An E-mail From Father Kilian McDonnell

Thanks for your reply, Father McDonnell. However, I remain unconvinced. The Lutheran/Roman Catholic dialogues took place between liberal mainline Lutheran denominations and not conservative "evangelical" Lutherans. The Alliance of
Confessing Evangelicals in particular has issued statements like the Cambridge Declaration to refute the so-called compromises between Rome and Protestants.

Rome seems to want Protestants to come over their side, which isn't a compromise at all but rather a selling out of the Reformation. Justification is imputed righteousness according to the Protestant Reformers. Rome still teaches infused righteousness and as far as I know the anathemas of the canons of Trent are still in effect. The real problem today is that theological liberals are no longer committed to conservative theology or to the principles of the Protestant Reformation. The five solas would be particularly important.

Anyway, I know you don't have time to debate via e-mail. I'm no scholar but I have a B.A. from an Assemblies of God college and a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. Amazing that my conversion to Calvinism happened at an Arminian seminary.

By the way, I also find it troubling that the Society for Pentecostal Studies seems to have no problem with inviting heretics like oneness pentecostals to participate. It seems to me that the Athanasian Creed rules out non-trinitarians.

The peace of God,

Charlie J. Ray

P.S. You might find these links interesting:

An Appeal to Evangelicals
http://www.alliancenet.org/partner/Article_Display_Page/0,,PTID307086CHID560462CIID1415576,00.html

The Cambridge Declaration
http://www.alliancenet.org/partner/Article_Display_Page/0,,PTID307086CHID560218CIID1411364,00.html

----- Original Message -----
From: McDonnell, Fr. Kilian
To: Charlie Ray
Sent: Sunday, May 21, 2006 10:27 AM
Subject: RE: Post pentecostal/charismatic

Dear Mr. Ray: Grace and Peace: I did my doctoral dissertation on John Calvin’s doctrine of the church and the Lord’s Supper, which was printed by both Oxford University Press, and Princeton University Press. I say this simply to indicate that I know something of Calvin’s doctrine. He was a great theologian, and I learned much from him that I must, as a Roman Catholic, accept…. I was in official Vatican dialogues with the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and nationally with the Lutheran/Catholic Dialogue. The Council of Trent did condemn some Reformation doctrines, but not justification by faith alone, which is in the Pauline letters. What Trent condemned was a certain understanding of justification. If you look at the volumes on justification that came out of the Lutheran/Catholic dialogue, either the dialogues in the USA or international, will find a much more nuanced view. You can also find a meeting point in the commentary on Romans by the Jesuit Joseph Fitzmyer, which is in the Anchor Bible series of commentaries. This commentary is used in some Lutheran seminaries…..You should also know that the anathema’s against the Lutherans made by Trent was lifted by the Vatican some ten years ago. We are not in total agreement, but the areas of agreement are greater than you e-mail seems to indicate…..Yes, it is true, I did not speak officially for the Catholic Church in that statement on forgiveness. One does what one can. But when I made it I was the Vatican appointed Catholic chair in the official Classical Pentecostal/Roman Catholic dialogue….Nice chatting with you. Sincerely, Kilian McDonnell,osb
From: Charlie Ray [mailto:guapoduck1959@cfl.rr.com] Sent: Friday, May 19, 2006 1:07 PMTo: McDonnell, Fr. KilianSubject: Post pentecostal/charismatic

Dear Dr. McDonnell,

I read with interest your article asking for Pentecostal forgiveness for the sins of the Roman Catholic Church and of Roman Catholics against them. I can't help thinking of the similar sins committed by Rome against the early Protestant Reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin.

Your apology seems to ring empty, however, since you have no authority to speak for the Roman Catholic Church in any official capacity on this issue, as you admitted in the article (http://www.pctii.org/cyberj/cyberj7/confession.html). It seems to me that there are even more important issues at stake here. Justification by faith alone is still a doctrine that was officially condemned at the Council of Trent and therefore all Protestants, including Pentecostals are officially anathema by the Church of Rome.

I was a Pentecostal for over ten years but I left the movement after I seriously investigated the doctrinal foundations for their theology. Since that time I have become a devout and committed Calvinist and an adherent of Reformed theology within the context of an Anglican liturgy.

I have some sympathies with the Roman Catholic emphasis on sacramental theology and liturgy but the similarities stop there. Until Rome is willing to admit its errors during the Reformation and to remove its blanket condemnations of Reformed/Lutheran/Protestant doctrinal positions, there can be no unity.

Sincerely yours,

Charlie J. Ray

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