One-on-One with David Dockery on the Reforming Catholic Confession that Celebrates the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation

Faithful Protestants continue to share many basic Christian beliefs in spite of our very real denominational differences.

Ed: What is the new Reforming Catholic Confession and why was it released at this time?

David Dockery: The Reforming Catholic Confession is a statement released to commemorate and celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The statement is an attempt to show that Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptists, Nazarenes, Wesleyans, Anglicans, Anabaptists, Pentecostals, non-denominational evangelicals, and other faithful Protestants continue to share many basic Christian beliefs in spite of our very real denominational differences.

It is a statement that represents both conviction and unity while pointing us toward a shared commitment articulated in the 4th century in the Nicene Creed, which describes the church as “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.”

The statement is a timely one, not only because it coincides with the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, but because it encourages the heirs of the Reformation to emphasize truth and love, holiness and unity.

Ed: People know what the Reformation is, and they know who Catholics are, so why a Reforming Catholic Confession?

David: The Reformation was a call for renewal of the church, for catholic unity grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ under the authority of Holy Scripture. The word ‘catholic’ is a word that means ‘unity’ or ‘universal’. Many Protestants confess and affirm the Nicene Creed on a regular basis which, as noted earlier, describes the church as “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.” It is important to make a distinction between the universal or catholic (small “c”) church and the Roman Catholic Church.

Some have claimed that this new statement is “catholic, but not Roman.” The desire of those who put this statement together, as well as those from across the numerous Protestant traditions around the globe, is to show that despite our denominational distinctives, distinctions, and differences, which are very real, there is also a substantial doctrinal consensus that unites us as faithful Protestants who are heirs of the shaping vision of the 16th century Reformers. Read More