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Home , Albert Mohler, Baptists, Ecumenism

18 Commonweal . January 16, 2009 School. Divinity Duke at Studies of House Baptist the of tor Curtis W. Freeman increase of understanding and cooperation between Catholics would “bear abundant fruit for the progress of dialogue and the to the group, the expressed hope that the conversations tion was cordially welcomed by Benedict XVI. In his address delega international joint The changed. have things much between and Catholics in , I was reminded how they spyoneanotherbuyingabottleofwine. when contact eye make even Baptists some And brethren.” “separated as another one regard now Protestants mainline theologians seem to be saying these days. Catholics and most as a great teacher, which is more than some “Christian” old map is less useful than it once was. Many Jews now regard changing of the religious landscape in the , the Herberg’s Will classic in book, forth put typology nuanced more the expressed It and Baptistsdon’t recognizeoneanotherattheliquorstore. , the of head as pope the recognize don’t Protestants Messiah, the as Jesus recognize don’t Jews that be to used the country’s mostvisibleBaptists? of two with than pope the with comfortable more is he that to when a prominent Southern Baptist suggests, even playfully,quote. And who could blame them? What’s the world coming the of source the as Land Richard identify to failed students Land?” (d) or Neuhaus, John Richard (c) ley Hauerwas, (b) Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Bill Clinton.” Then I asked, “Was it (a) Stan John Paul II than I do with Jimmy Carter or ment: “I’ve got more in common with Pope pundit had recently made the following state A Baptists &Catholics Together? As a participant in a December 2007 round of conversations States United the in boundaries religious about line The The class rightly suspected this was a setup, yet most of the nounced that a prominent religious an and students divinity of class a of front in stood I ago years few is Research Professor of and Direc Protestant, , Jew Making UpIsHardtoDo Curtis W. Freeman . But with the Richard Richard - - - - - in a series of five with representatives from the Baptist World newstoevery creature.” of promotingthegood stumbling block to the world, and harms the most holy cause a provides , of will the contradicts “openly , on reminded the audience that, in the words of Vatican II’sall bedecree one...so that the world may believe” (Jn 17:21),and BenedictBaptists.” Quoting the Lord’s priestly “that they may mutual respect,andfidelity”tothegospel? such an exchange couldthat be carriedimagined outhave “in could a who spirit ago, of openness,centuries four Indeed, has developed” among the members of the joint commission. that friendship of atmosphere “the with pleasure and expressed fruitful” “very as discussions the described gathering, week-long the hosted that Unity Christian Promoting for WalterCardinal Council Kasper,Pontifical the of president relations. Catholic-Baptist in forward step a be to Alliance, L’Osservatore Romano Unitatis redintegratio Unitatis declared the conversation, the second

, a lack of unity among among unity of lack a , charlot Together,” they were pressured to remove their names from from names their remove to Together,” pressured were they tives signed the 1994 statement “Evangelicals and Catholics Catholics. When of two suspicious Southernremain South, Baptist conservative denominational the in especially execu Baptists, rank-and-file Many footnote. historical fortunate probably beforit? should Baptists then against were Catholics if that Alan Wolfe’s suggestion they were guided by the conviction mental, and physical health of the mother,” who could doubt tained evidence of the likelihood of damage to the emotional, ascer deformity, carefully fetal and severe of evidence clear incest, rape, as conditions such under abortion of possibility the allow will that legislation for work “to members calling coming oftheKingdomGod.” the terribly hinder to and conscience, of freedom destroy to the realm of the and tends to frustrate the grace of , consciences of men is to the Baptist mind a ghastly tyranny the in over it lording such “all that adding grace,” of channels claiming to exercise the powerbeliefs, of the keys, andprescribing to controlGod, the and soul the between machinery cumbrous and complex its “all thrusts Church Catholic the serted that while Baptists defend the full liberty of conscience, the Baptist position by invoking oppositional rhetoric. He as most respected voices in Baptist the of One life identity. atBaptist theon time,statement Truettclassic a as cited defined widely Washington,is in D.C., Capitol the of steps east the W. George by Truett, address from 1920, delivered 16, May liberty has often been a thin disguise for attack rhetoric. The less obvious ways too. The historic Baptist stance of religious the whoreofBabyloninBookRevelation. to — that identified the with tion—held by many of the earliest Baptists, from John Smyth Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, defended a posi of president founding the (1843–1914), Carroll view. H. B. teaches a false . And Mohler was far from alone in his and church, false a leads office, false a holds pope the that cal Seminary, intoned on March 22, 2000, for R. , president of the Southern Baptist Theologi in thedoctrinaltradition. Nevertheless, shrill caricatures like this onewere interested becamein expressing their animus toward Catholics. entrenched to demonstrate their agreement with fellow as they impelled much as probably were Baptists the that indicates almost word-for-word from ness of his coming.” That all but the last phrase was borrowed bright the with destroy shall Lord the whom God; called is that exalteth himself in the church against Christ, and all that pope is “that , that Man of sin, a Son of perdition, the that declared 1688, in ministers Baptist thirty-seven by rhetoric was common. Still, even latent anti-Catholicism is not merely an un an merely not is anti-Catholicism latent even Still, resolution a passed Baptists Southern 1971, in when So in out comes anti-Catholicism for proclivity Baptist The These old anti-Catholic spirits were conjured up anew when harsh when time a at born was movement Baptist The The Second London Confession The Westminster Confession Larry King Live of 1646 , signed ------to faithinChrist. (Rom saved” 10:13). be The point is clear: Catholics are shall lost and must be led Lord the of name the on calls ever is eternal life through Jesus Christ” (Rom 6:23). And “Who God of gift the but death, is sin of wages “The 3:23). (Rom the lost to in three simple steps: “All have sinned” lead to Romans Testament of New book the from verses ed Rome, but rather to an evangelistic strategy that uses select lims. “The Roman Road” was no reference to the primacy of Jehovah’sMus cluding Wiccans,Witnesses,and Mormons, fered alongside seminars on other “non-Christian” groups, in of was conference The Friends.” Catholic Roman with pel Gos the Sharing Road: Roman “The titled Catholicism on seminar a sponsored recently Department that Catholicismwas“alegitimateformofdiscipleship.” Convention went on record as strongly rejecting minoritythe of thesuggestion Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist dry.was ink the before almost vocal signatories A of list the ent for many of the deliberations at Vatican II. As director director As VaticanII. at deliberations the of many for ent pres been had Hayes Brooks president Convention Baptist independent conversations with Catholics. Former Southern since separated 1845, encouraged Southernbeen Baptists had to begin their ownthey whom from Line, Mason-Dixon American Baptistjournal The papers from these meetings were published in issues of the that they hoped to explore in further study and conversation. authority, , and the nature of righteousnessof divergence on the meaning of the , magisterial tion about the meaning of the church. They delineated areas well as the desire for both communions to seek fuller realiza as conscience, of freedom and liberty religious for concerns mutual shared they that discovered Baptists and Catholics news to the whole world. Even more to their good amazement, the take to urgency of sense both a and faith through grace ingly came to common ground about the of salvation by in God’s unique self-revelation in the Scriptures. They surpris shared faith in the Triune God as the source of authority and initial conversations, beginning with the recognition of their could findwordstoexpress. a genuine faith in one another that was often closer than they recognized they that participants the to clear became it nually. Though they lacked a common theological language, Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs met an ’ Catholic the and Churches Baptist American the representing delegation joint a 1970, to 1967 From II. can between Catholics and Baptists that began shortly after Vati but these meetings are part of a larger story of conversations dissidents, of group a by accommodation an as dismissed be I It is not surprising, then, that the Southern Baptist Inter Baptist Southern the that then, surprising, not is It The ecumenical success of their fellow Baptists above the above Baptists fellow their of success ecumenical The these in emerge did agreement of areas large this, Despite logical conversation? This development might mistakenly delegation of Baptists traveleda that it to is Romehow foralive, astill weekis of theoanti-Catholicism Baptist f Foundations from1967to1973. ------19 Commonweal . January 16, 2009 20 Commonweal . January 16, 2009 world maybelieve” (Jn17:21). the that one...so be all may they “that Jesus of prayer the of speak and act in concert and so move toward the realization might Baptists and Catholics which in ways concrete about that further study of the statement might frame the discussion Catholics in the near future. But participants and expressed hope Baptists between communion full to lead would tions and practice. There was no expectation that these conversa , and Christian witness, and the place of Mary in faith method, the shape of and authority theological including exploration, continued and to a world mission. They also identified areas in need of Baptists to Christ, to conversion, to the and Catholics as witness fellowship common their affirmed delegation joint of the the Spirit, conversations, BWA–PCPCU the to statement Today’sconcluding in Witnessa In World.”“Christian was theme overall The States. United the in dialogues scholarly the in participated also who members several included tion for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU). The Baptist delega Council Pontifical (BWA) the WorldAlliance and Baptist the by sponsored 1988 to 1984 from meetings international Christ bythegraceofGod.” basic understanding of what it a means to share be a do follower of“we Jesus differences, real very despite that, affirmed concluding report, reflecting on the decade-long discussions, (the understanding” Theology of Journal ern were published under the themes meetings of “the life of grace” ( those from papers The (1986–88). third a Seminary. cal journal associated with the Southern Baptist Theological the spring 1982 issue of the missions, and . The proceedings were published in Scripture, salvation, ,experience, ,American evangelismthe and considered triennium first The discussion of formal papers and participation and in jointpresentation .the included format The 1980. and 1978 between held was series first The sessions. dialogue annual and Catholic scholars met in a series of three three-year semi- participants in1979alone. thousand four than more drew dialogues Local versation. con and worship for leaders Catholic and Baptist together brought gatherings These 1970s. the throughout continued that meetings regional of series a promoted and challenge Committee for Ecumenical and Religious Affairs took up the the Southern Baptist Convention and the Catholic bishops’ of Department Witness Interfaith The Christ.” in brothers as another one discover to time of need in are we that long, have lived our faith commitments in relative isolation for so “We declared: meeting the of close the at issued statement joint The 1969. in conference a hosted Hayes University, Wake Forest at Institute Ecumenical established newly a of These national conversations stimulated a series of five five of series a stimulated conversations national These The initial series was followed by a second (1982–84) and In the wake of these local conversations, Southern Baptist Theological Educator Theological , Spring 1986) and “toward a mutual mutual a “toward and 1986) Spring , Review and Expositor , the relationship between faith, , Spring 1989). A 1989). Spring , , a theologi Southwest - - - - - T estant-Catholic relations. It cites Catholic intransigence on intransigence Catholic cites It relations. estant-Catholic Prot of state the pervades that resignation” and weariness of “climate the to alludes document The Today’s Italy.” in Society, “Churches, and titled statement a approve to Churches Methodist and Waldensian the of the members of their churches, the Italian Baptist Union joined with the Catholics on pastoral care for intermarriages between November 2007, only a month after signing a joint agreement with respecttothesacraments,areirreconcilable. assessment that the Baptist and Catholic positions, especially pessimistic the with concludes document Yet the dialogue. misunderstandings and caricatures, and they called for further the and church. The conversationssupper-, soughtthe an approachbaptism, on beyond mutual disagreements Church published they 2006 In France. in convened committee Baptist-Catholic have recently met a similar fate. For twenty-five years conversations a joint Catholic-Baptist Other forward. way a find plained, “We’re notecumenists.We’re Evangelicals.” ex presidents seminary SBC the of one reason, a for asked abruptly announced the termination of conversations. When co-chairs the later, month a But presidents. seminary three salvation, and the Southern Baptist representatives included of theme the discuss to 2001 September in again met tions Baptists than to spell out areas of agreement. The two delega in 1999, did more to clarify differences among Catholics and their two-decades-long struggle. A concluding report, released issue between moderates and conservatives in the SBC during defining authority,the biblical become of had theme which the up took States United the in Catholics and Baptists ern antiecumenical direction. The new meetingsdecidedly a betweenin South denomination the steered had 1980s the in Italian Baptists seem to have reached a similar impasse. In to struggle their in alone not are Baptists Southern The Others portrayedtheCDFdocument Catholics tobe“deadinthewater.” as evidencethatBenedictXVIwas ), a book which summarizes current agreements and and agreements current summarizes which book a ), 2007, someBaptists...pronounced that swept through the Southern Baptist Convention resume until 1995. By then, the didn’t neoconservativeconversations Baptist–Catholic winds Southern he Regarding CertainAspectsofthe When theCongregationfor oftheChurch”inJune “Responses toSomeQuestions ecumenical conversationswith Doctrine oftheFaithissuedits intent onundoingVatican II. Du Baptême á L’Église á Baptême Du ( From Baptism to the the to Baptism From - - - - was intenton undoing Vatican II. portrayed the CDF document as evidence that Benedict XVI conversations with Catholics to be “dead in the water.” churches Othersin the proper sense. Some pronounced ecumenical their congregations were “ecclesial communities” rather than Baptists joined other Protestants in decrying the notion that some 2007, June in Church” the of Doctrine the of Aspects Certain Regarding Questions Some to “Responses its issued example, when the For Congregation documents. for Catholic the in Doctrinefound ofnuances the subtle Faiththe pret with struggle Baptists Baptists. for definitively whom A as radicalcatholics. goal and the task ahead for Baptists who think of themselves the both is fullness this to road the on way the negotiating practice are insufficient in terms of this fuller , but Here Harmon confesses that some aspects of Baptist faith and sacramental. the matters, of sense Trinitarianfuller a and orthodoxy other among includes, that practice and faith of fullness qualitative a demands approach this that admits He church catholic as a seedbed for renewal of radical catholicity. munity of dissent. Yet he envisions this community within the and ecclesial practice.” Harmon sees Baptists as a pilgrim com identityChristian through forms liturgical rehearsal,that catechetical instruction,tradition ecumenical ancient the of retrieval a “requires modernity of waning the be to consider any hope Baptists have of moving forward during what many that contends Harmon BWA R. the Steven of participants, the horizon. its baptismal language. And there are other hopeful signs on personal endorsements to the document with a caveat about their gave BWA–PCPCU current conversations, the in ing participat is whom of one theologians, Baptist two Rome, in Baptists and Catholics of gathering informal an at 2003, December in Indeed, participation. Baptist preclude would that document the in nature substantive Yet a of little is there communions. Methodist and Lutheran, Catholic, by in the Baptists, for example, are not yet to the point of participating The stagnation. recent and progress initial beyond forward the current conversations signify, as the Vatican put it, a step whether seen be to remains it but celebration, deserve gains and think they will be saved by good works. These important cannot disagree with the pope, believe in sacramental magic, study, Mary,discourage worship Catholics that belief on the whole they have done much to overcome the Baptist ecumenical stalemate. the for reasons as ethics social and ecclesiology of issues the What such reactions failed to take into account was that that was account into take to failed reactions such What book recent the In Popular reception of past conversations has been uneven, but they are in conversation with, given that no one speaks Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of cant challenges. Catholics are often left to wonder wonder to left often are Catholics challenges. cant with such an ecumenical approach, they face signifi forward move to seek Catholics and Baptists both s TowardsCatholicity,Baptist how by another by approved to inter to - - - - rediscover their place within the larger catholic whole. But But whole. catholic larger the within place their rediscover thus and self-sufficient not is dissent of tradition their that from their Catholic brothers and sisters, they must recognize Baptists can be grateful. For Baptists to under receiveCatholic control, the CDF offered language for which such admonition not work sanctifying be may Spirit the that and elsewhere, as instrumentsofsalvation.” them using from refrained not has Christ of Spirit “the that and salvation,” of mystery the in importance nor nificance ristic worship), they are nevertheless “deprived neither of sig the absence of historic apostolic episcopacy and valid Eucha (chiefly defects” from “suffer communities and churches ed lan guage of reiterated Vatican II’s further “Responses” them.” in present are that truth and sanctification of elements the of account on nities not yet fully in communion with the Catholic Church, present and operative in the churches and ecclesial commu is Christ of church “the that possibility the envisioned that the “Responses” echoed earlier papal teaching in one stepback. taking without forward steps two take can we then Maybe Baptists. by offered challenges and gifts the receive to pared pre are they if ask also might Catholics readers. discerning more become to debates) theological intra-Catholic the to attuned so not are who partners conversation ecumenical other their (and brothers and sisters Baptist their help can they how wisely.ask it might employ Catholics to resources historical and theological the possess us of few too method, detect suchsubtlenuances. both for a process of development and reformulation and includes more sophisticated hermeneutic of reform, one that accounts welcome news eluded most Baptists. As Wicks suggests, only a of bit This Church. Catholic the and Christ Jesus of church that “subsist” entails full and exclusive identity between the argued who revisionists recent several from itself distancing quietly by move reverse the making actually was CDF the Jared Wicks if is But right (in exclusivity. greater toward push to wish would who those are there doubt No ecclesiology. II pre–Vatican a to subsists in the Catholic Church,” it seemed to suggest a return of teaching the considers “Responses” example, for When, Baptists. most to Vatican statementslimitations. are oftenits so subtle as to prove inscrutableteaching—has existing with coherence in understood be must statements new that insists ity—which such humblereceptivity? of Christian for Adults as one possible example of conversation partners. Is it conceivable Baptist to their understand of witness communal thethe in Riteembodied rective cor the embrace to that enough humble be likewise, demands Catholics, It asymmetrical. be cannot reception such By acknowledging that Christ may be genuinely present present genuinely be may Christ that acknowledging By Though Baptists are happy to receive insight from this this from insight receive to happy are Baptists Though continu of hermeneutic Benedict’s Pope honesty, all In ressourcement n Lumen and Unitatis redintegratio Ecumenical Trends aggiornamento that “the church of Christ Christ of church “the that , can enable readers to readers enable can , , that while separat , July/August 2007), ------

21 Commonweal . January 16, 2009