The Reformanda Initiative

In this episode the Associate Director of the Reformanda Initiative (Reid Karr) examines and critiques the doctrine of transubstantiation and the sacrament of the Eucharist in Roman Catholicism. The critique is grounded in a review of Dr. Brant Pitre's book Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper.  Dr. Pitre is a Catholic theologian and distinguis...

How would you answer the following question: "How do you define Roman Catholicism?" It's an interesting and intriguing question that is difficult to answer. In this episode we discuss a definition crafted by the Reformanda Initiative that we hope provides good food for thought and encourages our listeners and evangelicals to do the same. The definition also gets to the heart of the...

In this episode we discuss the latest papal encyclical by Pope Francis, "Fratelli Tutti", (All brothers). What is a papal encyclical? Why should evangelicals care about the latest encyclical? Why do we find it scandalous? Listen to find out. Episode Resource: ENCYCLICAL LETTER,  " FRATELLI TUTTI",  OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS,  ON FRATERNITY AND SOCIAL FRIENDSHIP Support the sho...

What is the Gospel according Bishop Barron and Vatican II Theology? Listen as Reid Karr analyzes an interview that took place between celebrity political commentator, Ben Shapiro and celebrity Roman Catholic Bishop, Robert Barron.  Support the show

J.I. Packer and Roman Catholicism: What Evangelicals Should Know. Listen as we talk with Leonardo De Chirico about the late, great theologian, J.I. Packer's involvement with Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT), and why Packer was inconsistent according to his own criticisms of Roman Catholic theology. Episode Resouces: Vatican File 178. Why J.I. Packer Signed “Evangelicals and Catholics...

Listen as we talk to evangelical pastor, blogger, author, and speaker Tim Challies (challies.com) about Roman Catholicism and his latest book, Epic: An Around-the-World Journey Through Christian History , Zondervan 2020. https://www.amazon.com/Epic-Around-World-Journey-Christian/dp/0310329043/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=epic+challies&qid=1595687611&sr=8-1 Support the show

Karol Wojtyła (1920-2005), since1978 better known as Pope John Paul II, has been one of the most influential men of the 20th century. The centenary of his birth is a useful opportunity to reflect on his legacy. Many Evangelicals have very positive things to say about him. Are their positive evaluations fair or are they lacking? Listen as we answer the question, "How do we assess John Paul II’...

In this episode we discuss the Roman Catholic Church's latest response to addressing the worldwide Covid 19 pandemic. The RCC's response demonstrates the dangers of Vatican II theology when put into practice, and highlights its ever growing ecumenical agenda to achieve unity at the expense of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Episode resources: Covid-19: Faithful respond to Pope's invita...

In this episode we examine the Roman Catholic teaching on the Sacrament of Penance (also known by many other names) from an evangelical perspective. We underscore what is at stake with this doctrine theologically and concerning the gospel, and highlight how it fits into the larger framework of the Roman Catholic system. Episode Resources:  Luther's 95 Thesis: https://www.luther.de/en/95thesen...

An interview with Prof. Michael Reeves, President and Professor of Theology at Union School of Theology, UK. Author of books such as The Unquenchable Flame. Discovering the Heart of the Reformation (2010) and (with Tim Chester), Why The Reformation Still Matters (2016). On October 31, 1999, the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation signed ‘The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of...

What is the doctrine of justification and why has it been such a big point of disagreement between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism? Watch and listen as we describe the doctrine of justification according to Roman Catholicism. http://vaticanfiles.org/en/2017/11/143-where-does-popefrancis-stand-on-the-doctrine-of-justification/ Support the show

Listen as we follow up on a previous episode covering why Evangelicals convert to Roman Catholicism. In this episode we discuss how churches can respond to certain weak points in the evangelical culture of today that have led evangelicals to cross the Tiber. Episode Resources https://davenantinstitute.org/why-protestants-convert-pt-1-conversionitis/ http://vaticanfiles.org/en/2019/09/vf167/  Suppo...

In this episode we discuss how, when under pressure, the true and deep commitments of the heart are exposed. When facing hardships, we reveal what is really important for us. In these weeks of the Coronavirus emergency, the message that Roman Catholicism is giving is a disarming detachment from the basic principles of the biblical faith. http://vaticanfiles.org/en/2020/03/174-rosary-indulgences-an...

In this episode we discuss why Evangelicals convert to Roman Catholicism and what their testimonies reveal as weak points in the evangelical culture of today. Episode Resources https://davenantinstitute.org/why-protestants-convert-pt-1-conversionitis/ http://vaticanfiles.org/en/2019/09/vf167/  Support the show

In this episode we discuss four practical tips for sharing the Gospel with Roman Catholics, and remind ourselves of the necessity to do so. Support the show

In this episode we discuss current trends in Roman Catholic missiology in order to assess the impact of Vatican II theology on the modern-day Roman Catholic understanding of mission. Mission in Roman Catholicism Post Vatican II  Ad gentes (1965) – Vatican II Evangelii nuntiandi (1975) – Pope Paul VI Redemptoris missio (1990) – Pope John Paul II Pontificio consiglio per la nuova evangelizzazione (2...

This episode follows up a conversation that began in episode 9, "Why Vatican II is essential to understanding present-day Roman Catholicism". In this episode, we discuss the "development" of Roman Catholic theology, a development that evangelicals claim is contradictory to the previous doctrines put forth by previous church councils. Listen as we discuss how Vatican II seems to...

This episode is brought to you by our sponsor, Union School of Theology . Listen as we describe the role of church councils and specifically the importance of Vatican II. What happened exactly at Vatican II? Why is it arguably the most significant of all the Church councils? Why is it essential to understanding present-day Roman Catholicism and Catholic theology? Do not miss this important episode...

Solus Christus (Christ Alone) versus Totus Christus (the Whole Christ). If one wants to capture the difference between the evangelical faith and Roman Catholicism, here it is. On the one hand, the evangelical stress on the uniqueness of Jesus’s person (the God-man) and His atoning work; [1] on the other, the Roman Catholic insistence on the organic relationship between Christ and the Church. Liste...

In this episode, we discuss Pope Francis' response to a young boy's question in which he said that the boy's atheist father was in heaven. Does Roman Catholic theology actually allow for atheists to enter into heaven? Listen as we answer this question. EPISODE RESOURCES: Youtube video of Pope Francis : https://youtu.be/bRbUTfSds0U Scripture References : John 3:18; Acts 2:39; 4:12; 1...

This is podcast 2 of 2 where we discuss how Roman Catholic theology blurs time distinctions, confusing what God has done in history, with what He is doing. In this episode we discuss Rome's blurring of time distinctions through the sacrament of the Eucharist and through the Roman Catholic understanding of divine Revelation. We also discuss the implications of this blurring for the biblical go...

In this episode, we discuss how Roman Catholic theology blurs time distinctions concerning the incarnation of Jesus Christ. This is a result of confusing what God has done in history, with what He is doing. We discuss the implications of this blurring for the biblical gospel. Support the show

The second pillar/cog of the Roman Catholic church is called the Christ-Church Interconnection. What is it and what does it mean? Simply put, it refers to the Roman Catholicism’s understanding of itself as the continuation of the incarnation of Jesus Christ on earth. In this episode, we will discuss how the Christ-Church Interconnection is related to the previously discussed pillar, the Nature-Gra...

What is the Reformanda Initiative? Listen as we discuss how the Reformanda Initiative began, why we believe that Roman Catholic theology is a severely flawed system in need of radical, biblical reformation, and how we intend to use this podcast to provide the global evangelical church with an evangelical analysis of modern-day Roman Catholic theology and practice. Support the show

Roman Catholic theology is extremely complex and can be overwhelming to grasp. How are evangelicals to understand Roman Catholicism? What approach should be taken? In this episode, the Reformanda Initiative team will discuss two approaches to understanding RC theology, an atomistic approach, and a systemic approach. Listen as we share why the systemic approach is necessary for evangelicals to prop...