Ecclesiology, Doctrine, Ecumenism: A Few Difficult Questions

I am provoked by an internet presence that goes by “Redeemed Zoomer,” presumably a 20-something young man holding theologically conservative views, and similar views on Christian ethics, who is Reformed.

Amusingly, I am provoked also by a Twitter reply by our esteemed Editor in Chief, who serves as a “quietly Reformed” pastor of Little Hills Church, and of Faithtree Christian Fellowship, an ecumenical evangelism organization. Let us lay aside whether I, a baptized and confirmed Roman Catholic, have any business helping with either effort. Just know I’m happy to do it, and that we have been dear friends and brothers in Christ since we met roughly 20 years ago, as students at Covenant Theological Seminary, and by God’s grace and Tim’s heroic efforts at forbearance, it will remain so. A certain ambivalence on my part has led Pastor Butler to refer to me as a “Bible teacher,” and verily, that is what I am. We’re probably both crazy, but if Reverend Graham can preach from St. Peter’s Square itself, surely I can go to Little Hills and do the same.

I want to refer you to my previous article concerning Reformation and Catholic views of the 5 Solas. It was curated from a crazy “tweet storm” some months ago by yours truly. Timothy Butler is a great preacher, writer, and editor, and that’s no joke. Let me also take this opportunity to tell him that I want to do a series of video dialogues about our remaining differences.

As I said when I invaded his discussion with Redeemed Zoomer, I would love for the lot of them and everyone else to be confirmed Roman Catholics in submission to the Bishop of Rome. Indeed, the Catholic self-understanding of the Christian world has not changed. What has changed is most likely the Catholic awareness of the free conscience, and that dialogue with others, but especially Christians, is preferred to condemnation.

Indeed, St. John Paul II’s meditations on prayer suggest that he understands prayer with God to be primarily a dialogue. If the triune God can commune with sinful humanity via prayer, then the members of the true Church surely cannot gravely err to do the same thing with brethren in Christ, albeit separated brethren from an old disagreement.

To get to the point, it seemed to me that Redeemed Zoomer, in lamenting the continued proliferation of Protestant denominations, was taking a very Catholic approach to visible unity. Granted, I think that’s lovely, as a Catholic. But is he intending to abandon the Reformation? I might say that forming a new denomination is ultimately unhelpful, if Catholics are and have been correct about the truest nature of the Church. But if one happens to believe that the Reformation is right about something at least, how will one maintain doctrinal and dogmatic purity if a visible community is compromised by error or at least irreconcilable differences of faith and practice?

Catholic dialogue toward Reformation ecclesial communities begins with the firm conviction that a separated community is in schism, but that its members are not guilty of schism itself, if they never began as Catholics. I believe it would also apply, if someone had begun as a Catholic, but did not fully understand what they were leaving behind in the Catholic Church. Canon law is inevitably in tension with dialogue, and with the traditional understanding of, “Outside of the Church, there is no salvation.” That idea is very much in force today, but personal culpability has never been necessarily a simple matter, even when “formal defection” remains a possibility for a baptized Catholic.

As a bit of personal testimony, I knew the moment that I in conscience would have sinned against God, to not have sought full communion with the Catholic Church. To seek that communion, not only in faith, but in visible unity, was itself an act of faith. While Christian visible disunity and variance in faith is tragic, I lived and still do live in both worlds. I could not condemn myself at any point in the inquiry process for discerning between the two “interpretive paradigms” as philosopher Dr. Bryan Cross calls them. I simply ran out of objections to the rather astonishing claim that the Catholic Church is THAT which Christ founded and protects.

I suppose I could do simply apologetics on this point, but both friendship and sanctification have led me down a slightly less combative path.

Anyway, visible unity could not be a priority for those committed to Reformation distinctives. Detractors and neutral inquirers wondered if Redeemed Zoomer wouldn’t be happier as a Catholic. He’s certainly welcome. But what motivates him at present seems unclear.

I can attest that it’s very possible to mix the paradigms, and depending upon what’s going on, to be very confused. One thing I know for sure is that all the issues are too important, globally and personally, to waste time point-scoring.

Jason Kettinger is Associate Editor of Open for Business. He writes on politics, sports, faith and more.