Compare
Catholic ChurchandMethodism
At a glance
- Common groundIn full: Common ground
- Common inheritanceThe Western (Latin) church: Protestant churches grew, directly or through later movements, from the 16th-century Reformation of the Western church, so until then their history and that of the Catholic Church is one history.
2 sources
- Christianity: The First Three Thousand YearsIdentified, not independently read
- Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of JustificationSource verified
Provisional: broadly supported, but awaiting fuller checking.
- GodOne God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- Sacraments and ordinancesInfants are baptised
- AgreementBoth are parties to Joint Declaration on Justification (1999) (31 October 1999)
- Common inheritanceThe Western (Latin) church: Protestant churches grew, directly or through later movements, from the 16th-century Reformation of the Western church, so until then their history and that of the Catholic Church is one history.
- Key differencesIn full: Key differences
- Scripture and authorityCatholic ChurchScripture and Tradition, interpreted by the bishops in communion with the popeMethodismScripture as the supreme authority for faith and life
- Sacraments and ordinancesCatholic ChurchSeven sacraments (holy mysteries); Christ's body and blood are truly presentMethodismTwo sacraments ordained by Christ: Baptism and the Lord's Supper; Christ received after a heavenly and spiritual manner, by faith
- How their histories connectIn full: How their histories connect
- Line of descentMethodism grew out of a revival within the Church of England (1730s–1795), which took shape in the Reformation of the Western church under Rome (1534–1559).
- Connected today?In full: their relationship today
Not yet researched
The Atlas has not yet researched their present relationship. This is a gap, not evidence either way.
Composed from each tradition’s sourced records. Where a topic is not yet recorded for one side, the Atlas says so rather than guess.
Structured comparison. Composed from each tradition’s sourced position records. No research has yet been written for this particular pair, so the Atlas shows only what those records establish.
Where they differ
Scripture and authority
Sources of authority
- Catholic Church
- Scripture and Tradition, interpreted by the bishops in communion with the pope
- Methodism
- Scripture as the supreme authority for faith and life
Sacraments and ordinances
How the rites are understood and counted
- Catholic Church
- Seven sacraments (holy mysteries)
- Methodism
- Two sacraments ordained by Christ: Baptism and the Lord's Supper
Christ's presence in the Eucharist or Lord's Supper
- Catholic Church
- Christ's body and blood are truly present
- Methodism
- Christ received after a heavenly and spiritual manner, by faith
Not yet comparable (12)
No sourced position is recorded for one side, so the Atlas does not say whether they agree:
- Christ (christ's divinity): not recorded for Methodism
- Christ (how christ's divinity and humanity are expressed): not recorded for Methodism
- Creeds and councils (the nicene creed): not recorded for Methodism
- Creeds and councils (the filioque): not recorded for Methodism
- Creeds and councils (councils received): not recorded for Methodism
- Salvation and grace (characteristic emphasis): not recorded for Methodism
- Sacraments and ordinances (how christ's presence is explained): not recorded for Methodism
- Church and ministry (church government): not recorded for Methodism
- Church and ministry (ministry): not recorded for Methodism
- Mary and the saints (asking the saints to pray): not recorded for Methodism
- Mary and the saints (how mary is named): not recorded for Methodism
- Day of worship (weekly day of worship): not recorded for Methodism
How their histories relate
The Atlas has no researched record of a direct historical relationship between these two. Not every pair of traditions experienced a schism or union with each other. Each took shape in its own way:
Their relationship today
Not yet researched
The Atlas has no researched record of the present relationship between these two. That is a gap in the research, not evidence of any particular relationship.
Developments towards reconciliation
31 October 1999Several communions
Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification
Lutheran World Federation and Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, signed at Augsburg; later joined by the World Methodist Council (2006), the Anglican Consultative Council (2016) and the World Communion of Reformed Churches (2017)
The signatories state 'a consensus in basic truths of the doctrine of justification'; the remaining differences of language, theological elaboration and emphasis are said to be acceptable.Source
- Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, §40Source verified
Still open: The declaration lists open questions, including the relationship between the Word of God and church doctrine, ecclesiology, authority, church unity, ministry, the sacraments and social ethics.
Signed in 1999 and confirmed by an Official Common Statement; the Methodist, Anglican and Reformed world communions later associated themselves with it. The Atlas has not checked reception by each member church.3 sources
- Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ)Source verified
- Letter of Cardinal Kasper and Dr Noko on the fifth anniversary of the Joint DeclarationSource verified
- Official Common Statement and Annex to the Joint DeclarationIdentified, not independently read
Explore further
Catholic Church
All citations link to the Atlas’s single source register.