“Before the meetings, Nicholson researched Catholic doctrine about Mary, the mother of Jesus, and came prepared with some challenging questions. He was unimpressed with the priest’s lack of answers. “He didn’t blow up in anger, but he basically acted like it was crazy that I could be raising any of those things,” Nicholson said”
This is, I believe, a common experience, and causes confusion for a number of would-be converts. As a convert to Catholicism myself, I believe it comes down to this: unreservedly affirming, understanding, and being able to fully explain the Church’s propositions is not what makes you a Catholic. Of course it’s better for a Catholic to be zealous, knowledgeable, and articulate. But you don’t just cease to be Catholic if you’re not too sure exactly why the church insists on certain things about Mary, that would be a crazy thing to say! And if propositional uncertainty is a bad reason for a Catholic not to be Catholic, well then maybe it’s a bad reason for a non-Catholic not to be Catholic, too.
Put differently, having been both, the activity of affirming propositions just takes up a smaller percentage of the experience of being a Catholic than the experience (at an equivalent level of fervor, all else being equal, etc.) of being a (confessional) Protestant.
The World article could have used a little more thought. This quote in particular shows a striking lack of awareness and highlights a huge blind spot for Protestants. "Littlejohn points out that today Christians have to answer questions like, “What is a human being in an age of transhumanism?” When placed within that context, he argues, “The differences between Protestants and Catholics are not actually relevant to most of the cultural battles that we’re facing.”"
I think Protestantism is uniquely compromised and unable to deal with the coming wave of transhumanist technology. As evidence, just look at the fact that Protestants have formally embraced the first widespread, effective transhumanist technology (contraception) and no denomination condemns the buying and selling of babies through IVF. Sure, individuals like Katy Faust do, but denominations are silent on this topic.
It is looking into topics like transhumanism that drives people like Mary Harrington into the arms of Catholics. I predict that transhumanism will become as big a magnet to Catholicism as abortion has been, since Catholics were so far out ahead of Protestants in opposing abortion (something the Baptists initially supported), many, many pro-life leaders converted to Catholicism. Catholic leadership in the area of transhumanism, especially in fleshing out an intellectual framework to understand the difference between normative health and "improving" on human design, will attract many Protestant converts from those most committed to human flourishing and opposed to transhumanism.
It is also curious that the Orthodox are growing in spite of them have almost no political influence in Washington, and certainly a lot less than elite Protestants. Who is the Orthodox version of Ted Cruz or Mike Huckabee? It definitely undermines the idea that people are leaving Protestantism to make elite connections. Personally, I think Francis was in no small way responsible for the huge growth in Orthodox conversions in a negative sense, while people like Jonathan Pageau (with Jordan Peterson's imprimatur) were big magnets legitimizing Orthodoxy as intellectually sound.
Agreed on all points. I am rooting for a Protestant remnant who can carve out a niche. Some people like to continue as they are used to doing and there is room to accept that as mysterious. I am a convert to Catholicism because I believe it is true, and personally I probably have less status from doing so.
In addition to denominations not taking a stand and making it too hard for a remnant to get together, Protestant parachurch organizations have not been able to keep to orthodoxy at colleges. How many articles in the past decade have we seen about splits between official takes, new directives toward mushy faith, and long time workers who leave in tears and disgust? National promises are not necessarily held out at the local level.
If regular college parachurch organizations can't hold the line on good teaching, how on earth does anyone expect to do more?
But no Protestant church will start offering daily worship still. My Presbyterian pastor looked at me baffled when I asked if the Eucharist would be served at the Christmas Eve service this year. Devotion is all week, not just on Sundays.
“Before the meetings, Nicholson researched Catholic doctrine about Mary, the mother of Jesus, and came prepared with some challenging questions. He was unimpressed with the priest’s lack of answers. “He didn’t blow up in anger, but he basically acted like it was crazy that I could be raising any of those things,” Nicholson said”
This is, I believe, a common experience, and causes confusion for a number of would-be converts. As a convert to Catholicism myself, I believe it comes down to this: unreservedly affirming, understanding, and being able to fully explain the Church’s propositions is not what makes you a Catholic. Of course it’s better for a Catholic to be zealous, knowledgeable, and articulate. But you don’t just cease to be Catholic if you’re not too sure exactly why the church insists on certain things about Mary, that would be a crazy thing to say! And if propositional uncertainty is a bad reason for a Catholic not to be Catholic, well then maybe it’s a bad reason for a non-Catholic not to be Catholic, too.
Put differently, having been both, the activity of affirming propositions just takes up a smaller percentage of the experience of being a Catholic than the experience (at an equivalent level of fervor, all else being equal, etc.) of being a (confessional) Protestant.
The World article could have used a little more thought. This quote in particular shows a striking lack of awareness and highlights a huge blind spot for Protestants. "Littlejohn points out that today Christians have to answer questions like, “What is a human being in an age of transhumanism?” When placed within that context, he argues, “The differences between Protestants and Catholics are not actually relevant to most of the cultural battles that we’re facing.”"
I think Protestantism is uniquely compromised and unable to deal with the coming wave of transhumanist technology. As evidence, just look at the fact that Protestants have formally embraced the first widespread, effective transhumanist technology (contraception) and no denomination condemns the buying and selling of babies through IVF. Sure, individuals like Katy Faust do, but denominations are silent on this topic.
It is looking into topics like transhumanism that drives people like Mary Harrington into the arms of Catholics. I predict that transhumanism will become as big a magnet to Catholicism as abortion has been, since Catholics were so far out ahead of Protestants in opposing abortion (something the Baptists initially supported), many, many pro-life leaders converted to Catholicism. Catholic leadership in the area of transhumanism, especially in fleshing out an intellectual framework to understand the difference between normative health and "improving" on human design, will attract many Protestant converts from those most committed to human flourishing and opposed to transhumanism.
https://www.maryharrington.co.uk/p/feminism-and-identity-in-the-transhuman
It is also curious that the Orthodox are growing in spite of them have almost no political influence in Washington, and certainly a lot less than elite Protestants. Who is the Orthodox version of Ted Cruz or Mike Huckabee? It definitely undermines the idea that people are leaving Protestantism to make elite connections. Personally, I think Francis was in no small way responsible for the huge growth in Orthodox conversions in a negative sense, while people like Jonathan Pageau (with Jordan Peterson's imprimatur) were big magnets legitimizing Orthodoxy as intellectually sound.
Agreed on all points. I am rooting for a Protestant remnant who can carve out a niche. Some people like to continue as they are used to doing and there is room to accept that as mysterious. I am a convert to Catholicism because I believe it is true, and personally I probably have less status from doing so.
In addition to denominations not taking a stand and making it too hard for a remnant to get together, Protestant parachurch organizations have not been able to keep to orthodoxy at colleges. How many articles in the past decade have we seen about splits between official takes, new directives toward mushy faith, and long time workers who leave in tears and disgust? National promises are not necessarily held out at the local level.
If regular college parachurch organizations can't hold the line on good teaching, how on earth does anyone expect to do more?
But no Protestant church will start offering daily worship still. My Presbyterian pastor looked at me baffled when I asked if the Eucharist would be served at the Christmas Eve service this year. Devotion is all week, not just on Sundays.