Evangelicals and catholics evangelizing together?

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filius_Immacula

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I’m familiarwitg firat things and evangelicals and Catholics together, hence the name of the thread, but I’m wondering: Can Catholics and evangelicals evangelize together? Like in a group together or is this forbidden and false ecumenism. NO SEDEVACANTIST OR ANTI VATICAN TWO POLEMIC OR ANTI ECUMENISM PLEASE
 
filius_Immacula said:
I’m familiarwitg firat things and evangelicals and Catholics together, hence the name of the thread, but I’m wondering: Can Catholics and evangelicals evangelize together? Like in a group together or is this forbidden and false ecumenism. NO SEDEVACANTIST OR ANTI VATICAN TWO POLEMIC OR ANTI ECUMENISM PLEASE
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It is not forbidden, but it sounds like it would turn into one big argument, with no resolution.
 
filius_Immacula said:
I’m familiarwitg firat things and evangelicals and Catholics together, hence the name of the thread, but I’m wondering: Can Catholics and evangelicals evangelize together? Like in a group together or is this forbidden and false ecumenism. NO SEDEVACANTIST OR ANTI VATICAN TWO POLEMIC OR ANTI ECUMENISM PLEASE
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In that context, I would understand evangelize as an activity carried by a group of Catholic and Evangelical Christians for the sake of the Gospel. This happen quite often, and depending on the locality, where Christians of the same interest team up together. I would say that is more on working together for a common purpose dictated by the reality on the ground rather than ecumenism.

Why not?
 
Let’s define our terms:
-Evangelical - A follower of Evangelicalism
-Catholic - A follower of Catholicism
-A person cannot at the same time be a follower of Catholicism and a follower of Evangelicalism
-Evangelization - Advocating a cause with the object of making converts

We could then clarify the term “evangelize” by combining the definitions:
-Evangelical evangelization - Advocating Evangelicalism with the object of making converts to Evangelicalism.
-Catholic evangelization - Advocating Catholicism with the object of making converts to Catholicism.

Because a person cannot be a follower of both Catholicism and Evangelicalism, to follow Catholicism always includes not following Evangelicalism, and following Evangelicalism always includes not following Catholicism. So, said differently:

-Evangelical evangelization - Advocating not following Catholicism with the object of making converts to Evangelicalism.
-Catholic evangelization - Advocating not following Evangelicalism with the object of making converts to Catholicism.

If an Evangelical were advocating not following Catholicism with the object of making converts to Evangelicalism while a Catholic was advocating not following Evangelicalism with the object of making converts to Catholicism, the two could not be said to be working together, but should go drink a beer together instead.
 
There was this Catholic priest, who was actively involved in covert evangelism of Muslims where open evangelizing is prohibited by the local law, went around together with local Christians to speak to the people.

He teamed up with some Evangelicals, who were already active in the area. Their activities included meetings and speakings to the people who seek them, hungry for the word of God.

It was not so much to which Christian denomination the potential converts would convert to but that Jesus would be proclaimed. Converting was difficult as the local law would impose lots of procedures.

This priest shared that the result was encouraging.

Why with Evangelicals? He said he was not choosy whom he worked with, but with those who were available.
 
I recall hearing about Billy Graham sending people to their local Catholic church if he was evangelizing in a predominantly Catholic country.

Introducing people to Jesus is one thing. Where you go from there is another. There are limited circumstances where this can really work. A Billy Graham crusade being one of them.
 
LordHaveMercy said:
Let’s define our terms:
-Evangelical - A follower of Evangelicalism
-Catholic - A follower of Catholicism
-A person cannot at the same time be a follower of Catholicism and a follower of Evangelicalism
-Evangelization - Advocating a cause with the object of making converts

We could then clarify the term “evangelize” by combining the definitions:
-Evangelical evangelization - Advocating Evangelicalism with the object of making converts to Evangelicalism.
-Catholic evangelization - Advocating Catholicism with the object of making converts to Catholicism.

Because a person cannot be a follower of both Catholicism and Evangelicalism, to follow Catholicism always includes not following Evangelicalism, and following Evangelicalism always includes not following Catholicism. So, said differently:

-Evangelical evangelization - Advocating not following Catholicism with the object of making converts to Evangelicalism.
-Catholic evangelization - Advocating not following Evangelicalism with the object of making converts to Catholicism.

If an Evangelical were advocating not following Catholicism with the object of making converts to Evangelicalism while a Catholic was advocating not following Evangelicalism with the object of making converts to Catholicism, the two could not be said to be working together, but should go drink a beer together instead.
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This is a false picture of Evangelicals in general. The goal in evangelism is that people be saved. Evangelicals know that only the HS can do this. We are only a conduit for God. Also, what God intends for people after they are saved is His business.
 
I could see Catholics and Evangelicals working together in some cases. Both take similar stances on many moral issues, both tend to be pro-life, support traditional marriage and so forth, and could well campaign together on these sorts of issues.
 
To evangelize is to bring people to Christ, not to the Catholic Church, although the line can be seen as blurred by those who might make the claim that the Truth is exclusive to the Catholic Church…however, such claims have been tempered by the Church’s take that salvation can be gained outside the Church…Luke 9:50, and Mark 9:40 seems an appropriate reference.
 
Neofight said:
To evangelize is to bring people to Christ, not to the Catholic Church, although the line can be seen as blurred by those who might make the claim that the Truth is exclusive to the Catholic Church…however, such claims have been tempered by the Church’s take that salvation can be gained outside the Church…Luke 9:50, and Mark 9:40 seems an appropriate reference.
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Woah there, extra ecclasium nulla salus, no salvation outside of the catholic church
 
filius_Immacula said:
Woah there, extra ecclasium nulla salus, no salvation outside of the catholic church
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Ralph Martin in his book, *Will Many Be Saved?, *discusses the change in the perspective coming out of Vatican II concerning whether a non-Catholic could be saved. Lumen Gentium, Section 16 acknowledges that it is possible to be saved outside the Catholic Church:

vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html ,

However, Martin’s point is that the paragraph also warns that those who do not know Christ can easily go astray. Therefore Catholics should still use every effort to evangelize.

A Vatican II decree by the bishops concerning a need for Christian unity (Decree on Ecumenism) is here:

vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19641121_unitatis-redintegratio_en.html .

Martin says this idea for unity has been developed from consideration that many Christians are taught outside the Catholic Church and do not have the same level of responsibility for the rifts as the original persons involved.
 
LordHaveMercy said:
Let’s define our terms:
-Evangelical - A follower of Evangelicalism
-Catholic - A follower of Catholicism
-A person cannot at the same time be a follower of Catholicism and a follower of Evangelicalism
-Evangelization - Advocating a cause with the object of making converts

We could then clarify the term “evangelize” by combining the definitions:
-Evangelical evangelization - Advocating Evangelicalism with the object of making converts to Evangelicalism.
-Catholic evangelization - Advocating Catholicism with the object of making converts to Catholicism.

Because a person cannot be a follower of both Catholicism and Evangelicalism, to follow Catholicism always includes not following Evangelicalism, and following Evangelicalism always includes not following Catholicism. So, said differently:

-Evangelical evangelization - Advocating not following Catholicism with the object of making converts to Evangelicalism.
-Catholic evangelization - Advocating not following Evangelicalism with the object of making converts to Catholicism.

If an Evangelical were advocating not following Catholicism with the object of making converts to Evangelicalism while a Catholic was advocating not following Evangelicalism with the object of making converts to Catholicism, the two could not be said to be working together, but should go drink a beer together instead.
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Regarding the bolded, being both evangelical and Catholic is precisely what the Lutheran Reformers claimed to be. Many Lutherans today follow in that tradition, handed down by the likes of Gerhard and Piepkorn. Being evangelical means being of the Gospel.

To say that one cannot be both Catholic and evangelical is, seemingly, disputed by this Catholic church

Jon
 
JonNC said:
Regarding the bolded, being both evangelical and Catholic is precisely what the Lutheran Reformers claimed to be. Many Lutherans today follow in that tradition, handed down by the likes of Gerhard and Piepkorn. Being evangelical means being of the Gospel.

To say that one cannot be both Catholic and evangelical is, seemingly, disputed by this Catholic church

Jon
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Ah, thank you for asking for clarification. I did not say that a Catholic can not be evangelical, I said a Catholic cannot be Evangelical. According to Wheaton College, Evangelicalism is a wide-reaching definitional “canopy” that covers a diverse number of Protestant traditions, denominations, organizations, and churches (source)). I see how it can be tricky when the name of a religious tradition is a word that is also an adjective that can be applied to those who do not belong to their denonination. For instance, the Catholic Church has an “episcopate” and is there for “episcopalian” but there is also a denomination call Episcopalianism. How would the OP’s question, which refers specifically to ecumenism, make sense if we were not talking about Evangelicalism, the denomination?
 
LordHaveMercy said:
Ah, thank you for asking for clarification. I did not say that a Catholic can not be evangelical, I said a Catholic cannot be Evangelical. According to Wheaton College, Evangelicalism is a wide-reaching definitional “canopy” that covers a diverse number of Protestant traditions, denominations, organizations, and churches (source)). I see how it can be tricky when the name of a religious tradition is a word that is also an adjective that can be applied to those who do not belong to their denonination. For instance, the Catholic Church has an “episcopate” and is there for “episcopalian” but there is also a denomination call Episcopalianism. How would the OP’s question, which refers specifically to ecumenism, make sense if we were not talking about Evangelicalism, the denomination?
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I accept your explanation. Thanks.

Jon
 
womanatwell said:
Ralph Martin in his book, *Will Many Be Saved?, *discusses the change in the perspective coming out of Vatican II concerning whether a non-Catholic could be saved. Lumen Gentium, Section 16 acknowledges that it is possible to be saved outside the Catholic Church:

vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html ,

However, Martin’s point is that the paragraph also warns that those who do not know Christ can easily go astray. Therefore Catholics should still use every effort to evangelize.

A Vatican II decree by the bishops concerning a need for Christian unity (Decree on Ecumenism) is here:

vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19641121_unitatis-redintegratio_en.html .

Martin says this idea for unity has been developed from consideration that many Christians are taught outside the Catholic Church and do not have the same level of responsibility for the rifts as the original persons involved.
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I’m aware of this, but the dogma still stands, those saved “outside” of the catholic church are still saved in the church, just not explicitly.
 
womanatwell said:
Pope Francis has been promoting ecumenism with Evangelicals and Pentecostals. Here are a few links:

catholicworldreport.com/Item/3350/Francis_Ecumenism_and_the_Common_Witness_to_Christ.aspx

catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-to-meet-with-evangelical-pastor-13934/
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Yes, this issue of cooperation in evangelisation is very dear to the heart of Pope Francis and one he returns to often. To these excellent citations can be added a paragraph from our Holy Father’s apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium:

*246. Given the seriousness of the counter-witness of division among Christians, particularly in Asia and Africa, the search for paths to unity becomes all the more urgent. Missionaries on those continents often mention the criticisms, complaints and ridicule to which the scandal of divided Christians gives rise. If we concentrate on the convictions we share, and if we keep in mind the principle of the hierarchy of truths, we will be able to progress decidedly towards common expressions of proclamation, service and witness. The immense numbers of people who have not received the Gospel of Jesus Christ cannot leave us indifferent. Consequently, commitment to a unity which helps them to accept Jesus Christ can no longer be a matter of mere diplomacy or forced compliance, but rather an indispensable path to evangelization. Signs of division between Christians in countries ravaged by violence add further causes of conflict on the part of those who should instead be a leaven of peace. How many important things unite us! If we really believe in the abundantly free working of the Holy Spirit, we can learn so much from one another! It is not just about being better informed about others, but rather about reaping what the Spirit has sown in them, which is also meant to be a gift for us. To give but one example, in the dialogue with our Orthodox brothers and sisters, we Catholics have the opportunity to learn more about the meaning of episcopal collegiality and their experience of synodality. Through an exchange of gifts, the Spirit can lead us ever more fully into truth and goodness. *
 
I have had some profound experiences of evangelising with other Christians.

The first time happened at a Churches Together event, I turned up, and was told we would be going out door knocking, in the style of the JWs. After praying together over lunch, we went out, I met my partner for the first time, and we had about ten minutes walking from the church to the first house, to try and understand each other.

We knocked on the first door, he said hello I’m John from the Anglican Church, and I introduced myself as Eric from the Catholic Church. I can only say this caused a lot of curiosity, people could not understand why we would be together, so they engaged us in questions on faith.

It seemed our differences and togetherness, was of interest to the people we met.
 
filius_Immacula said:
I’m aware of this, but the dogma still stands, those saved “outside” of the catholic church are still saved in the church, just not explicitly.
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Wouldn’t this be a part of trying to evangelize as many people as possible? :confused:
 
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