Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- Introduction
- Part I The Christian revolution: ascent to power
- Part II The modern revolution: compromises with power
- 4 The Reformation in context
- 5 Protestant pathways into the modern world
- 6 Catholic and Orthodox negotiations with modernity
- 7 Twentieth-century fortunes
- Conclusion
- Chronology
- Notes
- Index
- References
6 - Catholic and Orthodox negotiations with modernity
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 February 2015
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- Introduction
- Part I The Christian revolution: ascent to power
- Part II The modern revolution: compromises with power
- 4 The Reformation in context
- 5 Protestant pathways into the modern world
- 6 Catholic and Orthodox negotiations with modernity
- 7 Twentieth-century fortunes
- Conclusion
- Chronology
- Notes
- Index
- References
Summary
Syllabus of the principal errors of our time …
1. There exists no Supreme, all-wise, all-provident Divine Being, distinct from the universe …
15. Every man is free to embrace and profess that religion which, guided by the light of reason, he shall consider true …
24. The church has not the power of using force, nor has she any temporal power, direct or indirect …
44. The civil authority may interfere in matters relating to religion, morality and spiritual government …
77. In the present day it is no longer expedient that the Catholic religion should be held as the only religion of the State, to the exclusion of all other forms of worship …
80. The Roman Pontiff can, and ought to, reconcile himself, and come to terms with progress, liberalism and modern civilisation.
Simply by dissolving the unity of Christianity, the Reformation had a profound effect on the Catholic church. It was not that post-Reformation Christians were left with choice of religious affiliation, for in most cases their faith would still be determined by the society and family into which they were born. But after the Reformation, Europeans were no longer simply born ‘Christian’. However dim and distant the threat of Protestantism might seem to, say, an Italian peasant, he would now be aware that he possessed a ‘Catholic’ identity that set him apart from some other so-called Christians north of the Alps.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- An Introduction to Christianity , pp. 264 - 332Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2004