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What Is Protestantism?

RestlessSoul

Well-Known Member
When I was a Christian I attended Anglican churches and later a Catholic one; little difference as both have Masses, but I'd be lost in another Protestant Church.


The Anglican communion has flirted with Protestantism at different times in it’s history, but essentially it remains a form of devolved Catholicism.

It does have women priests though.
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
There just doesn't seem to be a notion of excommunation in Protestantism for heresy when one can just start another church that can also be called Protestant.
Well you can get chucked out of various protestant churches by the pastor I think, but it tends to be a local thing, because generally there is no hierarchy or system of authority.

Protestant churches often fragment due to disagreements or clashes of personality. One of my brothers decided to be a pastor and started his own church. Nobody trained or checked him or told him he was suitable: he just did it.

But then, even excommunication does little more than deny a person access to the sacrament of Holy Communion. Nobody is going to stop an excommunicated person entering a church.
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
The Anglican communion has flirted with Protestantism at different times in it’s history, but essentially it remains a form of devolved Catholicism.

It does have women priests though.
Er, well, high church Anglicanism - whether Anglo-Catholic or High and Dry, yes, but the low church evangelical variety is definitely Protestant.
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
So what defines Protestant and when would we say someone is no longer a Protestant?
 

RestlessSoul

Well-Known Member
Er, well, high church Anglicanism - whether Anglo-Catholic or High and Dry, yes, but the low church evangelical variety is definitely Protestant.


So it's still a broad church, which is to it's credit. I imagine the Synod is pretty conservative though.

Both Catholic and reformed, is the official party line of the CoE I think?
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
So what defines Protestant and when would we say someone is no longer a Protestant?
When this person ceases associations with a Protestant church. Meaning this person left Christianity all together or became Catholic (Anglicism is a major reform protestant branch from the 16th century or whenever, so that too is definitely Protestant).
Honestly, such a topic really only matters in church history and those striving for accuracy in how they use terms. Outside of that most Christians don't even know. Especially now that church is more about going to a church you agree with than finding a church that teaches Biblical doctrine as it is.
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
So what defines Protestant and when would we say someone is no longer a Protestant?
When they tell you so. As far as I know, no branch of Christianity is like a golf club, that you can be thrown out of. Once you have been baptised you are in principle a member of the church, if you want to be. That applies to excommunicated Catholics too.
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
When they tell you so. As far as I know, no branch of Christianity is like a golf club, that you can be thrown out of. Once you have been baptised you are in principle a member of the church, if you want to be. That applies to excommunicated Catholics too.
I meant ideologically.
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
I meant ideologically.
Well, if you mean a Christian who is not Protestant, you must mean a either a Catholic or a member of one of the Eastern branches of the church, I suppose. Is that what you are interested in?
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
Well, if you mean a Christian who is not Protestant, you must mean a either a Catholic or a member of one of the Eastern branches of the church, I suppose. Is that what you are interested in?
No.

This is my point.

When is someone ideologically not a Protestant. What are Protestantism's core doctrines that not subscribing to them would make one no longer a Protestant. If there were, and I know there isn't but let's just say, a Protestant church body like the RCC has, at what point would they kick you out and label you not ideologically sound? That is, without a person being RCC or OC. What would be a Protestant heresy?
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
No.

This is my point.

When is someone ideologically not a Protestant. What are Protestantism's core doctrines that not subscribing to them would make one no longer a Protestant. If there were, and I know there isn't but let's just say, a Protestant church body like the RCC has, at what point would they kick you out and label you not ideologically sound? That is, without a person being RCC or OC. What would be a Protestant heresy?
I think someone in a Protestant church who decided they accepted the Real Presence in the Eucharist, the need for good works in life as well as faith, the apostolic succession of the Catholic priesthood, and the authority of the pope, would no longer be a Protestant. My father, brought up a Methodist, decided after studying history that he accepted these things and was received into the Catholic church.

But I don't think anyone would "kick you out", as such. I'm not sure anyone would have the authority, and I can't see they could do it in practice.
 

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
No.

This is my point.

When is someone ideologically not a Protestant. What are Protestantism's core doctrines that not subscribing to them would make one no longer a Protestant. If there were, and I know there isn't but let's just say, a Protestant church body like the RCC has, at what point would they kick you out and label you not ideologically sound? That is, without a person being RCC or OC. What would be a Protestant heresy?
I'm sure most Protestants have ideas about what a church's ideology should and shouldn't be (the Five Solas come closest to a universal defining set of doctrines for Protestantism), but personally, I define Protestantism in terms of lineage, not in terms of ideology.

IMO, a church is Protestant if it has descended from the Reformation started by Martin Luther.
 

Koldo

Outstanding Member
No.

This is my point.

When is someone ideologically not a Protestant. What are Protestantism's core doctrines that not subscribing to them would make one no longer a Protestant. If there were, and I know there isn't but let's just say, a Protestant church body like the RCC has, at what point would they kick you out and label you not ideologically sound? That is, without a person being RCC or OC. What would be a Protestant heresy?

To worship Satan.
 
What would be a Protestant heresy?

Other than "Popery" (which is one of my favourite historical insults - thou hast fallen into the grasps of the most unholy and villainous Popery) not sure there can be really any heresy that is against Protestantism as a whole.

In a general sense, Protestantism is founded on the idea that each person can read the Bible and deduce their own meaning, and each person may be inspired by the Holy Spirit to receive new insight or wisdom. As such it is diffocult to insist that departing radically from 'orthodoxy' is 'unprotestant'.

Any individual church would set its own boundaries though
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
Other than "Popery" (which is one of my favourite historical insults - thou hast fallen into the grasps of the most unholy and villainous Popery) not sure there can be really any heresy that is against Protestantism as a whole.

In a general sense, Protestantism is founded on the idea that each person can read the Bible and deduce their own meaning, and each person may be inspired by the Holy Spirit to receive new insight or wisdom. As such it is diffocult to insist that departing radically from 'orthodoxy' is 'unprotestant'.

Any individual church would set its own boundaries though
I find the term about as useful as 'atheist' in that it's defined by what it's not and is generally rather unhelpful.
 
What defines Protestantism? What are the core tenets that would define a Church as being Protestant?

In a nutshell, "Protestantism" is a Christian Faith that rejects the claims of the Catholic Church to be the one, true, original Christian Church.

And that is a VERY deep discussion that is probably too complex for an online forum.

(However...There are some Christians who claim to be non-denominational, and also claim that Catholicism perverted the original Faith, and thus is apostate. These Christians do NOT consider themselves to be "Protestant." Naturally, Catholics reject this idea...)
 
Other than "Popery" (which is one of my favourite historical insults - thou hast fallen into the grasps of the most unholy and villainous Popery) not sure there can be really any heresy that is against Protestantism as a whole.

In a general sense, Protestantism is founded on the idea that each person can read the Bible and deduce their own meaning, and each person may be inspired by the Holy Spirit to receive new insight or wisdom. As such it is diffocult to insist that departing radically from 'orthodoxy' is 'unprotestant'.

Any individual church would set its own boundaries though

Which "protestantism" are you referring to with that definition?
 
Sola skriptura

Sola skriptura is a theological doctrine held by some Protestant Christian denominations that posits the Christian scriptures as the sole infallible source of authority for Christian faith and practice.

"Sola scriptura" is a Catholic term used to define those who embrace the scriptures as God's Holy, inerrant Word.

That concept is very threatening to Catholics because Catholicism is built on a construct that, in many places, completely contradicts scripture (and God, by extrapolation).

Non-Catholic Christians don't refer to the idea that the Bible is the ONLY source of God's Word as "sola scriptura." We just call it "common sense."

Either something is from God, and is infallible, or it is from men, and is not. Catholics often prefer the "is not."
 
You know, from what I remember most Protestants looked at other Protestant denominations as more of a "preference." Most thought that as long as people were saved, that's all that really mattered. Only the really hard core Southern Baptists or Fundamentalists really thought that other denominations were wrong/mislead in any meaningful way.

If two denominations hold to beliefs that are contradictory to each other, or completely contradictory to scripture, in what sense are those beliefs correct?

To the first point, at best, only one (1) can be correct.

To the second point, both may be utterly wrong, per scripture.
 
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