Dissent and Revelation

What to do with gentile converts to Christianity has been described as the first crisis of the Church.  The apostles Peter and Paul clashed over the matter, and consensus was reached at the Council of Jerusalem.

The debate over faith and morals has been a constant over the centuries, evidence of the Church’s growing pains. This issue of Catholic Update reflects on the role dissent plays in the development of Catholic theology.  Episodes from history illustrate how some crises have contributed to the present teachings of our faith. Consideration is also given to the approach of dialogue used by Pope Francis with the process synodality.

Catholicism in Context: This newsletter is also part of Catholic Update’s Catholicism in Context series, which strives to answer basic questions about what we (as Catholics) believe, and why we believe it.