The term evangelical catholic is sometimes used by Christian believers who consider themselves both "catholic" (i.e. part of the "one holy catholic and apostolic Church" described in the Nicene Creed; cf. Ephesians 4:1-7) and "evangelical" (i.e. holding to and proclaiming the apostolic gospel of divine grace; cf. Galatians 1:6-9) and by individuals, groups, congregations, or denominations that wish to express their ecumenical attitude toward Christians worldwide and/or toward the historic Church, or their more traditional liturgical preferences (in the case of evangelicals), or their less formal worship preferences (in the case of catholics). This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... In Christian theology, One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church is a phrase describing the nature of the Christian community and/or Christian Church, in the various meanings it has. ... Icon depicting the Holy Fathers of the First Council of Nicaea holding the Nicene Creed. ... The word evangelicalism usually refers to a broad collection of religious beliefs, practices, and traditions which are found among conservative Protestant Christians. ... The Twelve Apostles (in Koine Greek απόστολος apostolos [1], someone sent forth/sent out, an emissary) were probably Galilean Jewish men (10 names are Aramaic, 4 names are Greek) chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth by Jesus of Nazareth to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles... For other uses, see Gospel (disambiguation). ... In Christianity, divine grace refers to the sovereign favour of God for humankind — especially in regard to salvation — irrespective of actions (deeds), earned worth, or proven goodness. ... Christian ecumenism is the promotion of unity or cooperation between distinct religious groups or denominations of the Christian religion, more or less broadly defined. ... The word evangelicalism usually refers to a broad collection of religious beliefs, practices, and traditions which are found among conservative Protestant Christians. ...

Evangelical catholic (where catholic is the noun with evangelical modifying) can refer to either evangelical Protestant Christians who consider themselves catholic first, and perhaps seek closer communion with Rome, or particular churches that are in communion with the Roman Catholic Church and also want to identify themselves more closely with evangelical Protestants, or who want to describe themselves according to a more open worship style or a penchant for evangelism. They may include specific Eastern Rite Catholic Churches, or churches that are not in union with the Bishop of Rome. The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... The word evangelicalism usually refers to a broad collection of religious beliefs, practices, and traditions which are found among conservative Protestant Christians. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Pope, (or Pope of Rome) (from Latin: papa, Papa, father; from Greek: papas / = priest originating from πατήρ = father )[1], is the Bishop of Rome, the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the absolute monarch of Vatican City. ...

Lutheran Evangelical Catholicity

In Lutheranism the term evangelical catholic has a special meaning. Lutheranism can be regarded Protestant, but never Reformed. Lutheran protestantism differs historically from all other kind of protestantism. Lutheranism is the only historical Protestant denomination, which confesses belief in efficacy of sacraments: regeneration in Holy Baptism, Confession as the sacrament of Absolution and The Real Presence of Christ in Holy Eucharist. The evangelical feature of Lutheranism on the other hand is characterisized by justification by faith, defined by Law and Gospel and Simul iustus et peccator. The term evangelical has a very different origin and meaning in Lutheranism than in movement called Evangelicalism. Term is used synonymous to Protestant, but often used instead of it, to avoid associations with general, reformed protestantism. Comparison to Anglicanism is here interesting, because Anglicanism often regards itself reformed, but not protestant. Lutheranism describes those churches within Christianity that were reformed according to the theological insights of Martin Luther in the 16th century. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations historically related by a similar Zwinglian or Calvinist system of doctrine but organizationally independent. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... A denomination, in the Christian sense of the word, is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and/or doctrine. ... A sacrament is a Christian rite that mediates divine grace. ... Born again is a term used originally and mainly in Christianity, where it is associated with salvation, conversion and spiritual rebirth. ... Baptism in early Christian art. ... Modern confessional in the Church of the Holy Name, Dunedin, New Zealand. ... Absolution in a liturgical church refers to the pronouncement of Gods forgiveness of sins. ... The Real Presence is the term various Christian traditions use to express their belief that, in the Eucharist, Jesus the Christ is really (and not merely symbolically, figuratively or by his power) present in what was previously just bread and wine. ... The Eucharist is either the Christian sacrament of consecrated bread and wine or the ritual surrounding it. ... Sola fide (by faith alone), also historically known as the justification of faith, is a doctrine held by some Protestant denominations of Christianity, which asserts that it is on the basis of their faith that believers are forgiven their transgressions of the Law of God, rather than on the basis... The relationship between Gods Law and the Gospel is a major topic in Lutheran and Reformed theology. ... The theology of Martin Luther was fairly instrumental in influencing the Protestant Reformation, specifically topics dealing with Justification by Faith, the relationship between the Law and the Gospel (also an instrumental component of Reformed theology), and various other theological ideas. ... Lutheranism describes those churches within Christianity that were reformed according to the theological insights of Martin Luther in the 16th century. ... The word evangelicalism usually refers to a broad collection of religious beliefs, practices, and traditions which are found among conservative Protestant Christians. ... The term Anglican (from Medieval Latin ecclesia anglicana, meaning the English Church) is used to describe the people, institutions and churches as well as the liturgical traditions and theological concepts developed by the state established Church of England, and developed in the Anglican Communion. ... The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations historically related by a similar Zwinglian or Calvinist system of doctrine but organizationally independent. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

The Augsburg Confession stresses that "in doctrine and ceremonies nothing has been received on our part against Scripture or the Catholic Church" [1]. In early Lutheranism the Gnesio-Lutherans like Joachim Westphal and Andreas Musculus with a strong understanding of the sacraments, and in the era of Lutheran orthodoxy theologians especially like Martin Chemnitz and Johann Gerhard (e.g. in his Confessio Catholica), who were deeply rooted in patristic theology, saw the continuity of Catholicism in Lutheranism. They understood it to be not a re-formation of the Church, but rather, a renewal movement within and for the Catholic Church, from which they had been involuntarily and only temporarily separated. The Gnesio-Lutheran party, especially, were strongly opposed to any compromise with Calvinism and Zwinglianism on the one hand, and with the Roman Catholic Church on the other. They were strongly opposed to disciples of Philipp Melancthon called Philippists, and the accommodations they made with Calvinists in the preparation of the Formula of Concord. Wikisource has original text related to this article: Augsburg Confession The Augsburg Confession, also known as the Augustana from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation. ... Crypto-Calvinism is a term for intra-Protestant, indeed intra-Lutheran, theological fights during the decades just after the death of Martin Luther. ... Joachim Westphal (of Hamburg) (born at Hamburg 1510 or at the beginning of 1511; died there January 16, 1574) was a German Gnesio-Lutheran theologian. ... Born 1514 in Schneeberg, Saxony, died 29. ... In Christian belief and practice, a sacrament is a rite that mediates divine grace, constituting a sacred mystery. ... Lutheran orthodoxy was era in history of Lutheranism, which began 1580 from Book of Concord and ended to Age of Enlightenment. ... Martin Chemnitz (1522-1586) was an eminent Lutheran theologian, churchman, and confessor, born in Treuenbrietzen, Brandenburg on November 9, 1522, the day before Martin Luther had been born in 1483. ... Johann Gerhard (October 17, 1582 – August 10, 1637), was a Lutheran church leader and theologian. ... Confessio catholica is one of the main works of German Orthodox Lutheran theologian Johann Gerhard (1582 – 1637). ... The Church Fathers or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church, particularly those of the first five centuries of Christian history. ... Calvinism is a theological system and an approach to the Christian life that emphasizes Gods sovereignty in all things. ... Zwinglis Successor Zwinglis successor, Heinrich Bullinger, was elected on December 9, 1531, to be the pastor of the Great Minster at Zürich, a position which he held to the end of his life (1575). ... Melancthon, in a portrait engraved by Albrecht Dürer, 1526 Philipp Melanchthon (February 16, 1497 - April 19, 1560) was a German theologian and writer of the Protestant Reformation and an associate of Martin Luther. ... Party in early Lutheranism, Opponents called Gnesio-Lutherans. ... (1577). ...

20th Century Evangelical Catholicity

Term Evangelical Catholic is often used instead of High Church Lutheranism (as are the terms Anglo-Catholic and Old Catholic in their respective traditions) because it is a more theological term and genuinely Lutheran. Evangelical Catholic Lutheranism is not strictly defined, and it can mean, for example, the theologically, biblically, and socially conservative ultra-high church Lutheranism of the strongly Roman Catholic-oriented Evangelical Community Church-Lutheran and the more Eastern Orthodox-oriented Evangelical Catholic Church, the relative high church confessional Lutheranism found in some parts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (including Arthur Carl Piepkorn), the Evangelical Catholic Orthodoxy of Gunnar Rosendal, the more theologically liberal high ecclesiology of Carl Braaten, the very liberal, Evangelical Catholicism of Nathan Söderblom, or even more liberal Catholicism of Friedrich Heiler. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada defines its doctrinal basis: "We derive our teachings from the Holy Scriptures and confess the three ecumenical creeds of the Christian church. We hold to orthodox catholic theology as enunciated in the ecumenical councils of the first five centuries of Christianity." [2]. High Church Lutheranism is a form of Lutheranism which emphasizes worship practices and doctrine that are similar to those of the high church movement within Anglicanism, and therefore also to those of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, groups, ideas, customs and practices within Anglicanism that emphasise continuity with Catholic tradition. ... The Old Catholic Church is not so much a religious denomination, as a community, part of whose member churches split from the Roman Catholic church in 1870. ... The Evangelical Community Church-Lutheran (ECCL) is a small Church in the Lutheran Evangelical Catholic tradition. ... Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... The Evangelical Catholic Church is a small Lutheran body that appears Catholic in its liturgy, but accepts the Augsburg Confession. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... LCMS redirects here. ... Gunnar Rosendal, born 4 April 1897 in Grevie parish, died 26 December 1988 in Kristianstad, was a Swedish Lutheran priest, Doctor of Theology and parish priest of Osby. ... In Christian theology, ecclesiology is the study of doctrine pertaining to the Church itself as a community or organic entity, and with the understanding of what the church is —ie. ... Lars Olof Jonathan Söderblom, better known as Nathan Söderblom (January 15, 1866 - July 12, 1931), was a Swedish clergyman, and later Archbishop of the Church of Sweden and laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize. ... Friedrich Heiler (January 30, 1892 - April 18, 1967), German theologian and historian of religion. ... The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) (Eglise Evangelique Lutherienne au Canada) is Canadas largest Lutheran denomination, with 182,077 baptized members in 624 congregations. ...

Some small specificly Evangelical Catholic Lutheran church bodies include, in addition to Evangelical Catholic Church and Evangelical Community Church-Lutheran, Lutheran Orthodox Church, Evangelical Marian Catholic Church, International Lutheran Fellowship and Association of Independent Evangelical Lutheran Churches. The Evangelical Catholic Church is a small Lutheran body that appears Catholic in its liturgy, but accepts the Augsburg Confession. ... The Evangelical Community Church-Lutheran (ECCL) is a small Church in the Lutheran Evangelical Catholic tradition. ... The Lutheran Orthodox Church is a very small Lutheran Church in valid Apostolic Succession. ...

Among Other Church Bodies

In recent years, the term, Evangelical Catholic, has even been adopted by "high-church" elements of the Methodist and Reformed Churches. This is especially apt among the Reformed, given that one of the older documented uses of the term is by John Williamson Nevin and Philip Schaff, during their efforts (from roughly 1841 forward) to repristinate the theology of the German Reformed Church in the United States. Beginning in 1851, the Episcopal priest William Augustus Muhlenberg published a periodical called "The Evangelical Catholic." John Williamson Nevin (February 20, 1803 - June 6, 1886), American theologian and educationalist, was born on Herrons Branch, near Shippensburg, Franklin county, Pennsylvania. ... Philip Schaff (January 1, 1819-1893), was a Swiss-born, German-educated theologian and a historian of the Christian church, who, after his education, lived and taught in the United States. ... 1851 (MDCCCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... William Augustus Mühlenberg (1796-1877) was an American philanthropist and Protestant Episcopal clergyman, father of the Ritualist movement in Episcopal Church in the United States of America [1], great-grandson of Henry Muhlenberg and grandson of Frederick Muhlenberg, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 16 September 1796. ...

See also

As a Christian ecclesiastical term, Catholic - from the Greek adjective , meaning general or universal[1] - is described in the Oxford English Dictionary as follows: ~Church, (originally) whole body of Christians; ~, belonging to or in accord with (a) this, (b) the church before separation into Greek or Eastern and Latin or... Christian ecumenism is the promotion of unity or cooperation between distinct religious groups or denominations of the Christian religion, more or less broadly defined. ... The word evangelicalism usually refers to a broad collection of religious beliefs, practices, and traditions which are found among conservative Protestant Christians. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Branch Theory is a theological concept of the Anglican Communion and particularly those Anglicans who ascribe to Anglo-Catholic theology. ... Saint Vincent of Lerins (in Latin, Vincentius) was a Gallic author of early Christian writings. ... The Lusitanian Catholic Apostolic Evangelical Church (Igreja Lusitana Católica Apostólica Evangélica) is the Anglican church in Portugal. ... The Porvoo Communion is an agreement between 12 European Protestant churches establishing full communion. ... Robert W. Jenson is a leading American Lutheran and ecumenical theologian. ... The Lutheran Orthodox Church is a very small Lutheran Church in valid Apostolic Succession. ... High Church relates to ecclesiology and liturgy in Christian theology and practice. ... The Liturgical Movement is a movement of scholarship and the reform of worship within the Roman Catholic Church which has taken place over the last century and a half and which has affected many Reformed Churches including the Church of England and other Churches of the Anglican Communion. ... The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, groups, ideas, customs and practices within Anglicanism that emphasise continuity with Catholic tradition. ... Independent Catholic is a term used by many small groups who are not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church or other traditional Episcopally governed Churches such as Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, Anglican or Old Catholic; all of whom function as small (frequently tiny) episcopally-governed Church bodies in many... The Old Catholic Church is a community of Christian churches. ... Mass at the Cathedral of the King in Manila The International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (also known as the ICCEC or CEC) is an international Christian communion established as an Autocephalous Patriarchate in 1992. ... The Evangelical Orthodox Church is an Eastern Orthodox Christian movement with its origins in Evangelical Protestantism, particularly in the Campus Crusade for Christ student missionary organization, that came to embrace an Eastern tradition of Christianity. ... The Reformed Episcopal Church is an Anglican church in the United States and Canada. ... The Reformed Catholic Church is an Independent Catholic church with roots in the Old Catholic Church of Utrecht. ... Reformed Catholics are a small religious body originating in New York City about 1879. ... Martin Boos (25 December 1762 - 29 August 1825) was a German Roman Catholic theologian. ...

External links

• Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology
  • The Princeton Proposal for Christian Unity
• American Lutheran Publicity Bureau
• Arthur Carl Piepkorn Center for Evangelical Catholicity
• Othodox Lutheran Web Page - Evangelical, Catholic, Orthodox Lutheran
  • Lutherans are not Protestants by Darel E. Paul, 2001

• Is Your Church Catholic Enough? by J.P. Winsor, March 7, 2002
• The Catholic Movement in the Swedish Church by Gunnar Rosendal, October 9, 1950
• The Ecumenical Vanguard - The History of the Una Sancta Movement by Leonard J. Swidler
• Evangelical and Catholic -- A Slogan in Search of a Definition by David P. Scaer

• Augustana Evangelical Catholic Communion
  • Evangelical Community Church-Lutheran
  • Evangelical Marian Catholic Church
• International Lutheran Fellowship
• Association of Independent Evangelical Lutheran Churches
• Communion of Lutheran Catholics - a newly formed communion

• ReformedCatholicism.com
• Communio Sanctorum
• Independent Evangelical Catholic Church of America
• The Evangelical Apostolic Church of North America

• Society of Saint Timothy

• The Evangelical Catholic
• Fellowship of Evangelical Charismatic Catholics
• Centre for Contemporary Christianity in Ireland

• Catholic - Evangelical Cooperation
• Center for Catholic and Evangelical Dialogue