When reading much of modern Protestant scholarship, there seems to be an elevation of Reformational writings and works - on par with the early church fathers.
I have questioned this privately. But now, here, publically, I am questioning it for the sake of conversation. Should we be referencing the reformers as we would church fathers? Should we be weighing the validity of our doctrinal belief on what the reformers taught? Or should we recognize the good in their writings, in so far as they reflect the teaching of the ancient church?
My conviction is that the latter makes far more sense. The reformers are helpful in so far as they restored ancient catholic belief and practice. But, they are to be rejected where they have departed and reinvented the faith. For example, to speak of baptism as a covenant sign, but not the means of regeneration is to be rejected. To speak of the Eucharist as being only a symbol is also to be rejected. To see bishops as an unnecessary part of the Church is also to be rejected. Where they have innovated, they are to be rejected.
My fear is that many in reformational traditions use the reformers as the benchmark for orthodoxy. I believe this is misguided and can lead to an elevation of them improperly. Confessions can be helpful in seeing where they identified error in Rome. But confessions cannot be seen as the final doctrinal authority of Christians. The Creeds and Councils along with Holy Scripture form these standards in an ultimate sense.
Do you agree with this?
This is the first video reflection for the Great Fast.
Welcome to the Mere Catholicity Locals Community! Here, you will find like-minded Christians with a desire to live ecumenically and pursue Christ in all things.
The Mere Catholicity movement runs only through listener support. The work that I (Jonah) do requires time and money. Without the financial support of my Locals community, I would not be able to continue making content. Simple as that. It is only thanks to this group that I can continue providing you with content that (hopefully) both edifies and challenges!
The good news for you is that joining the community itself is completely FREE! Once you sign up, you will be able to see most posts, live streams, and even content posted by other users. However, you will only be able to observe. You will not be able to comment, post, or see any exclusive content. This might be a good way to see if you want to support later down the line. So please join! Even if you cannot afford to give at this time!
Now, for those who do wish to give ...
Friends - as I consider the various platforms that I operate, I find Substack to the most conducive to the model of online ministry that I am aiming for. Though I still plan to post here, as many of you still support me through this platform, Substack is where I will be focusing the majority of my time. If some of you wish to move your subscription from here to Substack, you are welcome to do that. Those who continue to support here, I will continue to post here — mostly the stuff that is behind the paywall on Substack so that you are getting the exclusive content regardless of where you are subscribed.
Hope you all are doing well. Lord bless you.
- Rev. Jonah
I've been gone again for a time preparing for my ordination. I was ordained a Deacon in the Holy Catholic Church on March 8th, 2025.
It was a joy beyond words. I am now back in full swing with ministry, media, and work.
I hope you all have been doing well. More to come soon.
Good morning everyone. I wanted to quickly update you on the Mere Catholicity Podcast. I’ve been posting videos on my channel, but it has been quite sometime since my channel has had a podcast episode release.
With my new job as a classical teacher, scheduling interviews has been a challenge. However, my plan is to use my summer breaks as time to double down on planning and recording new podcasts. The idea will be to record a ton of interviews that will then slowly release throughout the school year, expiring around the time the following summer arrives. This will ultimately result in a consistent once a month interview.
All that to say, the podcast will resume here in May or June of 2025 with some excellent interviews lined up!
Blessings on your Sunday!
