Protestants who call themselves "Catholic"...

[Izdaari]

I’ve begun attending an Anglo-Catholic church. I like it very much and will probably join. It’s a little different in that it has affiliations with both the Episcopal (TEC) and Lutheran (ELCA) churches, and also some connection with the Benedictine monastic tradition.

I suppose that will make me an English-style Catholic and a Lutheran at the same time (possible since TEC and ELCA are in full communion). As a lifelong Protestant, from Baptist and Pentecostal roots, that’s quite a change but one that seems right to me.

 

[GKC]

GKC,
I see nothing with which I would disagree. You gave a much more detailed and historical definition of the Anglican use of the word “Catholic.”

Peace,
Anna

I made a creative typo, though.

GKC

 

[Anna_Scott]

I made a creative typo, though.

GKC

Well. . . I was creative enough not to notice.

Anna

 

[Anna_Scott]

I’ve begun attending an Anglo-Catholic church. I like it very much and will probably join. It’s a little different in that it has affiliations with both the Episcopal (TEC) and Lutheran (ELCA) churches, and also some connection with the Benedictine monastic tradition.

I suppose that will make me an English-style Catholic and a Lutheran at the same time (possible since TEC and ELCA are in full communion). As a lifelong Protestant, from Baptist and Pentecostal roots, that’s quite a change but one that seems right to me.

Izdaari,
For a minute there, I thought we might be attending the same TEC Parish. lol. We, too, are Anglo Catholic, those Confirmed in a Lutheran Church are Received, and our Rector is the Confessor for a Benedictine order.

And-----I’m a former Southern Baptist. So, we have some things in common.

Anna

 

[GKC]

Well. . . I was creative enough not to notice.

Anna

I have to remember. It’s type, read, post, not type, post, read.

GKC

 

[Izdaari]

Izdaari,
For a minute there, I thought we might be attending the same TEC Parish. lol. We, too, are Anglo Catholic, those Confirmed in a Lutheran Church are Received, and our Rector is the Confessor for a Benedictine order.

And-----I’m a former Southern Baptist. So, we have some things in common.

Anna

Probably not the same, unless your parish is in Seattle. But cool!

 

[Anna_Scott]

Probably not the same, unless your parish is in Seattle. But cool!

My Parish is not in Seattle; but you had me wondering for a moment there, until I looked at your location.

Anna

 

[CopticChristian]

Probably not the same, unless your parish is in Seattle. But cool!

Iz,

Am I having a Senior moment or is it my recollection that you used to list yourself as Pentacostal?

 

[Izdaari]

Iz,

Am I having a Senior moment or is it my recollection that you used to list yourself as Pentacostal?

No, your memory is correct. I was with an Assemblies of God church for the last several years. I’m making a big change, and it suits me better I think. Though I am still orthodox, I’ve become too liberal for AoG or the Conservative Evangelical culture it’s part of to be a good fit anymore.

I’ve also listed myself as Angloluthicostal, meaning that my theology includes Anglican, Lutheran and Pentecostal bits. Well, the Anglican and Lutheran bits got together and outvoted the Pentecostal bits.

(But I’m still continuationist. Anglicans are cool with that.)

 

[Contarini]

In this year of 2012, I would like to know exactly what Protest-ants are Protesting. If one breaks down the the word Protestant and defines it in a neutral background, the term appears to define an entity, person or group that “objects” to something. .

But that’s not in fact how words are used, particularly religious labels. I don’t understand why people are so fond of this argument from definition. Words exist in a historical context. Protestants are called Protestants because a group of German princes and city-states in 1529 “protested” being told by the authorities of the Holy Roman Empire to stop introducing in their territories reforms based on the ideas of Luther and similar figures.

Protestants historically preferred to be called “evangelicals”–those who follow the Gospel. Which is, of course, a loaded term, since it means “the Gospel as Protestants understand it”!

Protestant is fine as a neutral, historical label for Christians whose religious ancestry goes back to groups that split from Rome in the 16th century. It has no meaning beyond that.

Edwin

 

[Peter_J]

But that’s not in fact how words are used, particularly religious labels. I don’t understand why people are so fond of this argument from definition. Words exist in a historical context. Protestants are called Protestants because a group of German princes and city-states in 1529 “protested” being told by the authorities of the Holy Roman Empire to stop introducing in their territories reforms based on the ideas of Luther and similar figures.

Protestants historically preferred to be called “evangelicals”–those who follow the Gospel. Which is, of course, a loaded term, since it means “the Gospel as Protestants understand it”!

Protestant is fine as a neutral, historical label for Christians whose religious ancestry goes back to groups that split from Rome in the 16th century. It has no meaning beyond that.

Edwin

Well, if you’re going to get picky about words’ origins, I’m going to have to hit you with Pro and Con testantism.

 

[Peter_J]

It is a Protestant construct (in the same way that “Lutheran” was originally a Roman Catholic construct, coined by John Eck). I believe, and a studied Anglican may know more on this, that the term was first used in England, under Elizabeth, to separate into a category those Christians that were in communion with the Pope from those that were Anglican. You will never find it used prior to the 17th century.

Interesting. I was aware that “Lutherans” were so-named by their opponents, but I didn’t know it could be traced back to one specific man.

As for the term “Roman Catholic Church”, I wouldn’t call it offensive per se, but I think the term “Roman Communion” is much better.

 

[IggyAntiochus]

Interesting. I was aware that “Lutherans” were so-named by their opponents, but I didn’t know it could be traced back to one specific man.

As for the term “Roman Catholic Church”, I wouldn’t call it offensive per se, but I think the term “Roman Communion” is much better.

Yep…used by him against Luther during the Leipzig debate in 1519. I do think that the term Roman Catholic is somewhat offensive. At least, in the sense that it narrows it down to a geographic region, instead of representing the entire unit of churches in communion with the Pope. Of course, it is a lot easier to say “he’s Roman Catholic” than “he’s a Roman communist.”