The Theology of Benedict XVI

Dr. Gregg Allison and Dr. Carl Trueman speak about the theology of Benedict XVI, pope emeritus of the Roman Catholic Church. Allison’s article, “Faith, Hope, and Love” and Trueman’s article, “Is the Pope (Roman) Catholic?” are published in The Theology of Benedict XVI: A Protestant Appreciation edited by Tim Perry and published by Lexham Press.

Dr. Allison is Professor of Christian Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He is the author or co-author of several books, including Roman Catholic Theology and Practice: An Evangelical Assessment and The Unfinished Reformation: What Unites and Divides Catholics and Protestants after 500 Years. He appeared on Christ the Center episodes 363 and 461.

Dr. Trueman is Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania. He hosts the Mortification of Spin podcast with Aimee Byrd and Todd Pruitt. He is also the author of several books, including The Creedal Imperative and Luther on the Christian Life. Dr. Trueman has joined us many times before.

[decluesviews]

Good discussion, although I would want to clarify some things. I don’t think that for Ratzinger Aquinas is the quintessential example of faith and reason. Rather, he’s much more aligned with St. Augustine and St. Bonaventure.
Regarding LG 8, I deal with the ‘subsistit in’ in a number of videos past and forthcoming. It didn’t immediately replace “is” but “adest” (is present in). It was recommended by the scholastic theologian, Sebastian Tromp, who is widely regarded as the primary ghost writer of Mystici Corporis. Under Ratzinger’s prefecture, the CDF clarified that LG does not mean that the Church of Christ could subsist in other churches.

[terratremuit]

As one of your Catholic listeners, this was an excellent discussion!

[jumven]

I found it abolutely amusing to see you gentlemen discussing and putting in value Ratzinger's theology with such a knowledge of Catholic Magisterium, which is extremely unusual among Protestants. Especially the notion of authority and the importance of Church teaching that many miss. I was particularly thrilled with Gregg Allison's presentation and later inputs on the relation between faith and the Church.
I wanted to make my own input on the Ordinariates issue. Because it was a sort of continuation of the Pastoral Provision of 1981 in USA and a new application for Britain, Australia and NZ. Which in turn have a precedent back in the '50s when Pius XII instructed that former Protestant could be allowed to RC priesthood even if they were married. It is very interesting to hear from first source how the two English 'flying bishops' who took the formal initiative decided almost impromptu to travel to Rome and ask the authorities for a 'solution' for them. And how this was granted in a very short period of time in order to receive without a bureaucratic delay entire congregations which had prayed for this during years.
So Anglicanorum Coetibus was not particularly designed as a 'fast-track' for Protestant pastors but as a estructure which could shelter entire parishes who had insistently prayed and demanded the Vatican for a solution. Also, a great majority of the parishes were Episcopalian or worldwide belonged to the Anglican Continuing Churches, which aren't in good standing with the Archbishop of Canterbury (Rowan Williams at the time) or the Anglican Communion, so there wasn't such a 'cynical' move towards the CofE itself or the official Anglican Communion per se. It was a task of offering a concrete solution to different church bodies or ecclesiatical communities of the Anglican tradition which had already broken up with Canterbury.

[CarlosOrtiz-skpl]

Just to be clear. The little comment about Clark was wrong. Clark didn't agree with the threefold division of faith, he denied the "fiducia", the "trust". He actually says that the assent of the propositions is the faithm

[ninjacell]

Every Trueman episode is a good episode. Great to have Dr Allison on as well.

[fernandohernandez]

This is something new! Thanks again Reformed Forum! :)

[alittlebitoflight]

In Australia the communities that went on to form the Ordinariate were Traditional Anglican Communion communities. They were already outside the Anglican communion qua Anglican ecclesiology, weren't they - at least, the community broadly accepted as the 'Anglican Church' (they certainly referred to themselves as Anglicans)?

[anselman]

24:44-25:30 Carl is perhaps not recognizing the extent to which Protestants do hold to the authority of the institution of the Church. He has already referred to the Nicene and Chalcedonian orthodoxy, and the Reformed tradition itself requires the subscription of its ministers to certain Confessions of faith. The Catholic tradition, whether Roman, Eastern Orthodox or mainstream Protestant in practice, surely believes things because the Church has authoritatively defined what Scripture teaches and certain practices in addition to what may be found in reading Scripture alone. The RC and Reformed difference in practice is not so much a question of whether things shoud be believed on the authority of the Church, but rather which tradition best represents that authority.

[MrGTO]

Unfortunately there's a problem with your audio on the website. The download link is not working either.

[nazimdjedaa]

It's wrong to say that a RC understanding of faith involves necessarily a Libertarian view of freedom, it's possible to be compatibilist wile holding that someone can stop persevering in faith.

[anselman]

11:05- Did Carl really say that what makes you Protestants is your views on contraception? What Confessional statement is that in? What is the theology and what are these views? Would that be a program in itself?

[bayreuth]

Evangelicalism is unfortunately a simple-minded creed which distorts the Christian faith.

[russellmiles]

are these dudes going to actually say anything?

[gracefaithCHRISTscriptureGOD]

The Roman Catholic church is so far from the truth, the true church should not be bending God's Word to accept there false teaching. Stand on the Reformed Faith not Satan's lies in the Roman Catholic church. Catholic means universal your not coming across as who you are talking about ie the Roman Catholic church or the universe church ?