Redefining the Term Evangelical and Reevaluating the Relation of the Catholic Church to the Orthodox World

I. Redefining the Term Evangelical

Evangelicalism should include Catholic and Orthodox Christians in their definition of Evangelicalism. Such a step would be an important development for the Christian world, bringing Christians closer together so that we may act in greater concert, while neither denying nor downplaying our important differences. Such an attitude could more quickly lead to a situation of virtual unity in the Church due to a breaking down of barriers, which are rooted in prejudice. Each denomination would naturally maintain its integrity and doctrines, they would just extend the same dispensations to Catholics that they dispense to other traditional Protestants that they disagree with on major points of doctrine. 

            Evangelicalism’s exclusion of Catholics and Orthodox is superficial because it is based on prejudice rather than substantial differences. Evangelicals will go out of their way to condemn Catholics on certain points and differences that they happily overlook within other Protestant communities. For example, a high church Lutheran is accepted and praised as a fellow Evangelical, but a Catholic is not. Yet Lutherans believe many of the things a Southern Baptist might find damnable, or at least they will say is damnable when it is present in a Catholic. Lutherans profess the Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist, many believe confession is important to salvation, they believe in the Divine Liturgy, they believe in an all-male priesthood based on ordination, many even have a special place in their practice for the saints. Likewise, High Church Anglicans (Anglo-Catholics) are essentially Catholic in every way except they do not believe the Pope has jurisdiction over the Church of England, and they believe that their Holy Orders is sufficient to pass on apostolic authority. Yet, Evangelicals either welcome Anglicans of all stripes into the fold, or at least don’t set about intentionally trying to bar them from association. If Evangelicals are so concerned over these issues of doctrine why are they not made clear, and in this way High Church Anglicans and Lutherans would also be barred? The real impetus behind the exclusion is a prejudicial attack on the Catholic Church rooted in deep-seated cultural bigotry.  The one key difference between Catholics and the various traditional Protestant groups, often referred to as Evangelicals, is that Catholic believe the Pope has a special charism as the prince of the apostles, the point of unity in the Church. But is this doctrine so much more repugnant than a far more central doctrine like the Real Presence? Or the efficacy of Baptism, which a Baptist and Lutheran will overlook in each other? The answer is clearly, no. Why make such a big fuss, just because Catholics believe that the bishop of Rome has a special role within the Church? This doctrine is not nearly as significant and substantial to as the doctrine of communion and baptism, which are truly basic, never mind the myriad of other points of doctrine that are overlooked when various conservative denominations join together under the banner of Evangelicalism.

            Evangelicals ought to truly organize a list out those doctrines which are necessary to be “Evangelical” and in so doing they will find that Orthodox and Catholics fit neatly into the Evangelical-bare-bones-Christianity of C.S. Lewis, who had great respect for Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Indeed, C.S. Lewis was an Anglo-Catholic and thereby virtually Roman Catholic in all but name. Many of the very best and most prominent Evangelicals respect Catholicism. They may rebuke it for certain points of doctrine, but do not set themselves to be radically at odds with it. Most prominent Evangelical theologians recognize Catholicism as one, among many, manifestations of “Mere Christianity”, and one such example is William Lane Craig, a leading apologist for Evangelicalism. Another manifestation of this sort of mentality is present in the Manhattan Declaration which was signed by many leading Evangelical, Orthodox, and Catholic Christians. An Evangelical List that is already functioning with the removal of the prejudice against the Catholic Church would probably hold these points of doctrine:

·         God is one in Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

·         God is the Creator of all things

·         Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God and is fully God and fully man

·         The Holy Spirit is worshiped together with the Father and the Son

·         Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

·         He rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures

·         The Church is the body of Christ

·         One is baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

·         Sunday is the Lord’s Day

·         Communion is at least an important symbol

·         One is saved by the faith and the grace of God apart from works of the law, so that one does not in any way earn their salvation apart from God’s grace

·         The old Jewish law is fulfilled in the Christian law and as such certain restrictions no longer apply, for example, no pork, and other points of the Old Law

·         Homosexuality is a serious sin which requires repentance as is denying the complementarity and reality of man and woman

·         Marriage is between a man and a woman

·         Abortion is a serious sin which requires repentance

·         Adultery and every kind of fornication is a serious sin and requires repentance

·         Divorce is a serious sin which at least ought to be discouraged

I imagine I have missed a few critical points of doctrine of which all traditional Christians agree, that is High Church Anglicans, Southern Baptists (Low Church Anglicans), Traditional Lutherans, Presbyterians, and yes, even Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians.

Such a union would advance the cause of unity because we are able to come together on these points without diminishing the importance of the remaining points which divide the Christian world. It cannot be overstated that this article is not a call to make little of the very important doctrinal differences that still divides Christendom, rather it is a call for Traditional Protestants to treat Orthodox and Catholics the same way they treat Lutherans and Anglicans, and that is with a sort of latitudinarian attitude on those traditional issues of doctrine.

II. Reevaluating the Relation of the Catholic Church to the Orthodox World

            Orthodox Christians should open communion to Catholics. Such a step would be an important development for the Christian world, bringing Christians closer together so that we may act in greater concert, and allowing the Church to breathe with both lungs. Such an attitude could more quickly lead to a situation of virtual unity in the Church due to a breaking down of barriers, which are rooted in prejudice.

Orthodox will tolerate a rather large amount of disagreement between churches, to include disagreements over authority of bishops, for example is the Bishop of Rome still protos, whether due to the ancient dyptichs or because of his apparent unique role in the early Church, or is that position open to change? What kind of authority and responsibility is proper for the representative of the universal church? What are the duties and rights of the office of Ecumenical Patriarch? What disciplines apply to the issue of divorce; is divorce even possible? And other local disputes of Church government and, to a lesser degree, some minor differences over doctrinal questions and practice. Yet, they all acknowledge communion with each other despite these differences. Why not allow Catholics into the fold of their communion, while still recognizing that they believe the “Roman Patriarch’s” claim to a special Petrine Ministry is incorrect?

The reality is there are already some Orthodox churches which allow intercommunion between orthodox and Catholics. Opening communion between the Catholics and Orthodox would be no less difficult than maintaining communion in the Orthodox World despite the disagreements already present between Constantinople and Moscow, Moscow and Kiev, Antioch and Jerusalem, etc. If the Orthodox remove prejudice from the equation there will be a far more united Christendom that will be far more effective at organizing resistance to the evils of modernism, while also removing blocks to a yet more perfect union, so that we may all be one.