"Catholics and Orthodox are the closest, doctrinally."
Technically you are correct, but in mentality Bible-believing Protestants are the closest to us. They are far closer to us than we would care to admit and they are far more Catholic than they would care to admit.
I agree. Just mention the Pope though, and all of a sudden there is tension in the air. That's at least been my experience.
Carl Piepkorn, who has long since passed away wrote a series of comparative religion books that are outstanding. I'm not sure, but I think he might have been a Confessional Lutheran.
Good writer, good books, good guy!
"Technically you are correct, but in mentality Bible-believing Protestants are the closest to us. They are far closer to us than we would care to admit and they are far more Catholic than they would care to admit."
I suspect you'd find that the overwhelming number of Orthodox agree with you that in phronema, Roman Catholics are far closer to Protestants than to the Orthodox.