One of the core tenets of Calvinism is the belief that there’s no such thing as free will, particularly in regards to matters of salvation. What strikes me about this doctrine is that I’m not sure anyone really believes it. I realize that sounds odd, but consider: even those, like Luther and Calvin, who claim… Continue reading Luther and Calvin v. Augustine and Justin Martyr on Free Will
Tag: Lutheranism
What Does the Book of James Say About Justification?
Perhaps no single doctrinal issue has caused more division between Catholics and Protestants than the question of justification, or how we are made righteous before God. Catholic believe that we are justified by faith, but must cultivate this faith through good works done in obedience to God (what St. Paul calls the “obedience of faith,” in… Continue reading What Does the Book of James Say About Justification?
The Three “Reformation Day” Ironies
Today, for most of us, is Halloween. But a lot of Christians are disturbed by the way that Halloween seems to celebrate evil, and many Protestants choose to celebrate Reformation Day instead. While I respect the desire to have fun without celebrating evil, I find Reformation Day to be unwittingly hilarious. Here’s why. Irony #1: Calvinist… Continue reading The Three “Reformation Day” Ironies
Sheep Without a Shepherd
If Scripture is as clear as Protestants claim it is, and we Christians are left with sola Scriptura (“Scripture alone”) to determine the authentic content of the faith, why can no two groups of Protestants seem to agree what exactly our beliefs as Christians are supposed to be? In response to yesterday’s post, Drew (a… Continue reading Sheep Without a Shepherd
Answering Lutheran Objections to Church Structure and Authority
Yesterday, I described a class lecture given by a Lutheran pastor, Mark Anderson, on the canon of Scripture and the authority of the early Church. Pastor Anderson showed how rejecting the authority of the early episcopacy would leave you without a Bible and without any reliable way of distinguishing orthodoxy and heresy, admitted that Protestantism… Continue reading Answering Lutheran Objections to Church Structure and Authority
A Lutheran Pastor Shows the Need for the Catholic Church
Steve Martin (the Lutheran blogger known as “Old Adam,” not the actor/comedian) has been talking with a motley crew of us Catholics in the comments here about how Lutherans can know which Books are in Scripture. Steve directed me to a talk his pastor, Mark Anderson, gave on the subject. I listened to it last night,… Continue reading A Lutheran Pastor Shows the Need for the Catholic Church
Purgatory and Ghosts
Randal Rauser, an associate professor of historical theology at Taylor Seminary in Canada, wrote a column on Tuesday for the Christian Post, called “Should Christians believe in ghosts?” He began by showing that the ancient Israelites believed in ghosts (Rauser points to the conjuring of Solomon in 1 Samuel 18), and that the Apostles believed in… Continue reading Purgatory and Ghosts
Can Classical Protestantism Affirm the Lord’s Prayer?
Called to Communion had a great discussion on this topic in regards to Calvinism, but I wanted to look at the same thing in regards to traditional Lutheranism. Pastor Hemmer of Hope Lutheran Church contrasts the Lutheran position with Catholicism quite neatly: Can you be forgiven of sins you have not yet committed? The answer to… Continue reading Can Classical Protestantism Affirm the Lord’s Prayer?
Luther and Sola Scriptura
Robert Ritchie said on my latest post on sola Scriptura: Reading through your Sola Scriptura tagged posts, the thing that has most struck me is that the official doctrine of Sola Scriptura (i.e. a denial of (2)) is so obviously problematic that the most thoughtful of Protestants–people like C.S. Lewis, Alvin Plantinga, and Timothy Keller–would… Continue reading Luther and Sola Scriptura
Fr. Most and St. Paul on Justification and OSAS
Fr. William Most wrote a sharp but very insightful piece on Luther, entitled “Luther Writes Obituary of His Own Church.” What makes it worth the read is his use of Luther’s own writings, showing that Luther still clearly struggled with the question that perhaps he was wrong and the Church was right, long after he… Continue reading Fr. Most and St. Paul on Justification and OSAS