To Be or Not To Be... Catholic

I heard a profound and thought-provoking statement yesterday.

The Christian Thought & Culture course at Regent College is a new course. (It replaced the old Christian Life course, for you Regent grads out there). While there is a professor of record who opens all classes, there is a tag-team approach, with a team of 7 professors who lecture and lead us in smaller tutorial groups. On top of that there are several guest lecturers throughout the term, so it is a very broad and diverse course.

Yesterday's lecture was entitled Why the Reformation? Or, When does Truth Trump Unity? We looked at the ecclesiastical environment at the time, the reasons behind the Reformation, whether this was a good or bad thing for the Christian faith, and even if we can ask such questions seeing as there has been so much water under the bridge since then. We looked at the abuses of the Church at the time, and countered them with some of the current failures of evangelicalism. As is often the case, following the lecture by one professor we had a formal response by another. After that, the floor was opened for any of the professors to comment. A couple did, but one thoughtful comment in particular struck me. It went something like this:

"If I had been born in the 16th century I hope that I would have been a reformer. But, sitting here in the 21st century, I wonder if I sometimes wish I was Catholic."

That is great food for thought.

Comments

[Tim]

If I had been born in the 16th Century I hope I would have had the courage to be an Anabaptist - they were the only ones that weren't burning other Christians!

Cheers!

[David]

I'm with Tim.

[Elaine]

This sounds like an amazing course. Would you be able to share all or part of the reading list (i.e., books)? Even just one or two suggestions would be appreciated by this former Lutheran, now Anglican who finds deep meaning in Catholic practices and the writing of Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen. Does this mean deep-down I wish I were Catholic?

Thank you, Mike, for another provocative post that will give me food for thought while I walk my dog this evening.

[Elaine]

This sounds like an amazing course. Would you be able to share all or part of the reading list (i.e., books)? Even just one or two suggestions would be appreciated by this former Lutheran, now Anglican who finds deep meaning in Catholic prayer and contemplative practices and the writing of Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen. Does this mean deep-down I wish I were Catholic?

Thank you, Mike, for another provocative post that will give me food for thought while I walk my dog this evening. Sunday afternoon I couldn't keep my mind from churning about "Justification by Faith."

Elaine

[David]

Elaine - Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen? And already an Anglican convert? - you, my friend, are on a slippery path. Next stop rosary!

Isn't it amazing how, once we get over the once-bitter differences how much richness there is in other traditions?

[Elaine]

Hi, David.

Oh, yes. In fact, you are right about the rosary. I actually have a copy of The Anglican Rosary although I haven't studied it thorougly, yet. I didn't mention the Rule of Benedict in my first comment but this also speaks to my heart. (To Mike: thank you for including Karen Neudorf on your fellow-travellers list. I learned about the Rule through her site.)

This afternoon, I am meeting with the priest-associate at my Anglican Church (Cathedral). I've asked her to give me guidance as I try to cultivate a daily (rather than Sunday-only) prayer life. I think I'm going to begin by saying "I wonder if I sometimes wish I were Catholic...."

Also, I agree with your statements about "once we get over the once-bitter differences how much richness there is in other traditions." I only wish I would have discovered this richness years ago. I have so much lost time time make up.

Elaine

[David]

Elaine - On lost time: Don't we all and won't we always?

I think part of the richness we can have in the journey comes because of, and not despite, the places we've been in the past. We go from Pentecostal to Baptist to Lutheran to Anglican and back again and in all the ricocheting we gather little stones to build into our rock pile, our Ebenezer. And each stopping place we can say, Here I met God in a different way.

Keep us in the loop - I am sure I am not the only one to be interested in where your conversation with your spiritual director goes.

blessings.

[Elaine]

Thank you, David, for the reminder that we all have these "if only I had/hadn't...." feelings. And also, for expressing that it is a journey and that at each stopping place, we can meet God/deepen our relationship with Him in a different way. So true.

BTW, I checked out your own "fearfullyhuman" blog, David, and don't know if I should say "thank you" or "curse you" (grin and wink) because now I have _another_ blog to read regularly. By now, I've now lost count...but it's all good stuff so it's time well spent.

Elaine

[David]

Elaine - you are welcome over at FearfullyHuman.com anytime.

Blessings - d.