The best way to explain what Catholics think about Reformed Covenant Theology is by looking at the writings or listen to the talks of Dr. Scott Hahn, who is one of the modern and popular theologians who discusses Catholic Covenant Theology and how it differs from Reformed Covenant Theology. When I get the chance, I can post a few links which explain how we understand and how we differentiate the two theologies from our perspective.
In its most basic form it is the idea that God interacts with man by means of Covenant. It then goes into 3 covenants regarding all mankind: the covenant of redemption which has been in place for all eternity and is the election, the covenant of works which was for Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden and by which his redemptive work was begun so there could be a new Adam in Christ, and the covenant of Grace in which salvation comes of Christs sacrafice at Calvary. It also goes into specific covenants which covenantalists believe to be for Gods chosen people, which is the chirch that was created at the covenant of redemption (and therefore is eternal, bearing in mind that those who are called out are not eternal and that we have only existed since our conceptions by our parents, but the fact that we will be called out has), noting that Israel and the Church are the same thing
From what I understand the only major difference is that Catholic Covenant theology believers Israel to be the visible church, whereas Reformed theology believes Israel to be the invisible church, the entirety of the elect.
I’m somewhat out of my league here, but I’m pretty sure the Catholic Church teaches of both the visible and invisible Church. The visible Church being the Christian churches on Earth, and the invisible Church, the communal Body of Christ, composed of all Christians everywhere, “dead” and alive. (Dead is in quotes because those who are “dead”, but in Christ are alive in heaven)
My thoughts exactly. Scott Hahn also came to mind when I read this thread. He thought his covenant theology was already well developed while he was still a Presbyterian. Then he read the writings of Catholic theologians. The rest is history.
Our covenant theology is an expanded version of yours (except that ours was explicitly codified specifically as a specific branch of theology first, mostly in Hermann Witsius’ 800 page book “The economy of the covenants between God and Man”. Both go over biblical covenants (and are built off of early Christian theology regarding covenants) but ours also goes deep into the concepts of covenant, and then extends into the relationship between God and man and mans subservience and connects to sacramental theology.
Pauline,
Pauline,
Hep me be unnerstannin of what it is you be sayin…herin
I am not sure this is accurate. The CC teaches that Israel is God’s chosen people, and that He will yet fulfill His purpose with them. As the Apostle states, this is the age of the Gentiles, and when their full measure is completed God will include them:
I found this post interesting. Your affiliation lists you as a “Catholic (revert)”, yet your username says “Presbytr”. Perhaps you, like me, were steeped in a non-Catholic ecclesial community while you were lapsed from Catholicism?