Understanding Roman Catholicism: A Protestant’s Irenic Exploration
What happens when a Protestant pastor takes an honest, peaceable look at Roman Catholic doctrine—not to debate, but to understand? That’s exactly what this four-part video series is about. In each episode, I aim to represent Catholic positions with clarity and fairness, even when they challenge Protestant comfort zones. This isn’t about compromise—it’s about honest theological engagement, free from caricatures.
1. Getting to Know Rome (An Irenic Beginning)
In the first session, we start with the most important principle: if we can’t represent someone fairly, we shouldn’t critique them at all. As Protestants, we often engage Roman Catholicism with our guard up, assuming we already know what they believe. But if our understanding is shaped by assumptions rather than study, we risk attacking a version of Catholicism that doesn’t exist.
That’s why this session is about posture. I call it irenic theology—an approach rooted in peace, charity, and clarity. If we don’t begin here, we will misrepresent Catholic doctrine and misunderstand Catholic devotion. This video sets the tone for the series and challenges us to step into the shoes of our Catholic brothers and sisters, just long enough to see the world as they do.
2. Authority: The Real Divide Between Protestants and Catholics
It’s not Mary. It’s not purgatory. It’s not even the Eucharist. The most foundational difference between Protestants and Roman Catholics is the issue of authority.
In this session, I contrast the Catholic model—what they often describe as a three-legged stool of authority (Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium)—with the Protestant view of sola Scriptura, the belief that Scripture alone is the final authority in matters of faith and doctrine.
For Catholics, the Church itself—guided by the Holy Spirit—is the final interpreter of both written and unwritten tradition. For Protestants, the priority is fidelity to the original apostolic truth, even if that means breaking from institutional structures. Understanding this divergence is key to understanding everything else about the Reformation. If you don’t get authority right, nothing else will make sense.
3. Justification: A Tale of Two Righteousnesses
In the third session, we tackle the doctrine at the heart of the Protestant Reformation: justification.
Protestants have historically held to a forensic view—that we are declared righteous before God on the basis of Christ’s righteousness, imputed to us by grace through faith. Roman Catholics, by contrast, believe justification is a process, not merely a legal declaration. It involves sanctification, participation in the sacraments, and cooperation with grace.
Here, I do my best to explain both systems in their own words—grace, merit, infused righteousness, imputation—and I let the differences speak for themselves. No straw men. Just the real contrast, laid side by side.
4. The Apocrypha, Mary, and All the Other Stuff
In the final session, we explore the more visible and often more emotionally charged topics: the Apocrypha, Marian dogmas, purgatory, the saints, and the Eucharist.
These doctrines are often the first things Protestants point to when critiquing Rome, but without understanding the underlying system, our reactions can be surface-level. This session offers a guided tour through the logic behind these beliefs—not to persuade, but to understand.
What do Catholics mean by Theotokos? Why do they venerate Mary? How do they defend purgatory biblically and historically? Why do they include the Apocrypha in their canon? Each of these topics is explored carefully, in context, with historical and theological clarity.
Want to Go Deeper? Hear Both Sides Represented Well
If you’d like to see Roman Catholicism and Protestantism defended by their most charitable and thoughtful voices, I highly recommend these two:
- Trent Horn – Probably the most articulate and respectful Roman Catholic apologist working today.
Visit Trent Horn’s YouTube Channel → - Gavin Ortlund – One of the most gracious and well-researched Protestant voices engaging Catholicism.
Visit Gavin Ortlund’s YouTube Channel →
(Of course, I also like to think I’m doing a bang up job as well.)
Watch the Full Series or Subscribe for Updates
Explore the Project:
Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com
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Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com
Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org
