Covenant Reformed News – April 2021 • Volume XVIII, Issue 12
This article from Covenant Reformed News defends the biblical and confessional use of the term 'catholic' to describe the church, clarifying that it means 'according to the whole' or 'universal' rather than connoting Roman Catholicism. The author demonstrates that the word 'catholic' has been retained in orthodox Protestant confessions including the Heidelberg Catechism, Canons of Dort, and Belgic Confession, and traces its historical usage back through the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds.
Introducing the Catholicity of the Church The church of Jesus Christ possesses four (central) attributes: unity, holiness, catholicity and apostolicity. Unlike the other three attributes, some raise an objection against the word “catholicity” or “catholic.” The (readily understandable) problem that they see with the word “catholic” is its association with the word “Roman,” so that, when the word “catholic” is used, some think, “Roman Catholic.” Even though the Roman Catholic Church is a false...