Catholic Heavy Weight Thinkers who became Protestant

[JesusforMadrid]

This thread has a characteristic anglo-saxon parochialism. If you venture out to the typical “Roman Catholic” countries such as Spain, France, and Latin America, you will find numerous intellectuals who have converted from the established Church to Protestantism.

An example in Spain is Cesar Vidal, a Spanish historian who is also a very popular writer (imagine that!). He is also a radio personality for the major RC channel. Upon reading the Bible in the original Greek, he became convinced of some significant errors in modern RC theology (eg Mary as intercessor). Only later did he begin to identify himself as a Protestant.

He maintains good relations with the Spanish RC hierarchy and is considered a preeminent expert on the historicity of the Bible.

When you visit a newsstand in Spain and see a popular book on Christianity, it is probably by Cesar Vidal, a Protestant intellectual.

 

[Dale_M]

This thread has a characteristic anglo-saxon parochialism. If you venture out to the typical “Roman Catholic” countries such as Spain, France, and Latin America, you will find numerous intellectuals who have converted from the established Church to Protestantism.

An example in Spain is Cesar Vidal, a Spanish historian who is also a very popular writer (imagine that!). He is also a radio personality for the major RC channel.

I think you make a good point about parochialism, although it is perhaps inevitable on an English language site that many members are unfamiliar with events and persons in countries where English is not the primary language.

In the case of the person you mentioned, do you have anything written in English which would tell us more about his decision to leave the Catholic faith? I googled his name, but am having trouble finding information, other than a wikipedia article.

 

[Siddhartha]

Are there notable Catholic’s who now preach for the protestant cause i.e. people who grew up and had a preaching role, theologian etc as Catholics who now champion the protestant view?

Since some on this site equate Orthodoxy with Protestantism, I would like to know how are you defining “Protestant”?

 

[Peter_J]

I think you make a good point about parochialism, although it is perhaps inevitable on an English language site that many members are unfamiliar with events and persons in countries where English is not the primary language.

Perhaps the thread title should say “… Heavy Weight Thinkers whom we’d have heard of”.

 

[Radical]

Are there notable Catholic’s who now preach for the protestant cause i.e. people who grew up and had a preaching role, theologian etc as Catholics who now champion the protestant view?

You might not be looking in the right place…I think that you should also ask these related questions:

a) Are there notable Catholics (who have remained in the CC) who now “preach for the protestant cause” by openly opposing some of the central theological and historical claims of the CC?

b) Are there notable Protestants (who have remained in their Protestant church) who now “preach for the Catholic cause” by openly opposing some of the central theological and historical claims of their Protestant Church in favor of the CC’s views?

I doubt that many Protestant churches that would allow (b) to happen…but (a) does happen with some frequency.

 

[ConfusedTim]

In every aspect of life there are always dissenters from the orthodox i.e you will always have a few people who take the opposing view even though they have the same evidence as everyone else. Hence, i was surprised (see earlier post) that there seemed to be so few Catholic scholars who have demonstrably moved away from the faith because they fundamentally disagreed with enough of the core principle that they could no longer consider themselves a Catholic.

The impression I have is that there are very many more biblical scholars who will cross the Tiber in the direction of Rome as opposed to the other way. And the reason for this is that the more you know, the more likely you are to convert to Catholicism.

 

[Siddhartha]

The impression I have is that there are very many more biblical scholars who will cross the Tiber in the direction of Rome as opposed to the other way. And the reason for this is that the more you know, the more likely you are to convert to Catholicism.

That’s funny. When a lay, non-scholar, Catholic becomes Protestant, it’s often because he or she became more biblically literate.

 

[ConfusedTim]

Usually part literate - i was one until i read more!

 

[Corki]

That’s funny. When a lay, non-scholar, Catholic becomes Protestant, it’s often because he or she became more biblically literate.

You have a point there. When a lay person is not getting good Bible study and faith formation in their Catholic parish, they are more likely to look to a Protestant church to fill that need. Protestant bible studies support Protestant theology so the Catholic starts to see a clearer tie between the Bible and the Protestant church than they did to their Catholic parish. You hear it all the time, “when I was Catholic, I never was taught X or Y”. The teaching is there, we aren’t always doing a very good job of conveying it, especially to the adult laity.

 

[Peter_J]

That’s funny. When a lay, non-scholar, Catholic becomes Protestant, it’s often because he or she became more biblically literate.

I don’t think everyone would agree with that claim. (Then again, you qualified it with the rather vague term “often”, so perhaps most people would agree with it.)

 

[GodIsGracious]

One uses the bible to show that Rome is lacking.

And one who only uses the bible shows how one is lacking.

 

[decrumpi]

I have an impression that there have been a lot of converts to Catholicism from serious bible preaching protestants e.g. Tim Staples, Peter Kreeft, Jim Aitken, etc

Are there notable Catholic’s who now preach for the protestant cause i.e. people who grew up and had a preaching role, theologian etc as Catholics who now champion the protestant view? I am not referring to bishops or priests who have left to have relationships with women

Martin Luther, John Calvin (old)

Greg Boyd, Bart Ehrman (then to agnosticism), Joe Mizzi (just for Catholics), etc.

Not that great thinkers are any more sincere than non-intellectuals! I have known countless Catholics leave the church who were convicted by their desire to serve Christ - not intellectual arguments.

 

[Peter_J]

Martin Luther, John Calvin (old)

In so saying, you’re implicitly acknowledging that they started as Roman Catholics.

 

[JesusforMadrid]

In so saying, you’re implicitly acknowledging that they started as Roman Catholics.

Were any of the Reformers not first Roman Catholics?

 

[JesusforMadrid]

I think you make a good point about parochialism, although it is perhaps inevitable on an English language site that many members are unfamiliar with events and persons in countries where English is not the primary language.

In the case of the person you mentioned, do you have anything written in English which would tell us more about his decision to leave the Catholic faith? I googled his name, but am having trouble finding information, other than a wikipedia article.

He is breathtakingly prolific and has written about a zillion books, some fairly high brow histories and others more accessible to the mass market. See Amazon here:amazon.com/s/qid=1248783235/ref=sr_pg_1?ie=UTF8&rs=&rh=n%3A%211000%2Ci%3Astripbooks%2Cp%5F27%3ACesar%20Vidal&page=1

I think his case is interesting in that, unlike many converts such as Scott Hahn or Richard Bennett, he has not become antagonistic toward his former church. He has not spent much or any time writing about his conversion and the perceived errors of the Roman Catholic Church. He has maintained good relations with them and indeed, works for the Roman Catholic radio station. Perhaps the ethos in Spain is so antithetical to orthodox Christianity that Christians of all stripes are forced to put aside their differences for the sake of the gospel.

I suppose he could thus be considered a sort of Evangelical Peter Kreeft, that is, someone who has changed denominations without alienating those of his previous faith.

 

[JesusforMadrid]

You might not be looking in the right place…I think that you should also ask these related questions:

a) Are there notable Catholics (who have remained in the CC) who now “preach for the protestant cause” by openly opposing some of the central theological and historical claims of the CC?

b) Are there notable Protestants (who have remained in their Protestant church) who now “preach for the Catholic cause” by openly opposing some of the central theological and historical claims of their Protestant Church in favor of the CC’s views?

I doubt that many Protestant churches that would allow (b) to happen…but (a) does happen with some frequency.

I know there are those Catholic theologians such as Hans Küng who preach the liberal protestant cause. However, I am not aware of any leading Catholic theologians who, whilst remaining orthodox Roman Catholic, embrace ideas of conservative evangelical protestantism, such as rejection of Papal authority or a focus on salvation by grace through faith.

Are you aware of any?

As for b), be careful before you generalise. There are a number of Protestants who reject Sola Scritura. If you consider Anglicans “protestant”, you would find a large number who reject the three Solas and do indeed “preach the Catholic cause”. The one issue that protestants will have in common, along with the Orthodox, is a rejection of Papal authority. The only exception to this would be those traditional Anglicans that are seeking reunion with Rome.

 

[Peter_J]

Were any of the Reformers not first Roman Catholics?

You tell me.

 

[Peter_J]

I know there are those Catholic theologians such as Hans Küng who preach the liberal protestant cause. However, I am not aware of any leading Catholic theologians who, whilst remaining orthodox Roman Catholic, embrace ideas of conservative evangelical protestantism, such as rejection of Papal authority or a focus on salvation by grace through faith.

Are you aware of any?

I would say that a theologian who rejects Papal authority is, by definition, not an orthodox Roman Catholic.

As for b), be careful before you generalise. There are a number of Protestants who reject Sola Scritura.

Good point.

 

[Corki]

Not that great thinkers are any more sincere than non-intellectuals! I have known countless Catholics leave the church who were convicted by their desire to serve Christ - not intellectual arguments.

Welcome to the forums. Although we aren’t always successful, we try to stay on topic here.

No one questions the fact that many Catholics leave the practice of thier faith to join Protestant denominations. I would say that most of those do so for sincere desires or emotions. This particular thread is about those who, through study and academic pursuit, have been convinced out of the Church. We know the stories of many who have studied their way into the Church but are discussing those who went the opposite way.

 

[decrumpi]

No one questions the fact that many Catholics leave the practice of thier faith to join Protestant denominations. I would say that most of those do so for sincere desires or emotions. This particular thread is about those who, through study and academic pursuit, have been convinced out of the Church. We know the stories of many who have studied their way into the Church but are discussing those who went the opposite way.

Sorry! Long time lurker here who doesn’t want to be antagonistic. Thanks for the warm reception

I know there are those Catholic theologians such as Hans Küng who preach the liberal protestant cause. However, I am not aware of any leading Catholic theologians who, whilst remaining orthodox Roman Catholic, embrace ideas of conservative evangelical protestantism, such as rejection of Papal authority or a focus on salvation by grace through faith.

You would be hard pressed to find conservative Catholic theologians anymore. All of the modern ones have decidedly liberal protestant leanings, seeing as though they feel like Rome has kept them from new theology. When one begins to deny Catholic doctrine, one becomes a de facto non-Catholic.

I guess we could turn this around and ask for some Catholic scholars!

I would just like to say here that people leaving the CC are usually brighter than many Catholics give them credit for. Doctors, lawyers, businessmen, etc. have all left the Catholic Church. Not just overly sentimental clods. So while I don’t mean to derail the topic, we should carefully examine what the OP has said in order to see that many people leave their childhood religion for various reasons. We must also consider those great protestant scholars who were “cradle Protestants”.

But Greg Boyd is probably the most prominent.