” even study the writings of John Paul II on the theology of the body. But during the Evangelical heyday of the 1980s, it was possible for Evangelicals to view the Catholic Church as similar to the mainline Protestant churches—as an institution that was waning in influence. There was little reason to learn from a church that looked like it was losing relevance.

The intervening years, however, have shown that the Catholic Church did not suffer the same fate as the mainline Protestant denominations. Under the leadership of John Paul II and Benedict XVI, the Church was able to eliminate much of the confusion that prevailed in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. Rather than becoming irrelevant, the Catholic Church has continued to boldly proclaim the uncompromising Christian message to a culture that is increasingly hostile to Christian beliefs. Under these circumstances, it makes sense for Evangelicals to view Catholics as allies. Although there are many treasures within the Catholic Church, the two that Evangelicals might find most beneficial are liturgical worship and an emphasis on unity.

Liturgical Worship
The biggest thing that Evangelicals can learn from Catholics is how to worship.

Continue reading at www.HPRweb.com.

Catholics and Evangelicals: Past, Present, and Future

Catholics and Evangelicals: Past, Present, and Future | Carl E. Olson | Catholic World Report

An interview with Kenneth J. Collins, author of Power, Politics, and the Fragmentation of Evangelicalism.

Kenneth J. Collins, PhD is professor of historical theology and Wesley Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is the author of several books, including The Theology of John Wesley (Abingdon) and The Evangelical Moment (Baker). His most recent book, Power, Politics, and the Fragmentation of Evangelicalism (InterVarsity Press, 2012), is a history of American Evangelicalism from the late 19th century to the present day, focusing on the cultural influence and political fortunes of Evangelical Protestants; it also addresses many facets of Catholic-Evangelical relations. Dr. Collins spoke recently with Carl E. Olson, the editor of Catholic World Report, about the history of Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism, Catholic and Evangelical relations, and the common challenges facing Christians in the United States today.

CWR: Many Catholics aren’t very familiar with ecumenical relations between Catholics and Evangelicals, or why such relations are important. How would you, as an Evangelical, address the significance of those relations?

Collins: I think there are a lot of ways that Catholics and Evangelicals can work together. I want to strengthen those connections. What we are facing in the days ahead is very important. Catholics are like canaries in a coal mine. We, as Christians, weren’t supposed to bump against a modern liberal democracy; it was supposed to be everyone choosing their own good. But the Catholic Church is bumping up against it, in terms of the contraceptive issue, but also in terms of what Catholic Charities faced in Massachusetts, where the collision between the state government and the Church forced the closure of Catholic Charities, which has had a wonderful history of service to the poor.

CWR: Let’s go back to the beginning, historically. There is a lot of confusion, isn’t there, with the term “Evangelical”? What are the roots of that term in US history?

Continue reading at www.CatholicWorldReport.com.

“Christ is in Our Midst”: A Catholic visits an Orthodox Church. In China.

“Christ is in Our Midst” | Anthony E. Clark, Ph.D. | Catholic World Report

A Catholic pays a visit to a Russian Orthodox Church in Beijing.

Sunday morning in China’s capital city is not unlike most other days: Beijing’s more than 20 million inhabitants bustle through congested sidewalks, cars compete almost hopelessly for space on crowded roads, and hazy grey skies loom heavily over the city landscape, punctuated by soaring cranes marking new constructions.

Beijing is not exactly a city of church bells and rising spires, but nestled quietly among the trees within the protective walls of the Russian Embassy lies the Russian Orthodox Church of the Dormition of Most Holy Theotokos. Its humble but majestic onion dome and Greek cross rise above the embassy walls, a sight few could have imagined only 50 years ago, when the Orthodox church was converted by the Soviet authorities into a garage. Three years ago the “garage” was restored into what it was originally made for, a temple of God where the Divine Liturgy is offered in all the rich beauty of the Russian Orthodox tradition.

The restored onion dome and Greek cross above the Russian Orthodox Church of the Dormition of Most Holy Theotokos

About a month ago I contacted the priest rector of the church, Father Sergiy Voronin, and the first words of his response were, “Christ is in our midst.” The presence of Christ becomes obvious as one enters the beautiful Church of the Dormition, with its remarkable iconostasis; 30 minutes before Liturgy the icons are already illuminated as the faithful light candles and offer them prayerfully while intoning the name of Holy Trinity.

Why was I, a Roman Catholic, visiting this Orthodox church located in the Russian embassy?

Other than our shared brotherhood as Christians in the Apostolic Church, I came as a pilgrim to visit the site where 222 Orthodox Christians were massacred by Boxers in 1900, just as Catholic priests and faithful were being killed in other parts of the city. During the Divine Liturgy, my wife and I stood near the icon dedicated to the Orthodox martyr saints of China, and I could not help but contemplate Tertullian’s declaration, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”

Catholics and Orthodox remain divided—God grant the grace to heal this division—but we remain in a very real way part of the same Body of Christ. I came to the Church of the Dormition as a pilgrim to visit the place where members of the same Body I am part of died as witnesses to the Church of Christ founded on the Apostles. I have visited other locations where Chinese Christians were massacred during the Boxer Uprising, and like those places, I could see how their blood planted seeds—though the seeds of Orthodoxy in Beijing have only recently begun to grow again into a more visible community. The problem today is that China does not recognize Orthodoxy as an official religion, and so only foreign-passport holders are granted access to Orthodox Liturgy. Chinese Orthodox Christians today can only walk by what were once grand Orthodox churches, such as those in Harbin, Shanghai, and Wuhan, and see structures that are now either boarded up or converted into artists’ studios, dance clubs, or exhibition halls.

Continue reading at www.CatholicWorldReport.com.

Unity of Faith in a Diversity of Traditions

Unity of Faith in a Diversity of Traditions | Christopher B. Warner | Catholic World Report

Pope Benedict XVI’s plan for enriching cooperation among the Churches of the Middle East

It was impossible not to notice the colorful, varied display of liturgical vestments and clerical garb during the recent papal visit to Lebanon. The rich cultural diversity among Christians in the Middle East gives witness to the Apostolic traditions which began to develop almost immediately and independently from each other at the very beginning of Christianity. As the Apostles spread the gospel and worship of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the known world, distinct liturgical traditions naturally burgeoned as local churches took root.

The six liturgical traditions of the Catholic Church were conspicuously present by the end of the fourth century and are still celebrated in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East today: the Liturgy of St. Mark (Coptic and Ethiopian), the Liturgies of Sts. John Chrysostom and Basil (Greek Melkite), the Liturgy of St. James (Maronite, Syrian, and Syro-Malankara), the East Syrian Liturgy (Chaldean and Syro-Malabar), the Armenian Liturgy, and the Latin Mass.

Pope Benedict XVI strongly affirmed this diversity of traditions as a harmony within the unity of faith in his post-synodal apostolic exhortation “The Church in the Middle East,” which was signed and distributed to the major hierarchs during his recent visit to Lebanon:

Like my Predecessors in the See of Peter, I wish here to state once more my desire to ensure that the rites of the Eastern Churches, as the patrimony of the whole Church of Christ in which shines forth the tradition coming down from the Apostles through the Fathers, and which, in its variety, affirms the divine unity of the Catholic faith, are observed and promoted conscientiously.

Pope Benedict dedicated a large portion of this exhortation to urging the different Churches to pray, learn, and work together in order to promotes true communion among Christians and true peace, which he defined as “the state of those who live in harmony with God and with themselves, with others and with nature.” He invited the Catholics of the various ecclesial communities to foster relationships with each other and to be mutually engaged in one another’s traditions.

Continue reading at www.CatholicWorldReport.com.

The theology of Abp. Joseph Augustine DiNoia, O.P.

by Michael J. Miller

Archbishop Joseph Augustine DiNoia, O.P., is a very fine theologian who taught theology for decades and has written extensively.  Several questions about his teachings are probably on the minds of Traditionalist Catholics since his recent appointment as vice-president of the Pontifical Ecclesia Dei Commission.  A few hours in a seminary library were enough to answer some of them. 

1) What does the new vice-president of the Ecclesia Dei Commission teach about the Eucharist?

Then-Father DiNoia contributed a chapter to a Book of Readings on the Eucharist published in 2006 by the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.  Although the essay, entitled “Eucharist and Trinity”, is focused on “communio theology”, the author refers to the Mass as a “sacrificial banquet”.  A few excerpts follow: 

The Church is a creation of the triune God:  from the Father, who sends his Son and his Spirit to transform creaturely persons so that they come to share, with the uncreated Persons of the Trinity and with one another, a communion of divine life.  (p. 41)

We have been invited from the highways and byways to be guests at a wedding banquet that we did not prepare and in which our participation is confirmed only by our being suitably clothed in Christ, in robes “washed ... in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev 7:14;  see Mt 22:1-14). (p. 41)

The prayer of consecration involves a solemn invocation of the Holy Spirit, by whose power the death and Resurrection of Christ are made present, and the bread and wine are transformed into his Body and Blood.  Then, by worthily consuming the Body and Blood of Christ, the faithful are made divine and brought into union with the Father and with one another, through Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit.  (p. 44)

2) What does Archbishop DiNoia think about ecumenism and interreligious dialogue?

Continue reading on the CWR blog.

"Theosis and the Role of the Laity"

The past June I had the pleasure and honor of being one of six presenters at the annual Orientale Lumen conference, the 17th such conference, which was held in Washington, D.C.:

From June 18-21, 2012, the Society of St. John Chrysostom, Eastern Churches Journal, Eastern Christian Publications, and the Orientale Lumen Foundation held a popular and scholarly conference for lay men, lay women, and clergy entitled Orientale Lumen XVI. The theme for the conference, held at the Washington Retreat House in Washington, D.C., was “Theology of the Laity.”

The conference provided an opportunity for Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholics, and Oriental Orthodox to gather, discuss, and learn about their respective traditions. It included presentations by scholars and theologians, liturgical celebrations of many varieties, and opportunities for everyone to learn from each other and participate in a “dialogue of love and understanding.”

The conference is rather unique, as it is not part of an official ecumenical dialogue, but is very much "grass roots" in the best sense of the term. Two of the longtime, regular presenters are Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia (Orthodox) 
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, from 
Oxford, England, one of the leading Orthodox theologians of the past half century, and Archimandrite Robert Taft, SJ (Greek Catholic), the leading scholar of Byzantine liturgy, who taught for many years at the 
Pontifical Oriental Institute before recently retiring. It was wonderful to meet both men, as well as the other presenters, including Fr. Gregory Gresko, who is the chaplain at the Blessed John Paul II Shrine, 
right next to the Washington Retreat Center, where the conference was held.

The talks are online and can all be accessed on the Ancient Faith Radio website. My talk was titled, "Theosis and the Role of the Laity", and it incorporated elements from my article, "The Role of the Laity: An Examination of Vatican II and Christifideles Laici" and from my studies of theosis, or divinization. I'm pleased to say, on a directly related note, that I am currently co-editing, with Fr. David Meconi, SJ. (editor of Homilietic & Pastoral Review) a volume on theosis in the Catholic Tradition, which includes chapters by Dr. Daniel Keating, Fr. John Saward, Dr. Tracey Rowland, Dr. Joan Mueller, Dr. David Fagerberg, and several others (fifteen authors in all). That book will hopefully be available next year, if all goes all.

Unintended Problems, Unintended Blessings

Unintended Problems, Unintended Blessings | David Paul Deavel | Catholic World Report

Brad S. Gregory's The Unintended Reformation traces the lineage from the Reformation to today's relativistic "Kingdom of Whatever"

Brad S. Gregory
The Unintended Reformation
Belknap Press, 2012
592 pages, $39.95

Modern academic history, according to historian Daniel Lord Smail, suffers from “the inflationary spiral of research overproduction, coupled with an abiding fear of scholarly exposure for not keeping up with one’s field.”  In other words, academic history has become a thicket of writings telling one more and more about less and less.  Or, depending on your cynicism, less and less about less and less.  Big picture essays and books are left to popular historians and historical novelists, who are generally officially disdained and privately cherished by the professors.  Much easier to write insomnia-curative tomes about “Sinister Service: Left-Handed Archdeacons in the Diocese of York from 1247-1258.”  (Yes, I made that up, but admit it: you weren’t sure.)

Brad Gregory is not one of those historians.  The Unintended Reformation aims at telling us how the West went from a time when “late medieval Christianity in all its variety was an institutionalized worldview that influenced all domains of human life” to a time he designates as “the Kingdom of Whatever” in which relativism is king and, consequently, a notion of the “good life” has been replaced by “the goods life.”  Capitalism and consumerism order the day and the one who dies with the most toys wins.  How did this happen?

Gregory does not posit the middle ages as a “lost Golden Age,” but he does credit the Church centered around the bishop of Rome of that time with continuing the institutional, theological, liturgical, and practical legacy of the apostolic and patristic periods—i.e. the Church was indeed noticeably still the Church.  In a nod (un-noted) to Chesterton’s Orthodoxy Gregory describes the medieval Church as a “large playground, but one enclosed by forbidding fences—an almost riotous diversity held together in an overarching unity by a combination of ingrained customs, myriad institutions, varying degrees of self-conscious dedication, and the threat of punishment.”

Unfortunately, like any playground, there were some bad kids.  Gregory notes the widespread failure of the clergy, especially popes, to advance meaningful institutional reforms.  Too often popes and bishops were smokin’ in the boys room themselves.

The upshot is that the kids—the laity—too often had to police the playground themselves.  Gregory gives evidence that the fifteenth-century was an age of devotion to Christ and rising concern for the scandalous behavior in the Church.  When shepherds would not make concrete reforms the laity did it themselves, often relying on the local political authorities who were all too eager for control over local Churches.  When figures like Calvin and Luther decided that the Roman Church’s problem was not just personnel, but the theology itself, there was ample political cover given by the Church’s political “protectors” who were often already at odds with the papacy and its allies anyway over purely secular matters. 

Continue reading at www.CatholicWorldReport.com.

Introductions to Catholic theology for curious Evangelical college students...

(... or just about any inquisitive Protestant). An Evangelical professor with whom I am acquainted and who teaches theology at a large Bible college sent me the following question:

It is common for my theology students to want to research Catholic theology, especially the doctrine of salvation, since I engage Catholic theology often and positively.  I always insist they read Catholic sources rather than just Protestant sources that critique Roman Catholic theology.  So they always want to know what the best Catholic sources are.  Traditionally I have had them read the Catechism, of course.  Also, McBrien's Catholicism, but I know he is not super conservative.  Rahner can be a bit dense for them.  I also recommend Catholic and Christian by Alan Schrek and Evangelical Catholics, by Keith Fournier.  But I'm sure there are more, and perhaps better sources for evangelical college students to read to get a broad scope of orthodox Roman Catholic theology.

My response, on the fly:

Here are some suggestions, with a note about each that may be helpful in deciding what to recommend. I’ve avoided books that have an obvious “Catholic vs. Protestant" bent to them (such as Ronald Knox’s fine book, The Belief of Catholics).

• Credo for Today (Ignatius Press) by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger/Benedict XVI. These essays explore the Apostles Creed (and is thus a shorter version of Ratzinger’s Introduction To Christianity) and cover a lot of territory in just 200 pages. The added benefit, of course, is that it introduces folks to the theological brilliance of the current pontiff.

• Catholic Christianity (Ignatius Press), by Peter Kreeft. This is a commentary of sorts to the Catechism, and Kreeft is a very deft and helpful guide.

• The Shape of Catholic Theology and Epiphany: A Theological Introduction to Catholicism (both from The Liturgical Press), both by Fr. Aidan Nichols, O.P. Both of these are exceptional, written by the wonderful (and incredibly prolific) English Dominican theologian. Highly recommended. The first is shorter (370 pages); the second is longer (500 pages) and more detailed. If I had to choose, I’d go with Epiphany, as it has a very good chapter on salvation.

• The Spirit of Catholicism (originally Image), by Karl Adam. This is an older book, originally published in the 1940s. But it is well written and filled with a number of insights (especially re: ecclesiology) that found expression at Vatican II.

• Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith (Random House) by Fr. Robert Barron. This is the companion book to the “Catholicism” project, a 10-video series produced by Fr. Barron, who has written several fine books and is the Francis Cardinal George Chair of Faith and Culture at Mundelein Seminary. (I wrote the study guide for the project; see www.catholicismproject.com). A wonderful combination of theology, culture, history, and much more.  

• The New World of Faith (Our Sunday Visitor), by Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J. A very good introduction to Catholicism that focuses on faith, salvation, mission, ecclesiology, and ecumenism, by one of the finest American theologians of the past fifty years.

• Theology and Sanity (Ignatius) by Frank Sheed. This is one of the most clearly and beautifully written works of popular Catholic theology written in the past seventy years (originally written in the 1940s). Systematic and Thomistic, but without feeling systematic or scholastic, if that makes sense. A much shorter book by Sheed that covers the essentials is A Map of Life (Ignatius Press).

• On Being Catholic by Thomas Howard. This is a secondary sort of suggested text, written by a former Evangelical (then Anglican, now Catholic) professor of literature, the brother of Elizabeth Elliott. Howard’s writing is extremely warm, personal, and literate.

• The Christian Faith (Alba House). This is a compilation (1000+ pages) of conciliar and papal texts, arranged by topic. A valuable resource for those wanting to go deeper into specific texts and topics.

I should have noted, as well, that I avoided multi-volumed works. That said, I'm sure I missed several good candidates. What are some other suggestions for good, semi-systematic introductions to Catholic theology that are (mostly) non-apologetic?

About that Vatican Press Release concerning the SSPX

Michael J. Miller makes some helpful observations on the CWR blog: 

Today the Vatican issued a press release entitled “Meeting Between the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, March 16, 2012” in the original French and an Italian translation. An independent English translation is posted below.

The Vatican Information Service (VIS) translation, although accurate, omits all honorific titles, appears to have been produced hurriedly, and lacks nuance. One example: it says that the Doctrinal Preamble “defined” certain doctrinal principles, etc., a technical term that is much too forceful to convey the meaning of the French verb énoncer, “to enunciate”. (The CDF expressly allowed for the possibility of modifying the wording of the Preamble.)

The chronology in the Communiqué is telescoped: Bishop Fellay’s response, proposing modifications to the Doctrinal Preamble, was sent to the Vatican in December. The CDF replied requesting clarifications, which were duly sent later that month. The “response … that arrived in January 2012” is therefore presumably at least the third attempt by the General Superior of the SSPX to state their position with regard a doctrinal basis for reconciliation with the Holy See.

The procedural details in paragraph 3 of the Communiqué are significant. This was not a vote by a panel of judges. The CDF, made up of cardinals and theologians, examined the SSPX response and probably summarized its findings in writing, but it acted only in an advisory capacity. The Pope, having taken their findings into consideration, has the authority to make the judgment about this doctrinal matter. The paragraph ends by referring to the SSPX indirectly as “the aforesaid Society”. The legal phraseology is a pointed reminder that there are canonical as well as doctrinal questions involved in the CDF-SSPX talks; it also prompts the reflection that, although the Society has chosen St. Pius X as their patron saint and invokes his doctrinal authority, it is only a society of priests that was formed after Vatican II during the pontificate of Paul VI.

Even though the Society’s response was deemed inadequate, the final paragraph in the Communiqué leaves the door open. The SSPX Superior General was invited “à bien vouloir clarifier sa position”, “to be so kind as to clarify his position”. This is a typical French formality at the conclusion of a bureaucratic document, but the expression can also mean “really to try to clarify his position,” implying that now is not the time for maneuvering.

Read his entire post, which includes his independent translation of the release.

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Jay Richards, co-author of "Indivisible", on Catholic-Protestant cooperation

Here are two recent videos of Jay Richards, co-author with James Robison of Indivisible: Restoring Faith, Family and Freedom Before It's Too Late, discussing how he, a Catholic, and Robison, an Evangelical, came to write the book together:

In this second video, Jay talks with Randy Robison, the son of James Robison, about Catholic-Protestant relations and cooperation:


For more about Indivisible, visit the book's website.

"What if being Evangelical is not enough?"

A good question. And asked by an Evangelical.

It is a question that I asked myself years ago when I was an Evangelical, which led to a lot of study, which included reading Thomas Howard's fine book, Evangelical Is Not Enough: Worship of God In Liturgy and Sacrament (written nearly thirty years ago) and then several more by Dr. Howard. Along with many more books. Which led, ultimately, to entering the Catholic Church fifteen years ago this Easter, aided and encouraged by a cloud of witnesses. Of which I will likely write more in due time.

On Ignatius Insight:

• Has The Reformation Ended? | An Interview with Dr. Mark Noll
• Thomas Howard and the Kindly Light | IgnatiusInsight.com
• Objections, Obstacles, Acceptance: An Interview with J. Budziszewski | Ignatius Insight
• Thomas Howard on the Meaning of Tradition | Ignatius Insight
• A Friendly Introduction to Catholicism | An Interview with Fr. Dwight Longenecker, author of More Christianity: Finding the Fullness of Faith
• From Protestantism to Catholicism: Six Journeys to Rome
• Further Up and Further In | | Fr. Dwight Longenecker | From the Introduction to More Christianity: Finding the Fullness of the Faith
• Why Catholicism Makes Protestantism Tick | Mark Brumley

"So Near and Yet So Far": CDF-SSPX negotiations continue in writing

So Near and Yet So Far | Michael J. Miller | Catholic World Report

CDF-SSPX negotiations continue in writing

It is almost a year now since the conclusion of the theological talks between the Society of St. Pius X and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.  More than five months have passed since the General Superior of that priestly society received from the Vatican dicastery a “Doctrinal Preamble” which, the CDF maintains, must be “the fundamental basis for achieving full reconciliation with the Apostolic See.”  After studying the document carefully and consulting with local SSPX superiors, Bishop Bernard Fellay sent a response to Rome on December 1. No doubt it recommended revisions to the wording of the Preamble, a process that the CDF had expressly anticipated and allowed. The CDF then wrote requesting clarification of the response, which the SSPX promptly supplied. 

Despite breathless announcements since then by certain Italian Vatican watchers—who had read none of the documents they claimed to be reporting on—spokesmen for the SSPX insist that there was no “second response” (which would imply a shift in position) and no definitive rejection of the Doctrinal Preamble. 

The theologians

In a departure from the strict confidentiality that had previously cloaked the CDF-SSPX negotiations, on December 2, 2011 the Italian edition of L’Osservatore Romano printed a study about the magisterial value of Vatican II written by Msgr. Fernando Ocariz of Opus Dei, one of the experts who had represented the Holy See during the CDF-SSPX theological discussions. Of course, the role of the council was and remains “A Crucial Question,” as Father Jean-Michel Gleize, one of the SSPX panelists, called it in the 11,000-word reply to Msgr. Ocariz that he published in the Courrier de Rome. 

These salvos were unofficial statements, explanations by theologians of positions that had long since been general knowledge, and they neither quoted the Doctrinal Preamble nor referred to it directly. Nevertheless, some who were sincerely hoping for reconciliation felt uneasy about the prospect of negotiations continuing in the red glare of publicity, for the same reason that one would rather not watch fireworks set off near a construction site. 

The authorities

In late January the CDF held a routine four-day Plenary Assembly at the Vatican.

Read the entire essay on www.CatholicWorldReport.com...

"Confronting the Claim of Eastern Orthodoxy to be..."

"...  the True Church" is the title of a recent Homiletic & Pastoral Review article by James Likoudis. Here is part of the opening:

There is need for Catholics, especially priests, to engage in a convincing Apologetics when confronted by Catholics tempted to become Eastern Orthodox, or by members of the Eastern Orthodox Churches claiming to represent the orthodoxy of the Church before the tragic Schism between East and West, developing after 1054 A.D. Certainly, well-informed Catholics are able to present formidable arguments drawn from the Scriptures, Fathers, and Councils in favor of the Roman Pontiff’s universal authority in the Church, the legitimacy of the doctrine of the Filioque, purgatory, and the Immaculate Conception, not to mention other doctrines questioned or denied by Eastern Orthodox, who assume they constitute the “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church,” signified in the Nicene-Constantinople Creed of 381 A.D., indulglng themselves with the repeated assertion made to Catholics.

The question arises: Is there an easy resolution to the conflicting claims of Catholics and Orthodox? The ordinary layman can become bewildered by the study of the complex argument and counter-argument drawn from the appeal to history, and diverse interpretations of Scripture, Fathers, and Councils presented by Catholic and Orthodox writers. As one Orthodox, seeking to end his intellectual agony, stated, “I just keep bouncing back and forth from Catholic to Orthodox and Orthodox to Catholic, feeling myself unable to resolve the dogmatic issues. I do not know Latin or Greek, or much history, who is right and who is wrong.” There must be a simpler and easier way for the ordinary person, who is not a scholar of Church history and patristic theology, and who is confronted by similar Catholic and Orthodox claims—to resolve the question of which is the true Church.

It should be noted that in this matter between Catholics and Orthodox, there is, fortunately, much common ground by which to resolve the issue. In this matter, those seeking the one true Church would obviously hold that there are only two plausible contenders to be the “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.” Both hold that the property of visibility is essential to the true Church. Both Catholics and Orthodox agree that Christian doctrine is something taught by the one, visible Church, not something the individual determines for himself in Protestant fashion, and teaches the Church.  Both agree on an objective, visible criterion that served in the first millennium to identify the true Church, i.e., the Church’s necessary rule by Bishops, who are the legitimate successors of the Apostles, and guided by the Holy Spirit, to correctly interpret the Holy Scriptures and apostolic tradition. The great St. Cyprian had already noted in the third century that the Church is essentially built on the bishops: “Does he fancy himself to be with Christ who acts against the Bishops of Christ?” (On the Unity of the Catholic Church §17)

The key question then comes down to this : Which communion of Bishops (Catholic or Eastern Orthodox) constitutes that hierarchy of the Church, founded by Christ to “make disciples of all nations” Matt. 28:19)?

Read the entire essay at HPRweb.com.

Benedict XVI reflects on "immense richness" of Christ's priestly prayer in John 17

From Vatican Information Service:

VATICAN CITY, 25 JAN 2012 (VIS) - Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis during this morning's general audience to Christ's priestly prayer during the Last Supper, as narrated in chapter 17 of the Gospel of St. John. In order to understand this prayer "in all its immense richness", said the Pope, it is important to see it in the context of the Jewish feast of atonement, Yom Kippur, in which the high priest seeks atonement first for himself, then for the order of priests and finally for the community as a whole. Likewise, "that night Jesus addressed the Father at the moment in which He offered Himself. He, priest and victim, prayed for Himself, for the Apostles and for all those who would believe in Him".

  The prayer which Jesus prays for Himself is the request for His own glorification. "It is in fact more than a request", the Holy Father said, "it is a declaration of willingness to enter freely and generously into the Father's plan, which is accomplished through death and resurrection. ... Jesus begins His priestly prayer by saying: 'Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that your Son may glorify you'. The glorification Jesus seeks for Himself, as High Priest, is to be fully obedient to the Father, an obedience which leads Him to fulfil His filial status: 'So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed'".

  The second part of Jesus' prayer is His intercession for the disciples who have followed Him, and His request that they may be sanctified. Jesus says: 'They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth'. Benedict XVI explained how "To sanctify means to transfer something - a person or an object - to God. This involves two complementary aspects: on the one hand, the idea of 'segregation' ... from man's personal life in order to be completely given over to God; on the other hand there is the idea of 'being sent out', of mission. Having been given to God, the consecrated thing or person exists for others. ... A person is sanctified when, like Jesus, he is segregated from the world, set aside for God in view of a task and, for this reason, available for everyone. For disciples this means continuing Jesus' mission".

God’s Ecumenical Co-Pilot

God’s Ecumenical Co-Pilot | Michael J. Miller | Catholic World Report

Cardinal Kurt Koch has been very busy since being named President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in July 2010.

During a lecture in Rome on December 15, 2011, the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity likened ecumenical dialogue to air travel: the Holy Spirit is the pilot, and you hope and pray that the plane lands safely.

Cardinal Kurt Koch, formerly Bishop of Basel (Switzerland), has been jetting around Europe since his appointment to his present position in the Roman Curia in July 2010. He accompanied the Holy Father during his recent pastoral visit to Germany and at the ecumenical service in Erfurt on September 23 read the Gospel passage containing Christ’s prayer, “That all may be one.” On October 3 in Heiligenkreuz Abbey near Vienna, he lectured on “The Ecumenical Dimension of the New Evangelization of Europe” at the Philosophical-Theological College named after Benedict XVI.

In Assisi later that month he introduced the sign of peace at the conclusion of the Day of Reflection, Dialogue and Prayer for Peace and Justice in the World. From November 12 to 16 he participated in a conference in Minsk (Belarus) on the contribution of Christian ethics to the formation of Europe. Then in Istanbul he personally delivered to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople the Pope’s traditional greetings to the Orthodox Church on the Feast of St. Andrew, their patron.

In his lecture on December 15, Cardinal Koch put these wide-ranging efforts in a broader perspective. The talk might be described as his end-of-the-year, “State of the Reunion of Christians” message. In it he identified several changes and challenges in the Church’s ecumenical dialogue:

For example in several churches we have a new reflection on their own confessional identity. That can be a great advantage, because one must have a clear identity in order to be in dialogue. It can also happen, though, that a group distances itself somewhat from ecumenism.

A second challenge is that the actual goal of ecumenism is becoming increasingly unclear. We have various concepts of unity, but we have no common goal. And that makes it difficult. After all, we cannot act according to the motto of the [late] Viennese comedian [Helmut] Qualtinger: “Well, I don’t know where I’m going, but that way I get there sooner.” Instead we must seek anew what the real goal is. And the reason why we have no common goal is actually because each church has its own notion of the unity of its church, and therefore it is necessary for us to reflect on what the nature of the Church really is.

The third challenge is presented by the new dialogue partners of the Catholic Church.

Read the entire piece on www.CatholicWorldReport.com...