Catholic protestants?

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awatkins69

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I was wondering if, around the time of the Reformation, there were any Catholic protestants? That is, examples of Catholics who tried to remain within the Church but accepted Luther’s or any other Reformation doctrines (sola fide, sola scriptura, etc). How did Luther’s propositions affect theologians inside the Church? Were any influenced by them? Thanks.

PS Other than maybe Erasmus.
 
A Catholic ‘protestant’ is a contradiction in terms.

Maybe someone with a greater historical knowledge can answer specifics in more detail.
 
I don’t think you can be a “catholic protestant” anymore than you can be an “Atheist who believes in God”.
 
So, really I think the question is whether any Catholic theologians were influenced by Protestantism?
 
awatkins69 said:
I was wondering if, around the time of the Reformation, there were any Catholic protestants? That is, examples of Catholics who tried to remain within the Church but accepted Luther’s or any other Reformation doctrines (sola fide, sola scriptura, etc). How did Luther’s propositions affect theologians inside the Church? Were any influenced by them?
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Interesting question. Remember that the Reformation was much social and political upheaval as well as theological. Certainly there were theologians who thought themselves fully Catholic (or at least more authentically Catholic and calling out errors in the Catholic Church) and in line with the Church who nonetheless found themselves at the business end of punishment. Luther himself was a prime example - and I’d argue his initial intent was reform, not schism, though the latter became inevitable once those with political power found in Luther a reason to break with the Church that would keep the support of the populace.

Individually there were probably persons who accepted some Protestant teachings to one extent or another, just as there are Catholics today with Calvinist, Lutheran or Evangelical leanings.

As far as individual theologians, I cannot think of good examples - one who was seen breaking with Church teaching risked losing one’s head at the time. Those were indeed dark days when Medieval men with Medieval mindsets dealt with the world in Medieval ways. John Hus does come to mind as one who considered himself Catholic - and very much in line with Church teaching - until the time of his trial and execution for being an heresiarch. Though he predated Luther (and indeed had much influence on the German), so that’s not quite what you asked. While Hus opposed the Church on a number of points, he did support the office of the papacy (at least enough to declare neutrality during the papal schism between Gregory XII and Benedict XIII), and he was primarily condemned for his emulation of Wycliffe’s teachings, his opposition to Crusades in general, and his opposition to using indulgences to fund Crusades.
 
Your question brings to mind a statement by St. Augustine of Hippo (4th cent.):
"And so, lastly, does the name itself of Catholic [keep me in the Church], which, not without reason, amid so many heresies, the Church has thus retained; so that, though all heretics wish to be called Catholics, yet when a stranger asks where the Catholic Church meets, no heretic will venture to point to his own chapel or house" (Against the Epistle of Manichaeus Called Fundamental, Chap. 4).

Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+
 
Great quote, pre-1054 when the Catholic Church was ripped in two…I wonder what Augustine would’ve thought and said at that point?
Cruciform said:
Your question brings to mind a statement by St. Augustine of Hippo (4th cent.):
"And so, lastly, does the name itself of Catholic [keep me in the Church], which, not without reason, amid so many heresies, the Church has thus retained; so that, though all heretics wish to be called Catholics, yet when a stranger asks where the Catholic Church meets, no heretic will venture to point to his own chapel or house" (Against the Epistle of Manichaeus Called Fundamental, Chap. 4).

Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+
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Yes, I understand that one who believes heresies is a heretic, and properly speaking is not Catholic. I guess I have to be more subtle with my language.

Does anybody know of theologians, who considered themselves to be Catholic, and were influenced by Protestantism?
 
Catholic Protestants? Why not?

We already have:

Chevrolets, American cars made in Canada
Jews for Jesus
Republican Union workers
Grafted fruit
Gay Republicans
Pro-life Democrats
Salt on watermelon
Cheese with apple pie
Lemon with fish because the fish tastes too fishy?
snooze buttons on alarm clocks
Republicans worried about Social Security
Clean-shaven Orthodox priests
Oprah, who is fat, preaching at people to be thin

If we can come up with all that stuff, why not have Catholic Protestants? 😛
 
gurneyhalleck1 said:
Catholic Protestants? Why not?

We already have:

Chevrolets, American cars made in Canada
Jews for Jesus
Republican Union workers
Grafted fruit
Gay Republicans
Pro-life Democrats
Salt on watermelon
Cheese with apple pie
Lemon with fish because the fish tastes too fishy?
snooze buttons on alarm clocks
Republicans worried about Social Security
Clean-shaven Orthodox priests
Oprah, who is fat, preaching at people to be thin

If we can come up with all that stuff, why not have Catholic Protestants? 😛
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How about watermelon tossed in olive oil with pepper and a little feta?

As for the OPs questions, why not try doing a bit of research on the Counter Reformation? If I recall correctly, it took in some of the Reformation criticisms of the CC.
 
Catholic Protestants? Why not?

We already have:

Chevrolets, American cars made in Canada
Jews for Jesus
Republican Union workers
Grafted fruit
Gay Republicans
Pro-life Democrats
Salt on watermelon
Cheese with apple pie
Lemon with fish because the fish tastes too fishy?
snooze buttons on alarm clocks
Republicans worried about Social Security
Clean-shaven Orthodox priests
Oprah, who is fat, preaching at people to be thin

If we can come up with all that stuff, why not have Catholic Protestants? 😛
 
Haha! Goodness gracious. This has turned into a thread based on terminology.

Question: Were there any self-professed Catholic theologians, who felt they remained as Catholics, who during the time of the Protestant Reformation were influenced by protestant theology, thus making them heretics, though they did not consider themselves to be such?

Was there any intellectual theological influence within Catholicism coming from protestant theology?
 
awatkins69 said:
Haha! Goodness gracious. This has turned into a thread based on terminology.

Question: Were there any self-professed Catholic theologians, who felt they remained as Catholics, who during the time of the Protestant Reformation were influenced by protestant theology, thus making them heretics, though they did not consider themselves to be such?

Was there any intellectual theological influence within Catholicism coming from protestant theology?
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Oh, you have added - do you only want ones who were influenced and therefore became heretics? What about those who were influenced and didn’t?

As I alluded to above, the Council of Trent took in many of the Reformers criticisms of corruption etc, though not so much theological changes. Tere were changes in art and music too.

The current Pope has written about Luther and how he is important for Catholic theology, but he isn’t exactly a Reformation personality.
 
Properly speaking anyone who adheres to Reformation theology, according to the Catholic Church, is a heretic. Maybe the best way to put it is to ask as such: Were there any Catholic theologians during the time of the Reformation who were influenced by Protestant theology, like sola fide, yet were not schismatics?

Maybe there were none. I just thought it would be interesting to know, but I guess people don’t really get what I’m saying. lol
 
gurneyhalleck1 said:
Catholic Protestants? Why not?

We already have:

Chevrolets, American cars made in Canada
Jews for Jesus
Republican Union workers
Grafted fruit
Gay Republicans
Pro-life Democrats
Salt on watermelon
Cheese with apple pie
Lemon with fish because the fish tastes too fishy?
snooze buttons on alarm clocks
Republicans worried about Social Security
Clean-shaven Orthodox priests
Oprah, who is fat, preaching at people to be thin

If we can come up with all that stuff, why not have Catholic Protestants? 😛
Click to expand...
There is NOTHING wrong with cheese ‘n’ apple pie! Or lemon with fish!!!

If you have ever put ketchup on anything you have no leg to stand on.

huffs, flounces off

😉
 
awatkins69 said:
Properly speaking anyone who adheres to Reformation theology, according to the Catholic Church, is a heretic. Maybe the best way to put it is to ask as such: Were there any Catholic theologians during the time of the Reformation who were influenced by Protestant theology, like sola fide, yet were not schismatics?

Maybe there were none. I just thought it would be interesting to know, but I guess people don’t really get what I’m saying. lol
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Well, someone who was ‘influenced’ by something like sola fide is necessarily out of tune with Church teaching and therefore, assuming they knew so (and Trent was pretty clear on it, so it’s highly unlikely they didn’t) and persisted in this ‘influence’ and disagreement, a heretic or schismatic.

If they recanted their heretical or schismatic view, the ‘sola fide’, and came back to the Church, then they can’t really be said to have been ‘influenced’ by it, can they? 🤷
 
I am pretty sure there were some. Unfortunately I am not up on Catholic Reformation theology. I will see what I can dig up. Do you want just ones during or immediately after the Reformation?
 
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