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Exemplifying what J.I. Packer calls "superb theological journalism," Noll and Nystrom bring meticulous research, broad-minded historical perspective, and engaging prose to their analysis of the changing relationship between evangelicals and Catholics. Chapters include "Things Are Not the Way They Used to Be"; "Ecumenical Dialogues"; and "The Catholic Catechism." 272 pages, hardcover from Baker.
Format: Hardcover
Number of Pages: 272
Vendor: Baker
Publication Date: 2005
| Dimensions: 9.0 X 6.0 (inches)
ISBN: 0801027977
ISBN-13: 9780801027970
Availability: In Stock
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Noll (religion, Wheaton Coll.) and freelance writer Nystrom propose examining
modern-day Roman Catholicism from the perspective of Evangelical history and
theology. Though they acknowledge that this task is made easier by some of the
ecumenical successes between Catholics and Evangelicals over the last 40
years, they are also quick to point out that religious indifferentism
masquerading as genuine ecumenism makes it all that more difficult. They focus
on the spirit and ecclesial insights of Vatican Council II, claiming that the
Council has provided the theoretical basis for such serious ecumenical
discussion. While largely positive in evaluating contemporary Catholicism,
this work is not sanguine in considering the Catholic church or the future of
Evangelical-Catholic unity. The authors identify failures and scandals within
each church and address a number of theological issues (e.g., ecclesiology,
sacraments, the role of Mary) that require serious conversation. Timely and
instructive, this book is suitable for university and community libraries with
strong religion circulation.-David I. Fulton, Coll. of St. Elizabeth Convent
Station, NJ Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
The eminent evangelical historian Noll and journalist Nystrom offer a lucid
and charitable account of the current state of evangelical-Catholic relations.
Only scant decades ago, they point out, Protestants inveighed against "the
formalism, the anthropocentric worship, the power mongering, and the egotism"
of Rome. But now, they wryly observe, all those qualities "flourish on every
hand within Protestant evangelicalism." This willingness to see the proverbial
beam in one's own eye is one of the great strengths of this book, which has as
much to say about the authors' own Christian tradition as about Rome.
Surveying the changes in Catholicism since Vatican II, and documenting the
numerous encounters that have ensued between Catholics and Protestants, Noll
and Nystrom find "a dramatically altered terrain" that offers hope for further
rapprochement. Catholics will appreciate the authors' focus on official
teaching, especially their appreciative, though not uncritical, survey of the
Church's Catechism. Not all readers will agree that on the crucial
Reformation-era topic of justification, "Catholics and evangelicals now
believe approximately the same thing," and Noll and Nystrom barely mention
popular practices, like the cult of Guadalupe and the late Pope John Paul II's
reinstatement of indulgences, that trouble evangelicals. Still, even if they
never quite answer the question posed in their title, Noll and Nystrom
certainly make the case that that question's time has come. (July) Copyright
2005 Reed Business Information.
Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars(4.5 out of 5 stars)
1 of 1 Reviews Showing: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by John Zimmerman (Edmond, OK), September 23, 2006 A great resource for information regarding recent Ecumenical movements for reconciliation between Evangelicals and Catholics. As informative as this book is the author seems to start from the premise that Reformational Protestantism and Roman Catholicism should be both afforded the status of being Orthodox, but with remaining differences that are outweighed by common affirmations on many doctrines. His quote on Page 251 is as follows: "When, therefore, we evangelicals look at the situation as it has actually come to exist in the Roman Catholic Church - when, that is, we study the papal encyclicals of the last quarter century, read the ecumenical dialogues on justification by faith and on many other historically contentious topics, ponder the new Catholic Catechism, reflect on the use made by Catholics of Alpha and Jesus film, and consider the openness at many levels of the Catholic Church to a Bible-centered and Christ-focused religion that looks strangely like evangelical Christianity - the we are in a position to consider whether the Reformation is over". After reading pertinent parts of the new Catholic Catechism for myself, I find enough remaining serious differences that in my estimation overwhelm any "progress" in recent efforts towards reconciliation. If Mark Noll , and other likeminded evangelicals feel that the Reformation is essentially over, than I would counter that it is not over. In fact, I would suggest that it is evangelicalism itself that is in need of Reformation. If these trends continue without real reform on the part of the Catholic church itself, we could be left with an evangelicalism devoid of Biblical distinctives. If that happens then the Reformation would be truly over, with Protestanism surrendering to Catholicism. This is an important book to read, so do so, and decide for yourself. Write a review of Is the Reformation Over? An Evangelical Assessment of Contemporary Roman Catholicism
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