Good Morning,
In this post, I am introducing the top scholars in the field of Early Church/Catholic apologetics (both Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic) that I found, where the Bible and the Christian faith started according to these scholars, personal testimonies of converts, links I found to where and when various Catholic (Roman, Eastern, English, Coptic, etc....) and Protestant Church bodies started, and the origin of basic Protestant and Catholic doctrines from Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant Perspectives. There is a slew of both anti-Catholic and anti-Protestant material out there on the Internet and other places, so I have tried to give you the best and most accurate and unbiased sources I could find.
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1. Christian Classics Ethereal Library--The most comprehensive historical library of actual early Christian writings starting from the first century and beyond.
https://www.ccel.org/fathers.
1. Christian Classics Ethereal Library--The most comprehensive historical library of actual early Christian writings starting from the first century and beyond.
https://www.ccel.org/fathers.
2. Dr. Brant Pitre---a theology professor at Notre Dame, Catholic Bible scholar, and publisher of many books.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/
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3. Bishop Robert Barron----- a leading Bishop in the Catholic Church, published author, leader of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/user/
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4. The Orthodox Reformed Bridge-- a resource from the Eastern Orthodox Church that helps bridge Protestants to a better understanding of preformed Christian theology. Pope Francis calls the Eastern Orthodox Church the "left lung" of the Church because of the history of Eastern and Western Christianity.
https://blogs.ancientfaith.
https://blogs.ancientfaith.
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5. Catholic Answers--a team of Catholic apologists with guest speakers who give Biblical and historical evidence for Catholicism.
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6. The Coming Home Network
Story after conversion story of Protestant ministers, strong Protestant Christians from all Protestant traditions, and all kinds of people from all walks of life who found the Catholic faith. This network was instrumental to my conversion into Catholicism because of the Biblical and historical evidence.
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7. The History of Christianity (the best video series I could find on this by the History Channel)
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8. Hank Hanegraaff--Bible Answer Man---Eastern Orthodox convert from Protestantism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
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9. Dr. Scott Hahn--Presbyterian Minister who converted to Catholicism, published writer, and speaker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/
10. Testimonies of Deacon Alex Jones and Catholic Apologist Steve Ray--
Pentecostal to Catholic convert and Baptist to Catholic Convert
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
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10. Testimonies of Deacon Alex Jones and Catholic Apologist Steve Ray--
Pentecostal to Catholic convert and Baptist to Catholic Convert
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
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This next section gives links to most of the major Catholic and major Protestant Church bodies, who started them (if known), and when they started. To be fair, I am giving the most favorable links I found to each major Protestant Church body, ones that will not be potentially biased. For the origin of the Roman Catholic Church, I am giving secular links only, not Roman Catholic links.
There are thousands of branches that started during and after the 1500s, but I am just sticking with main bodies. All of Christianity after the 1500s combined is approximately 30,000 denominations on average today with a large range of theological and moral beliefs. This is not a high number but an average number. Please note that many anti-Catholic sources try to disclaim who started the Roman Catholic Church, but many secular historians say that Jesus Christ and the Apostle Peter started the Roman Catholic Church as it's referenced to in Matthew Chapter 16:17-19.
Major Churches before the Protestant Reformation (not all) existing as one universal Catholic Church until 1054 AD.--All Catholic bodies can be traced back to the original Apostles.
The undivided Catholic Church essentially had the similar theology and doctrine with minor variations until the 1500s, even after the Great Schism of 1054 between Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. There were mild to very wide variations of theological beliefs between the various Protestant Reformers and the Church bodies they started.
The undivided Catholic Church essentially had the similar theology and doctrine with minor variations until the 1500s, even after the Great Schism of 1054 between Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. There were mild to very wide variations of theological beliefs between the various Protestant Reformers and the Church bodies they started.
The Eastern Orthodox Church (1054 AD Emperor Michael Cerularius)-- mutually broke away from the Roman Catholic Church (many historians say) and became the Eastern Orthodox Church during the Great Schism in 1054--Eastern Orthodoxy actually started with the Apostle Paul in 33 AD who was sent by Christ.
The Roman Catholic Church--33 AD started by Jesus Christ and the Apostle Peter according to all Catholic and many secular historians (Matthew 16:17-19).
The English/Anglican Church (597 AD with St, Augustine or sooner) Note--there were Christians in the British Isles as early as the first century. Some historians say that Joseph of Arimethea started the English Church--The English/Anglican Church was in and out of Papal Authority since the second century before it finally broke from Rome in the 1500s during the English Reformation and became the "via media/midway" between Protestantism and Catholicism. The Anglican Church is a broad mixture of Protestant and Catholic theology and beliefs.
The Coptic Church (the Apostle Mark 50 AD)
http://www.coptic.net/EncyclopediaCoptica
Oriental Orthodox Church
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Starting in the 1500s during and after the Protestant and English Reformations
https://www.christianitytoday.
Anglican and the final break from Rome (16th century) after the English Reformation
https://www.britannica.com/
Anglican and the final break from Rome (16th century) after the English Reformation
https://www.britannica.com/
Baptist (early 17th century)
Calvinist/Presbyterian
https://www.encyclopedia.com/
Congregationalism (16th and 17th century)
Puritan (late 16th and 17th centuries)
Methodist (18th century, revival movement from Anglicanism)
Quakers (18th century)
Pentecostalism (20th century)
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The Origins of Various Protestant and Catholic Doctrines--I am presenting these doctrines from a mixture of Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant perspectives.
The Five Major Protestant Doctrines--starting in the 1500s
https://www.christianity.com/
A Catholic Perspective of the Five Solas
Scripture Alone (Sola Scriptura)
Faith Alone (Sola Fide)
Grace Alone (Sola Gratia)
Christ Alone (Solus Christus)
To the Glory of God Alone (Soli Deo Gloria)
The Doctrine of the Rapture
https://www.catholic.com/
http://www.reformedonline.com/
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The Book of Revelation from a Catholic Perspective
https://www.catholic.com/
Doctrine of Purgatory or Purification of the Soul--
Catholic Answers---"Jews, Catholics, and the Eastern Orthodox Christians have historically proclaimed the reality of the final purification." In Roman Catholicism, Purgatory is just another name for this state of final purification before a soul goes to heaven, but this concept didn't change until the 1500s. A number of Protestant theologians like C.S. Lewis (Anglican theologian) and Jerry Wells still believed/believe in Purgatory.
https://www.catholic.com/
Doctrine of Theosis
https://orthodoxwiki.org/
Doctrine of the Trinity--we all agree on
Why Doctrine Matters----
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I have made posts about some of these topics before mostly with just Scripture, but this blog with these topics has quotes from the Early Church Fathers, Church Councils, Protestant Reformers, links to scholars that I found with the addition of my own personal experiences in each section.
With the exception of my personal experiences, the rest of the sources will provide the theological lens for the first 1500s years of the Church that lead me to Catholicism. Then I will provide what the Roman Catholic catechism and Eastern Orthodox catechism still say about each topic today after 2000 years. I am also adding in the Roman Catholic beliefs that some of the Protestant Reformers and current Protestant theologians did not abandon from the Roman Catholic Church.
The first 16 topics are primarily theological and related to the Church. The last three topics are tough issues that still face God's people today. I will do my best to speak of everything in a respectful manner.
With the exception of my personal experiences, the rest of the sources will provide the theological lens for the first 1500s years of the Church that lead me to Catholicism. Then I will provide what the Roman Catholic catechism and Eastern Orthodox catechism still say about each topic today after 2000 years. I am also adding in the Roman Catholic beliefs that some of the Protestant Reformers and current Protestant theologians did not abandon from the Roman Catholic Church.
The first 16 topics are primarily theological and related to the Church. The last three topics are tough issues that still face God's people today. I will do my best to speak of everything in a respectful manner.
1.
All Sin is Equal? Sin is sin?
2. Graven Images, Statues, and Relics
3.
Confession
4.
Communion, Real Presence Eucharist
5.
Faith Without Works
6. Scripture and History (Sacred Tradition vs. traditions of men)
7. Historic Creeds
6. Scripture and History (Sacred Tradition vs. traditions of men)
7. Historic Creeds
8. Baptism, adult and infant----regenerative or symbolic?
9. Mary
10. Saints
11. Call no man Father?
13. Salvation
14. Apostolic Succession, Authority of the Church, Holy Orders
15. Primacy of Peter and Protestant dialogue
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16.
17. Marriage and Sexuality
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18. Conclusion
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