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Preface
Moving on from the previously controversial post on Genesis, also from my PhD work, I wish to thank all those that read and commented, including those on Facebook. Now to perhaps another controversial topic in Christians circles, the Roman Catholic Church.
I
found Roman Catholic Theologian, Alan Schreck quite useful academically, and
have relied on Roman Catholic scholarship a fair amount in my academic work, on
and offline, even with my somewhat different Reformed views.
Cheers,
Russ
Tradition
Roman
Catholic theologian Alan Schreck states his Church agrees that the Bible is the
inspired word of God,[1] but
does not believe that the Bible is the only source of Revelation and spiritual
guidance for Christians.[2] A dividing point between Protestants and Catholics comes with Schreck’s idea
that God within Catholic thought continues to select certain individuals that
teach with God’s authority through the Holy Spirit.[3] Protestant and those within the Reformed camp have, at times throughout history
disagreed, with the Biblical and theological interpretations of certain Roman
Catholic leaders, in particular the Pope,[4] believed
to be inspired by the Holy Spirit.[5]
Trinity
Alan
Schreck demonstrates the Catholic view is quite similar to Reformed on this
issue as he explains it is a central belief of his Church,[6] and
that the early Church comprised the word Trinity from the Biblical idea for the
one God consisting of three equal and distinct divine persons.[7]
Baptismal
Regeneration
Concerning
the idea of baptismal regeneration, Schreck explains that Roman Catholics view
infant baptism ‘as normally the first step in accepting God’s salvation.’[8] He admits that the New Testament does not explicitly state whether or not
infants or children were baptized,[9] but
it is possible they were as ‘whole households’ are mentioned in the New
Testament as receiving baptism.[10] He reasons that there is no solid evidence that before the third century
infants and children were baptized in the Church,[11] but
by the fifth century this practice was universal in the Church.[12] The theological hope with the practice of infant baptism is that the initial
stages of regeneration have taken place through the faith of the parents,[13] as
Schreck notes ‘Jesus does respond in this way when infants and children are
baptized.’[14]
In the baptism process it is Christ that saves, and therefore salvation is not
merited.[15] Whale
reasons infant baptism demonstrates that Christ did something for a person,
without waiting for human approval.[16] Rebaptism[17] would
never be needed as although baptized Roman Catholics can turn from the faith,
if they do turn back to Christ the initial baptism is sufficient.[18] The sacrament of infant baptism is one of the ‘foundational stones of Church.’[19]
Klein, Blomberg and Hubbard reason it is not Biblically clear what type of baptism should be practiced.[20] Infant baptism is not taught in Scripture directly,[21] and therefore it can be deduced the same could be stated for the associated concepts of baptismal regeneration with Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Churches. However, legitimate theological inference leads to concepts of infant baptism,[22] and so there are also historical arguments for baptismal regeneration within the Christian community which includes Catholic,[23] Eastern Orthodox, and even in some cases Presbyterian, Lutheran and Episcopal.
BROMILEY,
G.W. (1996) ‘Baptism, Infant’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical
Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.
CALVIN, JOHN (1543)(1996) The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, Translated by G.I. Davies, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
KLEIN, WILLIAM W., CRAIG, C. BLOMBERG, AND ROBERT L. HUBBARD, JR. (1993) Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, London, Word Publishing.
SCHRECK, ALAN (1984) Catholic and Christian, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Servant Books.
WHALE, J.S. (1958) Christian Doctrine, Glasgow, Fontana Books.
CALVIN, JOHN (1543)(1996) The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, Translated by G.I. Davies, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
KLEIN, WILLIAM W., CRAIG, C. BLOMBERG, AND ROBERT L. HUBBARD, JR. (1993) Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, London, Word Publishing.
SCHRECK, ALAN (1984) Catholic and Christian, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Servant Books.
WHALE, J.S. (1958) Christian Doctrine, Glasgow, Fontana Books.
[2] Schreck (1984: 42). Strictly speaking as noted, those in
Reformed theology do trust in non-Biblical truths for spiritual guidance. Calvin admitted this in the context of
Scripture and tradition. Calvin
(1543)(1996: 64). I should also add that any reliance on
philosophy and philosophy of religion is not strictly Biblical and I and
many Reformed scholars look to
philosophy for truth.
[4] Calvin explains,
within The Bondage and Liberation of the
Will, his opinion that at that point in history the Papacy was beyond
Reform. Calvin (1543)(1996: 17).
[11] Schreck (1984:
127). G.W. Bromiley writes that Irenaeus
(ca. 130-ca. 200) and Origen (ca. 185-ca. 254) were Church Fathers that could
be traced back to the Apostles, and these men practiced infant baptism. Bromiley (1999: 116). If Irenaeus did practice infant baptism, this
would trace the practice to the second century.
[19] Whale (1958: 158). Whale does not view infant baptism as mere
dedication or as a rite effecting regeneration and so his position is not
identical to Schreck’s, although he does support the sacrament being practiced.
