Breakpoint An Ecumenism of the Trenches
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Mar 25, 2026 Discussion of Roman Catholic interest in the Augsburg Confession and its historical significance. A look at the messy history and risks of ecumenical bridge-building. Warnings about tribalism turning faith into identity politics. Exploration of pragmatic cooperation models like co-belligerency and how to work together without compromising core doctrines.
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Vatican Endorsing Augsburg Feels Like Pepsi Praising Coke
- The Vatican praising the Augsburg Confession is likened to Pepsi recommending Coke.
- Stonestreet references a Jesuit scholar suggesting Augsburg could serve as a paradigm for Christian unity.
Practical Unity Without Doctrinal Compromise
- Christian unity is valuable but must avoid moral compromise or denial of core doctrines.
- John Stonestreet cites Francis Schaeffer's co-belligerency and Chuck Colson's ecumenism of the trenches as models for pragmatic cooperation on shared causes.
When Tribalism Turns Preference Into Dogma
- Overemphasis on tribal identity can turn nonessential practices into supposed salvation conditions.
- Stonestreet describes how preference becomes dogma and mainline ecumenism can slide into 'mushy' denial of truth.