Readings: “Invitation to Church History”
Question
-Based on your readings of Ch. 10: Invitation to Church History: World by John D. Hannah
-Focus your reading on pgs. 384 - the chart on pg. 389.
-Describe how the Council of Trent defined Roman Catholicism in opposition to the Protestant Reformers. Also, evaluate the chart describing the differences between the Catholic Church and Protestant Church. In each of the major categories (Scripture, Anthropology, Soteriology, & Ecclesiology) describe which view you find more persuasive.
-For extra credit you can give your own bible references that support your view on each category.
-Be sure to answer in 2 - 3 pgs, double spaced, with 1 inch margins. Cite your sources in MLA.


Solution
Readings: “Invitation to Church History”
Definition of Roman Catholicism and Protestant Reformers
The Council of Trent (1545-1563) was
a Roman Catholic council held in Trent, Italy. It was one of the most important
councils in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, and it defined Roman
Catholicism in opposition to the Protestant Reformers. The Council of Trent
defined Roman Catholicism in opposition to the Protestant Reformation. The
council’s decrees reaffirmed the pope's authority over all Christians and
condemned Protestant doctrines as heretical. The Council of Trent’s Decrees
Expressed Four Key Points:
The Mass was a sacrifice that could
be offered for sinners. The bread and wine became Christ’s body and blood
through transubstantiation, believing that the substance of bread and wine
becomes the substance of Christ’s body and blood during communion (Chapt 1o,
389).
Baptism was necessary for salvation because it washed away
original sin. Only ordained clergy could administer sacraments such as penance
(confession) or extreme unction (anointing with oil) (Chapter 10, 391).
Moreover, the council condemned many
practices of the Protestant Reformation, including:
1) Transubstantiation (the belief that during mass, bread
and wine are transformed by God into the body and blood of Christ)
2) Private confession to a priest
3) The celibacy vow for priests (it can be broken if it is
found to be impossible to adhere to it)
4) The selling of indulgences (the granting by church
officials of time off from purgatory).
Differences Between Catholic and Protestant Church
In the chart, the Catholic Church is
described as influenced by Greek philosophy. Greek philosophers were interested
in understanding the world around them and how it worked. This is evident in
their writing about geology, astronomy, biology, etc. The Catholic Church
followed this trend and developed a system of theology that was based on reason
and rationality. The chart compares the Catholic Church and the Protestant
church. The Roman Emperor Constantine created the Catholic church in 325 AD. It
is called the "catholic" or "universal" church because it
claims to be universal (Chapt 10, 389). That is, it covers the whole world.
Martin Luther's Reformation created the Protestant churches from 1517-to 1525
AD. They are also called "Reformed" churches because they reform many
doctrines from Catholicism. They believe that salvation comes through faith
alone rather than through good works or sacraments, as taught by Catholicism.
The Protestant Church was influenced by the Bible, which they believed divinely
inspired. They felt that all people should be able to understand the Bible for
themselves without having to go through an intermediary such as a priest or
bishop. The differences between these two approaches can be seen in how they
view history.
Moreover, the Catholic view is more
traditionalist than modernist. In other words, they believe that we must look
back at church history for guidance on how to live our lives today because we
cannot know what God wants from us unless we understand what He has done in the
past (Chapt 10, 390). This means that tradition is significant in Catholicism
because it gives us an idea of what God wants from us today based on what He
did in the past. Practice creates stability in our lives so that we do not have
to reinvent ourselves every time there is a new pope constantly.
Categories
Scripture:
The scripture is what I found to be
more interesting.
1. Scripture is the written word of God, which has been
given to us as a complete revelation of God’s will for our salvation. (2 Tim
3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
2. Scripture is not the only infallible rule of faith and
practice for the church but is sufficient for all things necessary to be
believed and done to obtain eternal life. (2 Tim 3:15)
3. The Bible was not written at one time or place. Still, it
was penned over several centuries by various authors using different styles,
genres, voices and literary devices such as parables, metaphors etc. The Bible
contains many human aspects, including historical errors, scientific
inaccuracies, etc. These should not be taken literally or factually but are
instead meant to illustrate deeper truths about God's nature and character
(Luke 1:1-4; John 19:34; Heb 11:13).
Works
Cited
Bible, H. O. L. M. A. N. Holy bible. Cambridge University Press,
2018.
Hannah,
John David. Chapter 10. Invitation to
Church History




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