Posted on 02/23/2010 10:04:58 PM PST by Salvation
This website surveys the origin and development of Roman Catholic Christianity from the period of the apostolic church, through the post-apostolic church and into the conciliar movement. Principal attention is paid to the biblical basis of both doctrine and dogma as well as the role of paradosis (i.e. handing on the truth) in the history of the Church. Particular attention is also paid to the hierarchical founding and succession of leadership throughout the centuries.
This is a set of lecture notes used since 1985 to teach the basis for key doctrines and dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church. The objectives of the course were, and are:
The course grew out of the need for the authors to continually answer questions about their faith tradition and their work. (Both authors are active members of Catholic parish communities in the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Robert Schihl was a Professor and Associate Dean of the School of Communication and the Arts at Regent University. Paul Flanagan is a consultant specializing in preparing people for technology based changes.) At the time these notes were first prepared, the authors were spending time in their faith community answering questions about their Protestant Evangelical workplaces (Mr. Flanagan was then a senior executive at the Christian Broadcasting Network), and time in their workplaces answering similar questions about their Roman Catholic faith community. These notes are the result of more than a decade of facilitating dialogue among those who wish to learn more about what the Roman Catholic Church teaches and why.
Modes of Transmitting Authoritative Doctrine
One of the major differences which arise among Christian denominations is the method by which authoritative doctrine is revealed. The next three chapters discuss how the Catholic Church views this process. There are two modes for one stream of revelation:
The Church’s teaching authority, magisterium, is the method by which the Holy Spirit guides the Church in truth handling.
That authority comes from Christ down through the apostles and their successors, the Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops -- then to the priests and finally to the Church -- the Body of Christ -- us.
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Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Foundation: Apologetics Without Apology
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Foundation: An Incomplete Picture
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Foundation: Dearly Beloved Catholic Brothers and Sisters
Being Catholic and Christian: Faith and Salvation
Catholic Biblical Apologetics:Being Catholic & Christian:Faith and Salvation-Authoriative
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Being Catholic & Christian: Apostolic Confessions of Faith
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Post-Apostolic Confessions of Faith
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Salvation: A Biblical Portrait
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Salvation: "Being Saved"
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: The Catholic Response to "Are You Saved?"
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: The Knowledge of Salvation
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Faith and Works
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: The Process of Christian Initiation
The Church: A Biblical Portrait - A New Testament Apologetic
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: The Church: A Biblical Portrait - A New Testament Apologetic: Jesus Christ preached a Reign or Kingdom, the Kingdom of God (or of heaven).
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Jesus preached an end-times kingdom but one already existing on earth
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Jesus preached that the kingdom was primarily spiritual and internal but also visible and external.
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Christ called and founded an exclusive, inner core group of twelve men called the "apostles."
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Christ committed His very mission to this twelve man inner core group, his Apostles, alone.
Christ gave to the Twelve, the Apostles, the power of ruling, teaching and sanctifying.
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: This same church Christ willed to endure until the end of the world.
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Christ instituted only one church, and that society was both formally and specifically a visible one.
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: The Marks of the Church, One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Labels Among Christians
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Genealogy of Christian Faith Communities, Roman Catholicism
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: American Christian Branches Among European Founded Churches
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Modes of Transmitting Authoritative Doctrine
“Jesus preached an end-times kingdom but one already existing on earth”
Have to admit, I don’t get that one.
It took some thinking on my part too. The modern world moves slowlwy along the road of self-destruction. And Christ was always talking in parables about the kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God is like a sower who went out to sow.
Now put that to the modern day and look at the different kind of media, individaul messages (I’m thinking of atheists, here) hurtful words, dissension among nations — all these are seeds being sown right now in our world.
You can also transfer the other parables about the kingdom of God in Christ’s day to what is happening in the modern world.
The kingdom of God is like a farmer who sowed good seed, but someone came and sowed weeds.......
The kingdom of God is like a owner who builds a hedge around the vineyard and then leaves the tenants in charge — are we the current tenants?
The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed.......
The analogies are endless.
Still not getting it, sorry. Maybe I’m just too tired.
I thought of another one that perhaps relates more to the end times. They are really all about how we live our daily lives — who knows if we will even wake up in the morning!??
The kingdom of God is like 10 maidens who went out to wait for the bridegroom. Five took oil, five were foolish.
The ones with oil — prayers, attending Mass, going to Reconciliation — are prepared for the coming of the heavenly bridegroom.
The foolish ones — not prepared — denying the truths of the Bible — Annunciation, Resurrection, successors of St. Peter, why have the Sacraments?, etc. (what many threads here on FR are about) are the foolish ones who will not be prepared to enter heaven when Christ comes the seond time.
“The ones with oil — prayers, attending Mass, going to Reconciliation — are prepared for the coming of the heavenly bridegroom.”
Sorry to be so slow, but I am not able to see the connection with the Kingdom of Heaven.
The problem comes down to this. When the “oral” authority conflicts with the plain reading of the “written” authority, the Roman Church has not only gotten the order wrong (oral trumps written), but it has also got this problem of pronouncing anathemas on all who assert that this order is wrong.
The best I can see is that you should just ignore Trent and pretend it isn’t there (pretty much what I see modern Catholics doing, many of whom are fairly evangelical), or tell us it doesn’t really mean what it says.
Just like a plain reading of Scripture creates huge problems for the concept of oral authority, it seems that the history of oral authority does as well......, at least if you don’t want to damn the entire Protestant arm of Christianity.
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