Catholics and Christians

[Christphr]

The two words ¨Catholic¨ and the other ¨Christian¨ are often distinguished as separate today. The term ¨Protestant¨ seems to be used infrequently today. Even in the recent past Protestants referred to themselves as ¨Protestants¨ or by their denomination, for example, I am a ¨Baptist¨. Why this move to the term ¨Christian¨?

 

[Jbrady]

Even in the recent past Protestants referred to themselves as ¨ Protestants ¨ or by their denomination, for example, I am a ¨ Baptist ¨. Why this move to the term ¨ Christian ¨?

Because denominational identity and divisions has become less important to the bulk of Protestants in the US over the last 60 years, especially for those outside of the once dominant mainline churches. Higher level organizations like the Southern Baptist Convention are also becoming less significant,

The main division between Protestants now is between political conservatives and political liberals, with the salient issues being party affiliation, women’s, LGBT rights, immigration and race relations. This division cuts through denominational lines, rather than following them, and has split the largest mainline churches.

A similar polarization has taken place in the Catholic Church, as well, resulting in a virtual “internal” schism. The points of contention are much the same as with the Protestants, with the addition of how they approach Pope Francis.

 

[Christphr]

Thanks for this. It makes sense. Do you have any thoughts on what this bodes for the future of those formally referred to as ¨Protestants¨, and now who identify as ¨Christian¨? Both political parties becoming more overtly religious? An even greater watering down of Christian culture?

 

[Jbrady]

Do you have any thoughts on what this bodes for the future of those formally referred to as ¨Protestants¨, and now who identify as ¨Christian¨?

First of all, this phenomenon is not by any means confined to Protestantism, or even to Christianity. In developed countries, all religions, including Catholicism, are in steep decline. Yes, even Islam.

Fewer people trust or want to belong to or even have anything to do with religious organizations and institutions. The large “established” groups are going to continue to lose adherents and influence, and Christianity, especially Protestantism, will center less on large, fixed, inter-generational communities and more on smaller, far less formal, far more fluid and ephemeral “non-denominational” loosely bound groups that will eventually abandon the “church” model.

This process will be significantly accelerated by the pandemic. Protestant pastors are expecting from 30 to 50 percent of their flocks to permanently stop attending church services as people dissociate from their formal religious communities. The same is likely to happen with Catholics, as well.

 

[Vico]

The two words ¨Catholic¨ and the other ¨Christian¨ are often distinguished as separate today. The term ¨Protestant¨ seems to be used infrequently today. Even in the recent past Protestants referred to themselves as ¨Protestants¨ or by their denomination, for example, I am a ¨Baptist¨. Why this move to the term ¨Christian¨?

Online Etymology Dictionary has, for Catholic :

“member of the Roman Catholic church,” 1560s, from Catholic (adj.).

Online Etymology Dictionary has, for Protestant:

The word was taken up by the Lutherans in Germany (Swiss and French preferred Reformed). It became the general word for “adherents of the Reformation in Germany,” then “member of any Western church outside the Roman communion;” a sense first attested in English in 1553.

Online Etymology Dictionary has, for Christian:

1520s as a noun, “a believer in and follower of Christ;” 1550s as an adjective, “professing the Christian religion, received into the Christian church,” 16c. forms replacing Middle English Cristen (adjective and noun), from Old English cristen, from a West Germanic borrowing of Church Latin christianus, from Ecclesiastical Greek christianos, from Christos (see Christ). First used in Antioch, according to Acts xi.25-26 …

 

[Maximian]

Protestants see themselves as having more in common with each other than with Catholics, seeing the differences between each other as points of detail. As a young evangelical Protestant I can remember we used to sing:

Protestant folks should stick together
Protestant folks should all be pals
Methodists marry the Baptist daughters
Anglicans marry the Brethren gals.

 

[stpurl]

LOL somebody is an OKLAHOMA fan.

 

[bob4]

The two words ¨ Catholic ¨ and the other ¨ Christian ¨ are often distinguished as separate today.

Is this a 21st century thing? Whatever happened to the notion that you can be a Christian without being a Catholic but you can’t be a Catholic without being a Christian?