Session 7 - Traditions in Christian Theology

Differences between Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism
In most cases, our religious beliefs are inherited from our parents.
Timeline from the Protestant Perspective - the Gospel defines the Church. Corruption then followed which resulted in the Eastern Orthodox breaking away. Protestant belief is that the Gospel lost its prominence, preeminence & became ritualistic. This happened around the time that Constantine (430 A.D.) declared Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire. He may have done so for political reasons, because of the strong structure of the Christian community & he built upon it. Now you can be forgiven of original sin upon being baptized: everyone was, in the eyes of the Empire/community, Christian. The definition of Christianity, therefore, begins to get blurry because EVERYONE is a Christian. "I'm a Roman citizen, so of course I'm a Christian." Christianity became more aligned with the Roman Empire rather than Jesus & the Bible. A state religion can breed corruption. And if the blurr happens, how do we know who the true Christians are?

Then the Church began to be identified by the sacraments and not the Gospel. Tradition rather than the Bible. Everyone hoped that in the 1500's that the Church (Catholic, which is what everyone was) would define the Gospel at the Council of Trent. However, Martin Luther (an Augustinian Catholic monk) recognized doctrinal problems & thru studies he realized that salvation was not through the sacraments, but was something that God gives to us freely based upon no works of our own. The Church began to sell indulgences (forgiveness of sins past, present & future) if people contributed to the building of St. Peter's Basilica (now the seat of the Roman Catholic Church). Martin Luther then challenged it. The Church door then became the bulletin board, the place where the debate would take place. Luther asked that if the Pope has the authority to release souls out of purgatory thru indulgences, why does he not release them out of the goodness of his heart? THAT's when the Catholic Church (universal) said we are now ROMAN Catholic & if you are going to follow a German monk then you are not part of the Church. And if you were not part of the "Church," you could not have salvation - period, because the Church is the administer of salvation. The Restoration follows: the Church is defined by the Gospel, the Gospel is not defined by the Church. John Calvin said "justification is the hinge upon which Christianity stands." Is one saved through the sacraments and then becomes justified or is one declared justified or righteous by a sovereign act of God?

What is the view of Church history from the Catholic perspective?
The Church determines truth. The Church is necessary to determine what books belong in the Bible, what is truth, what is not truth, what is the Gospel, etc. How else do you get rid of heresy? The Church is meant to be an institution to guard the Gospel.

Matthew 16:13 starts the passage in which Jesus speaks to Peter & says that is "upon this rock I will build my Church..." Catholics believe that PETER is the rock, not his confession of faith of who Jesus is. Furthermore, Jesus goes on in the Great Commission & does not give the command to all the world, but to the select few that He is speaking to who are led by Peter. They believe that body of Christ needs the institution of the Church. A Bible in each person's hands could lead to heresy & breakaway denominations, so they believe the RC Church is necessary to keep things in line.

Up until the 7th century, there were 5 MAIN Churches (Antioch, Rome, Constantinople, Jerusalem & Alexandria) which were led by 5 different bishops. It gravitated this way because these Churches were in the bigger cities and the smaller Churches rolled up to them. They were all equal. Then came the invasion of islam in 612 A.D., which took out the Antioch, Jerusalem & Alexandria Churches. There was then a fight for supremacy between Rome and Constantinople (which eventually became the Eastern Orthodox) and the emperor ended up being in Constantinople. In 1054 A.D. they split over leaven (Constantinople) vs. unleaven (Rome) bread & both ex-communicated one another, taking away the other's salvation. Also in the west (Rome) they shaved while in Constantinople they did not, so the east said that the Roman Catholics were being polluted by the Greeks who also shaved. Rome also converts everything into Latin. In 1453 islam invades again & takes Constantinople, so Eastern Orthodox flees north & becomes Russion Orthodoxy. So now Rome has no other equals and becomes more powerful.

What does the Eastern Orthodox Church believe?
That the Church defines the Church. They see Protestants & Catholics as being similar & themselves as being totally different. They wouldn't support class studies on Christianity because the Church defines the Church.

Why are there so many Protestant denominations?It's based upon the will of man.
Reformed tradition says that man is so depraved that he does not have the ability to find God. Man is completely lost.
Catholics believe that after baptism & the removal of original sin man has ability through the sacraments to find God. Free will.
Arminian tradition - man does have ability to choose God/free will.

B.C., the Hasidim were a group that said "we are not going to let this happen to us again," meaning abandoning God & worshiping other gods. The intention was noble, but the idea spread and other groups came about.

The Saduccees were Jews who let the Roman culture infiltrate their lives (they accepted it & rolled with it).

The Pharisees rose up against it & made all kinds of rules to keep them separate from the Roman culture. And that's how other branches bloom & while they start with the fundamentals, they then build a wall around themselves to keep them separate, they push out culture so as not be infiltrated by the outside world & end up focusing on the non-essentials (e.g., since the world smokes, we're not gonna smoke, etc.) .

Charismatics moved away from the written text because it was always being challenged by the liberals & focus on the gifts of the Spirit.

Evangelicals are preserving the fundamentals without building the walls of separation.