Davenant Discussion
Wisdom and Authority: A Reformed
Catholic Appraisal of 19th Century Roman
Catholic Developments
With Dr. Shep Shepherd
Friday, December 2nd, 6:30 p.m.
Registration: $15 (includes snacks and drinks)
In the aftermath of the French Revolution, the Roman Catholic Church perceived a growing crisis of civilization wrought by secularism, rationalism, and liberalism. In response, the church sought to reassert its authority. John Henry Newman mounted a defense of the integrity of the tradition through his controversial but influential theory of doctrinal development. Vatican I defined papal infallibility so strongly that it seemed a council to end all councils. This discussion will evaluate these developments and their tensions, and show how a Reformed Catholic approach to the tradition is better positioned to provide authoritative wisdom for our time.
Shep Shepherd (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is senior law clerk at a firm in
Montgomery, Alabama. His doctoral research on T.F. Torrance’s ecclesiology was
supervised by John Webster. Shep has taught at a variety of Christian institutions,
including Union University, Samford University, and City View Seminary.
Montgomery, Alabama. His doctoral research on T.F. Torrance’s ecclesiology was
supervised by John Webster. Shep has taught at a variety of Christian institutions,
including Union University, Samford University, and City View Seminary.