Sep 14, 2017
Twenty years ago, I lost my faith. I didn’t lose my belief in or about faith, but I officially gave up the certainty that I had enough of it to be saved. It was Easter Vigil, 1998. That’s when I became Catholic. 2017 is the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Rebell…I mean, Reformation. It’s been a catastrophe. There are now more than 40,000 Protestant denominations…and counting. As a result, Christianity has become the poster child for hypocrisy. The religion that professes one faith in Jesus Christ, can’t even agree what faith is. Not since Martin Luther, anyway. He had some strange ideas about it, ideas most of our Protestant brethren don’t even really understand. And to be honest, a lot of Catholics don’t really have a firm grasp of the topic either. So we’re going to set the record straight. I brought in my biblical bazooka named Curtis Mitch. You remember him. He’s the guy who wrote the commentary in the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. He was also my guest on the extremely popular episode 54, explaining the extreme violence in Sacred Scripture. This time we’ll explore: What the Catholic Church actually teaches about faith The pivotal doctrine of Luther most Protestants don’t understand (and don’t even really know) When ecumenism is actually destructive How Luther’s doctrine destroyed the family motif of faith Why primacy of faith (in its true sense) is a Catholic, not Protestant doctrine A proper understanding of the obedience of faith As you’re going to see, Curtis Mitch is a theological and scriptural blitzkrieg. And this is a conversation and topic that every Catholic needs to hear and understand. Not just because it helps us to dialogue with our Separated Brethren. But because a correct understanding of the virtue of faith is at the heart of the Catholic faith itself. God bless and enjoy! Matthew If you liked this episode, you'll probably like these, too: Episode 022 – Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger Episode 039 – The 7 Core Beliefs of Catholicism…in Hebrews? “All who have been lost were lost because they did not pray.” St. Alphonsus Liguori. Don't be lost! Grab your FREE copy of my quick guide to deeper prayer 8 Ways To Jumpstart Your Prayer Life! It's an easy step-by-step summary of the spiritual giants of the Church designed to help you rocket to God! Don't miss a show! Subscribe to The Art of Catholic by clicking this link and then clicking "View in iTunes" under the picture and then "Subscribe"! (I listen to my podcasts on using Overcast. It's free and works better than the Apple Podcast player. Get it here.) Walk in the footsteps of Jesus! Check out the new video about my Pilgrimage to the Holy Land in March 2018! It's the trip of a lifetime! Click here for trip details.