What are some of the major differences between Roman Catholic and evangelical theology? And how do we assess these differences? How should we relate to our Roman Catholic friends, family members, and neighbors? Join us for this episode with Gregg Allison as we discuss these questions and more.
Access the episode here. (Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and more.)
The Church is the Church of the New Covenant. It is the New Covenant community. And Gregg Allison [1] rightly perceives that apprehension of this reality destroys the popular individualism in much contemporary church culture.
He cites Michael Horton who calls this unfortunate phenomena “contractual ecclesiology,” by which Horton means the following:
In evangelical contexts, the church is often regarded chiefly as a resource for fellowship. For the uniquely individualized personal relationship with Jesus, the church is not only dispensable but perhaps also a hindrance to personal growth. … [A] voluntaristic emphasis emerges, with human decision as the contractual basis for … ecclesial [church] existence. [2]
Many view the church as a ‘contractual reality,’ i.e., something that comes into existence when fellow Christians just so happen to commit to one another (what is seen as an otherwise optional activity). In other words, the church is the product of Christians deciding to form a community. Thus the church’s existence is thought to be based on fellow ‘contractual’ agreement.
Kirk E. Miller 