As my blog title indicates, I prefer to think of myself as a "Benedictine Lutheran," but I suppose that I arguably fit into the category of Lutheranism referred to as as "Evangelical Catholicism." I have seen that term used in a variety of ways over the years, and there have been entire threads on the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau forum devoted to the question of how to define an "Evangelical Catholic," but no consensus was reached as far as I could tell.
Generally speaking, I use the term to refer to Lutherans who maintain the emphasis on salvation by grace through faith (the "Evangelical" part), but in doing so, emphasize the importance of the liturgy, and do not view the Lutheran Confessions in a vacuum, but interpret them in light of the faith of the entire Church, particularly the Early Church Fathers (the "Catholic" part). But, I admit that my somewhat vague definition is simply one among many.
Therefore, I have to admit I was somewhat jealous when I saw this concise explanation of what it means to be a "Catholic" from an Anglican perspective, as demonstrated in a slideshow devoted to the spirituality of the Book of Common Prayer:
http://akensidepress.com/blog/2013/05/the-liturgical-spirituality-of-the-prayer-book-an-intro/
So, this slideshow made me wonder if such a concise slideshow could ever be made about what it means to be a "Catholic" from an Evangelical Lutheran perspective. Or are we too fractured into varying groups who express their "Evangelical Catholicism" in disparate ways, such as a strict view of the Confessions, or taking an ultra "high church" view of the liturgy?
Certainly, many Lutheran theologians (Arthur Carl Piepkorn, Bishop Bo Giertz, Carl Braaten, and Robert W. Jenson to name a few) have written a great deal on the intended catholicity of the Lutheran movement. But, for me at least, the question of how to describe an "Evangelical Catholic" Lutheran remains unanswered. One of the reasons I started this blog was that I viewed it as a forum to air my thoughts and invite discussion on this subject, so there will be more on this subject to come.
one of my friends used to say that Lutherans are the only protestants who did not leave the Catholic church -- we got kicked out!
ReplyDeletehowever, I really like that you call yourself "a Benedictine Lutheran". I love the Benedictine tradition and find it to be catholic in a universal way, and inclusive as well.
Diane -- Luther was not "kicked out" of the Catholic Church. He was excommunicated. What do you mean by "inclusive"? That word must be defined.
Deletehttp://knsuarez.wordpress.com/
Kathy - Thanks for visiting my blog and for the link to your blog. I have added it to my blogroll because the subject of Lutheran/Catholic relations has been a longtime interest of mine.
DeleteHope you have fun reading my blog. I'm new at this, too -- just started in December, 2012. One little tip -- the white on black format is difficult to read -- it makes the art look great -- but hard on the eyes. You may want to consider black type on white. Otherwise -- it's a great blog!
DeleteThanks for the suggestion - I changed the background, so hopefully it is easier to read now.
DeleteThanks, Diane. The Rule of St. Benedict was both for its time and for all time - truly "catholic" in the universal sense. I think that is why people from so many different Christian backgrounds have been increasingly attracted to Benedictine spirituality in recent years.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is easier to read now -- but the black looked nice -- it made the beautiful art work "pop." It's hard to get the format "just right." I'm thinking about paying for an up-grade on my blog, now that I have been blogging for almost 6 months -- and like it! I used to comment a lot on Lutheran blogs -- like Clint Schnekloth's blog -- but then decided it would be better to start my own blog. Here is a Catholic website where I find a lot of my ideas. Needless to say, I don't agree with everything Michael Brown puts on the website -- but he finds interesting articles.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.spiritdaily.com/
Hi Jay -- Just did a little research on St Benedict. (Isn't technology great!) Joseph Ratzinger must have thought enough of him to take his name!
ReplyDeleteI am not a "professional" -- clergy or scholar, but it seems to me all the saints had this in common: They were loyal sons and daughters of the Church. They loved the Church and lived in the Heart of the Church. They did not rebel against the Pope of Rome. Yes -- like Francis -- many, most, tried to reform the Church -- but they did not leave it; they did not create or cause schism.
To Diane's point -- Luther was not kicked out. Maybe he thought he was. We can all read the history. My point is that he caused about 1/3 of the Church to split away. Henry VIII caused the English Reformation for reasons that had nothing to do with reform -- he was acting out on his personal concerns. Reform is one thing -- St Catherine was a reformer -- schism is quite another. John 17:21.
Just my opinion! I would be delighted to debate these things either on your blog or mine. With Mainstream Protestantism and, in particular, the ELCA in sharp decline, these issues are more important than ever.
Hello Kathy - I started to write a reponse and then thought it might be better to write a separate post on Luther's relationship with the Catholic Church, so see my new post.
DeleteFr. Jay,
ReplyDeleteThis is my attempt at defining the term "Evangelical Catholic" for Lutherans. Let me know your thoughts or where you'd improve it.
Evangelical Catholicism, when Lutherans use it, is a name used by some members of the churches of the Augsburg Confession to designate themselves as those who believe, teach and confess the truths of God’s Word as they are summarized and confessed in the Book of Concord and the Seven Ecumenical Councils. They are evangelical because at the centre of their theology and preaching is Christ crucified and risen for the forgiveness of sins. They are catholic because they confess the orthodox and apostolic catholic faith of the ancient and medieval Christian Church. They teach that the Conservative Lutheran Reformation has preserved this catholic and apostolic faith from papal innovation and corruption. Evangelical Catholics are committed to so-called “high church” liturgical worship consistent with the western Catholic Mass. Generally, they are also in favour of restoring an episcopal polity.
Matthew - I love your definition! I particularly like your reference to the Seven Ecumenical Councils, as Lutherans tend to pay attention to the first four, and not the others. However, I believe Lutheran theology relies upon the others - for example, the theology of the Sixth Ecumenical Council (noting Christ's human and divine wills) and the Seventh Ecumenical Council (regarding images - as I've noted before on this blog, Lutherans are not iconoclasts). So, while some Lutherans (and even some "Evangelical Catholics") might object to that part of your definition, I think it is a good addition.
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