Arminians and Calvinists are often mistrustful of each other despite the fact that each tradition protects a shared deposit of mere Christianity. Or do they? Some folks in each theological camp appear to think that representatives from the other side have abdicated their core theological convictions. But one thing I’ve observed over time is that […]
ecumenism
The Catholic Communion Table is Closed to Protestants: Why?
This morning, Taylor Seminary was pleased to host Julien Hammond, the Ecumenical and Interreligious Officer for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton, to speak in our chapel on finding unity among evangelical Protestants and Catholics. Near the end of his time sharing, Mr. Hammond mentioned the often painful fact that the Catholic Eucharist is closed […]
May the 33,000 Be One: Debriefing a Catholic/Evangelical Dialogue
Last night, I participated in a dialogue between Roman Catholics and evangelicals at Taylor Seminary in Edmonton. The main speakers were Dr. Brett Salkeld (Catholic) and Dr. Jo-Ann Badley (evangelical). I was one of two respondents. In my comments, I echoed a point touched on by Salkeld, namely that while “Roman Catholic” is a clearly […]
Beyond the Anathema: A Catholic/Protestant Dialogue
This year, I decided to recognize Reformation Day (October 31) by inviting my friend, Catholic apologist Trent Horn, to share his understanding of the Catholic faith for my community at Taylor Seminary. We had some technological problems, but we powered on through. And this is that exchange.
Does God call all people to the same church?
Over the last few months, I have defended ecclesial pluralism a couple of times in my interactions with Catholic apologist Trent Horn. I have made my case by way of a straightforward argument that appeals to God’s work in the life of two individuals, Mother Teresa and Billy Graham. In this article, I will unpack […]
Does God want everyone to join a single church?
This is a link to my fourth and final dialogue/debate with Catholic Apologist Trent Horn. In this round, we debate the question of whether God wants every person to join the same church. Not surprisingly, Trent, good Catholic apologist that he is, argues that God wants everyone to join the Catholic church. Meanwhile, I argue […]
What is Mere Christianity? Part 6: James Anderson Answers
Our final installment in my series on mere Christianity comes from James N. Anderson. Dr. Anderson is Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina, and an ordained minister in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. He is the author of What’s Your Worldview?: An Interactive Approach to Life’s Big Questions, Why Should I […]
What is Mere Christianity? Part 5: John Mark N Reynolds Answers
Introduction For the fifth installment of our survey on mere Christianity, we turn to the reflections of Dr. John Mark Reynolds. Dr. Reynolds is the President of The Saint Constantine School, a Senior Fellow of Humanities at The King’s College in New York City, and a Fellow at The Discovery Institute’s Center For Science and Culture. […]
What is Mere Christianity? Part 4: Eric Reitan Answers
Introduction Our next installment in my series on mere Christianity comes from Eric Reitan. Dr. Reitan is Professor of Philosophy at Oklahoma State University and author of The Triumph of Love: Same-Sex Marriage and the Christian Love Ethic and Is God A Delusion?: A Reply to Religion’s Cultured Despisers. He is also coauthor of God’s Final Victory: A Comparative Philosophical Case […]
What is Mere Christianity? Part 3: Myron B. Penner Answers
Introduction Welcome to the third installment of my series, “What is Christianity?” This time, we feature the thoughts of Canadian philosopher Myron B. Penner. Dr. Penner is an Anglican priest who ministers at Trinity International Church in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Previously, he was a professor at Prairie College in Three Hills, Alberta. […]
98. That All May Be One: An Ecumenical Conversation for Reformation Day
One suspects that October 31, 1517 dawned much like any other in the region of Saxony. And when an Augustinian monk named Martin Luther hammered up 95 theses for public debate, he could not have imagined that his action would be the catalyst for a schism within Christendom, one whose repercussions would be felt for […]
Being a Baptist on Reformation Day
On November 4th I attended an ecumenical conference between Catholics and Lutherans which focused on commonalities and differences in anticipation of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation (October 31, 2017). I then spoke as the Baptist voice on an ecumenical panel. This is the text of my address. * * * I was raised in a conservative […]
The complex ethical problem of the Mega-Church
The other day I had an interesting conversation with a friend who pastors a mid-sized church (approximately 400 congregants) in a major city in North America. I asked him about the impact that a new mega-church in that city has had on surrounding churches. By any conventional measure this church is a “success”. It has exploded from […]
33,000 denominations. And the problem is…?
So there are 33,000 Christian denominations. Or 42,000. Or 51,000. What’s the problem? Let’s preface the discussion at the outset with the rather glaring observation that over a billion Christians are Catholic. And the rest can, for the most part, be subdivided into rather large groups: several hundred million orthodox, a hundred million Anglicans, Lutherans, […]
