Upon This Rock: A Baptist Understanding of the Church (original) (raw)

Contemporary Catholic Echoes of the Condemnation of Indulgences by Martin Luther

Although in the course of events the controversies at the time of the Reformation left aside the subject of indulgences to focus on more important issues, traditionally the beginning of Reformation or, at least, a decisive moment of it is considered to be the Disputation on the Power of Indulgences (the so-called Ninety-five Theses), written by Martin Luther in 1517. Certain abuses denounced by him were removed by the Catholic Church half a century later, but the dogmatic definition of indulgences has remained unchanged for well over five centuries. Nowadays, Pope Francis seems to accept in the official documents the definition of indulgences as offered by the famous German Jesuit theologian, Karl Rahner, back in the 1960’s; at that time, this definition could not find its way in the Church documents that still kept the traditional one, though adding certain nuances and specifications. The heart of the matter, however, is not represented by Church abuses committed towards the end of the Middle Ages, as by differences between the Lutheran and Catholic theology on the subject of penance; Luther, for instance, does not accept satisfaction as an element of reconciliation with God, as in the Catholic theology. Karl Rahner developed a theology of penance that excludes the idea of vicarious substitution, which comes near to Luther’s theology on the subject. If Karl Rahner’s definition of indulgences would be explicitly accepted in the official Church documents, that would lead to their abolition, as they could lose their actual meaning.

Indulgences: A History of Theology and Reality of Indulgences and Purgatory

2011

This history of indulgences and purgatory has established itself as a standard summary of the history of the theological development in stages leading to the full orbed view of the 15th century and a praxis that led to split the church. The author follows the further history through the centuries through to the major changes made after the Second Vatican Council. Even though the last chapter of the book contains a detailed Protestant and Orthodox criticism of the dogmatic foundations of indulgences, the book is seen as a fair contribution by many reviewers and has earned the approval of Catholic theologians, who regret, that the planed abolition of indulgences by the Second Vatican Council did not take place finally.

Catholic guilt? Recall of confession promotes prosocial behavior

Recent studies indicate that prosocial behavior is more likely when one feels guilty or when one's moral ledger has a negative balance. In light of such studies, we wondered whether religious rituals of atonement and absolution are, from the perspective of religious groups, counterproductive mechanisms for addressing the moral transgressions of group members. If sin is a form of capital, might absolution rituals squander that capital? We found that Catholic participants who recalled committing a past sin and being absolved of it donated significantly more money to the church than those who recalled committing the sin but had not yet recalled being absolved of it. This effect was more pronounced the more participants believed in divine judgment and the more they engaged in religious activities such as reading the bible or praying. Our findings indicate that the Catholic ritual of confession is an effective means of promoting commitment to the church. These results complement a cultural evolutionary approach to religious prosociality, whereby religious practices evolve to the extent they contribute to high levels of cooperation in religious groups.

Reconciliation with the Church and Interior Penance

Nova et Vetera [English Edition], 2003

For Thomas Aquinas, the first effect (res et sacramentum) of the sacrament of penance or reconciliation is "interior penance". Thomas Aquinas does not juxtapose reconciliation with the Church and reconciliation with God, as some 13th century authors did and as some 20th century authors have suggested by making "reconciliation with the Church" the first effect of this sacrament. For Thomas Aquinas, the person of the penitent, reconciliation with God through the gift of charity, and the mediation of the Church converge in a profound unity.

A New Reformed Catholicity: Catholicity and Confessing in Reformed Ecclesiology

Interreligious Studies and Intercultural Theology, 2019

Reformed ecclesiology suffers from a lack of a concrete sense of catholicity, a lack that easily shatters unity in the church. This article broadly sketches a way in which Reformed confessions and the practice of confessing can help fill that lack, drawing from Robert Schreiter's The New Catholicity. By understanding confessing in terms of remembering dangerous memories, Reformed catholicity has the potential for enabling the church to be a unifying witness in an age where globalizing forces have fragmented societies and inflamed troubling sentiments.