Catholic Biblical Apologetics

Apologetics without apology!

What does the Roman Catholic Church teach about ...? ... and why?

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:

To present the biblical basis for the origin and development of the Roman Catholic Church.
To present the development of the canon of Scripture and evolution of biblical teaching in the Church.
To understand the role of paradosis/tradition in the oral transmission of revelation.
To study the Council of Jerusalem, described in the 15^th chapter of The Acts of the Apostles and its role in the development of doctrine in the conciliar movement in the Church.
To understand the revelation, doctrinal development and practice of the sacramental life in the history of the Church.
To study the role of the Holy Spirit as teaching authority in the Church.
To study the revelation and development of hierarchical authority in the Church.
To understand the hierarchy of truths in the Church as well as the role of private devotion and personal growth in holiness.

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.

Handing On Divine Revelation: Vatican Council II

Decree On Divine Revelation, Chapter 2

... God has seen to it that what He has revealed ... would abide perpetually in its full integrity and be handed on to all generations.
... Christ the Lord ... full revelation of ... God ... commissioned the apostles ... this commission was faithfully fulfilled ... by their oral preaching, by example, and by ordinances,
... (the apostles) handed on what they had received from the lips of Christ, from living with Him, and from what He did, or what they had learned through the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
... in order to keep the gospel forever whole and alive ... the apostles left bishops as their successors, handing over their own teaching role to them.
This sacred tradition, therefore, and sacred Scripture of both the Old and New Testament are like a mirror in which the pilgrim Church on earth looks at God ...
... the apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved by a continuous succession of preachers until the end of time.
... what was handed on by the apostles includes everything that contributes to the holiness of life, and the increase in faith of the People of God;
so the Church in her teaching, life, and worship,
perpetuates and hands on to all generations all that she herself is, all that she believes.
There is a growth in the understanding of the realities and the words
which have been handed down ... through the contemplation and study made by believers ... through the intimate understanding of spiritual things ... through the preaching of those who have received through episcopal succession the sure gift of truth.
Words of the holy Fathers witness to the living presence of this tradition;

Through the same tradition the Church's full canon of the sacred books is known;
and the sacred writing themselves are more profoundly understood and increasingly made known in her.

... there exists a close connection and communication between sacred tradition, and sacred Scripture ... both of them flowing from the same well spring ... merge into a unity and tend toward the same end.

Sacred Scripture is the word of God consigned to writing under the inspiration of the Spirit;
sacred tradition hands on in its full purity God's word entrusted to the apostles by Christ.
... it is not from sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws her certainty about everything which has been revealed.
Sacred tradition and sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of God.

TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; History; Theology
KEYWORDS: catholic; catholiclist; councils; tradition

Finishing the topic of Holy Tradition.

1 posted on 03/23/2010 9:45:30 PM PDT by Salvation

[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway; Lady In Blue; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; Catholicguy; RobbyS; markomalley; ...

Catholic Discussion Ping!

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Catholic Discussion Ping List.

2 posted on 03/23/2010 9:46:38 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Salvation

The fullness of the faith is from the true Church, the Catholic Church. Who else can fight the evil that surrounds us? Just as they surrounded Christ on the cross and mocked him, so they mock His Church now. Le us pray that God will deliver us from evil at our hour of need.

3 posted on 03/23/2010 9:49:53 PM PDT by rbosque (11 year Freeper! Combat Economist.)

[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All

Foundation

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

The Church: A Biblical Portrait - A New Testament Apologetic

The Church: A Biblical Portrait - A New Testament Apologetic

Divine Revelation "By Letter" (2 Thes 2:15) The Bible

Divine Revelation "By Word of Mouth" (2 Thess 2:15): Handing On

4 posted on 03/23/2010 9:49:56 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Salvation

bookmark

5 posted on 03/23/2010 10:27:50 PM PDT by GOP Poet (Obama is an OLYMPIC failure.)

[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search

Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794