Who (or What) is a Catholic (or a catholic)? - Part 2

The word, Catholic, or Catholic Church, runs into further problems (beyond the problem I mentioned in Part 1) because many faith traditions, beyond what most consider the Catholic tradition, use those words to describe themselves, even if it is not part of their name (or normally considered part of their name).

So, for example, the Eastern Orthodox Church (also known as the Orthodox Church) identifies itself as the Catholic Church.  In fact, it's official name is the Orthodox Catholic Church (though the other names are more often used).  (The Eastern Orthodox Church is made up of many churches - a complete list goes way beyond the scope of this posting.)

Coptic Icon

In addition, Oriental Orthodox churches (not to be confused with the Eastern Orthodox Church), also called Old Oriental churches, also identify themselves as the Catholic Church.  The Oriental Orthodox communion comprises of six churches: Coptic Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, Eritrean Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (also known as the Indian Orthodox Church), and Armenian Apostolic churches.

The churches above are part of Eastern Christianity.  In addition, two other churches that are part of Eastern Christianity are also described as Catholic Churches:  the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Ancient Church of the East.

Canterbury Cathedral

In Western Christianity, the Anglican Communion is also known as the Catholic Church. The Anglican Communion is an international association of churches of national and regional Anglican (and Episcopal) churches in full communion with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury. It considers itself both Catholic and Reformed. Those who emphasize its Catholic heritage are known as Anglo-Catholics.  The Holy Catholic Church of Japan is actually an Anglican Church.

In addition, some Lutherans and some Methodists consider themselves "Catholic," especially High Church Lutherans, Lutherans who call themselves Evangelical Catholics, and Neo-Lutheranism.  Some Lutheran churches part of these movements use the name Catholic in their churches.  They tend to emphasize worship practices and doctrines similar to those found in the Roman Catholicism and the Anglo-Catholic portions of the Anglican Communion.

The point here is to examine the many different ways the words "Catholic" or "Catholic Church" is used in many different traditions.

On to Part 3
Back to Part 1
Back to Intro

Who (or What) is an Evangelical? - Part 7

J. I. Packer

Though some (or many) consider Evangelicalism a modern movement, as I have tried to clarify in earlier parts, it has a deep, rich, and long tradition.  A prominent scholar who emphasizes this point is J.I. Packer, an Anglican theologian who taught at Regent College for many years, served as executive editor for Christianity Today, and wrote many books, of which "Knowing God" is best known.  In an essay entitled The Bible in Use: Evangelicals Seeking Truth from Holy Scripture, in a book, Your Word Is Truth, published through the efforts of Evangelicals and Catholics Together, he wrote,

The fundamental claim made for evangelicalism is that it represents the main stream of authentic Christian development over two millennia, . . . (p.60)

Later on he wrote,

Evangelicalism is a convictionally focused point of view that traces its lineage back to the theology and religion of the New Testament via the Fathers, the orthodox scholastics of the West, the medieval teachers of spiritual life, the magisterial reformers and their Puritan and Pietist successors, and the exponents of theological, spiritual, cultural, and missional renewal of both Reformational and Weslyan type from the eighteenth century to the present day.  (p.60)

Packer correctly identifies Evangelicalism as a Christian movement with a tradition that identifies with most of church history going right back to the Church Fathers.

On to Part 8
Back to Part 6
Back to Part 1

Who (or What) is a Catholic (or a catholic)? - Part 1

Many automatically link the word Catholic with the Roman Catholic Church (often known as the Catholic Church), or a Roman Catholic (often simply referred to as a Catholic).  However, while such an association is often automatically assumed, it may be problematic at best.  This is because many churches (denominations) have the word "Catholic" in their name, so that a reference to a Catholic may just as easily refer to one of those churches, since its members tend to also use the term Catholic to refer to themselves and their church.  These churches, which are not in full communion with the Holy See, but which view themselves as Catholics, include:

• American Catholic Church in the United States (formed in 1999)
• Apostolic Catholic Church (in the Philippines)
• Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church (founded in 1997)
• Antiochian Catholic Church in America
• Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church (established in 1945)
• The Catholic Charismatic Rite of Canada (founded in 1968)
• Catholic Mariavite Church (begun in 1935)
• Celtic Catholic Church (incorporated in 1974)
• Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (established in 1957)
• Christ Catholic Church (founded in 1937)
• Ecumenical Catholic Church (begun in 1987)
• Free Catholic Church (Registered in 1949)
• Liberal Catholic Church (begun near start of 20th Century.)
• Imani Temple African-American Catholic Congregation (founded 1989)
• Liberal Catholic Church (begun around the 1920s)
• National Catholic Church of American (established in 1998)
• Old Catholic Church (with many churches in various countries)
• Old Roman Catholic Church (founded in 1910)
• Orthodox Catholic Church of America (established in 1892)
• Palmarian Catholic Church (begun in 1976)
• Philippine Independent Catholic Church (separated in 1902)
• Polish National Catholic Church (founded in 1897)
• Ukrainian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church (established in 2009)

In addition, there are more churches (not listed here) that view themselves as Catholic, though they do not use the word Catholic in the name of their church.

On to Part 2
Back to Intro.

Who (or What) is a Catholic (or a catholic)? - Intro

 As I continued in my series - Who (or What) is an Evangelical? - I got the feeling that while my Catholic friends were interested (in varying degrees), they might have felt like they were being left out of the discussion.  So I will soon start a series on Who (or What) is a Catholic?  Though this may seem simple to some or many, I have found there can be quite a bit of disagreement about this at times (even among Catholics).  I find the history of the word fascinating.  The way the word is used by diverse peoples also makes for an interesting study.

If you have any preliminary thoughts about this before I begin, please leave it as a comment, or send me an email (which you can find in my profile).

On to Part 1.