The Cordial Catholic 131: Works of the Law: Early Church vs. The Reformation (w/ Dr. Matthew J. Thomas)
In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Dr. Matthew J. Thomas, Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology and the author of the incredible Paul's "Works of the Law" in the Perspective of Second Century Reception.
Dr. Thomas joins us to look at the two perspectives on "Works of the Law" and what Paul may have meant – was he condemning all works meant to earn God's favour, or was there something else he was getting at?
In his book, and this discussion, Dr. Thomas contrasts the perspective on "Works of the Law" from the Early Church Fathers (those closest to the apostles) to the theology of Luther and Calvin and the Reformation. And how the Catholic Church fits into it all.
His conclusions, both personal and academic, are pretty incredible – and when we begin to explore how the Catholic Church shakes out in this debate, things get very interesting!
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