The Evangelical Catholic Debt

Day three into Future of Catholicism Week some might be surprised by this piece by Hugh Hewitt, which is a virtual valentine to Evangelical Christians:

The brief history of American Catholicism is this: mission, persecution, immigration, community, political power, strength, Vatican II, confusion, decline, scandal, confession, penance, and renewal. A new cycle of mission, persecution, immigration, community, political power, and strength has begun. Provided the reformed American Church remains steadfast in its renewed commitment to “orthodoxy,” all will not only be well, it will be a spectacularly vibrant and wonderful era for the Church in the new world.
[…]
The Roman Catholic Church in America owes a profound thank you to American evangelicals who, thoughout the last thirty years, stood in the gap created by a retreating Roman Catholic Church. In many ways they inspired and led the renewal in American Christianity while defending the teachings of the Gospel against the culture even as an enfeebled and wounded Church fell back in disarray. Now that American Protestants and Catholics are both entering eras of growth and confidence — and they are — the opportunities for genuine ecumenical cooperation are extraordinary.

An interesting piece – you’ll want to read it all. And don’t forget to stop by the symposium; today you’ll get to read Joseph Susanka and Danielle Bean, trending toward a similar theme.