Article: Calvinism and Catholicism on the Bible
The main differences between Protestantism (Calvinism) and Catholicism concerning the Bible
When comparing the Bible in Protestant and Catholic churches, one notices that the number of books in both versions differs. Why is that? Why do Protestants have fewer books? In this article I will give a more in-depth explanation than the one given in “A Journey into the Land of the Spirit” episode 1. There I explained that the origins of the differences lie in Church history.
Protestants try to be ‘as original as possible’ by using books translated from Hebrew, originating in Palestine, (the so-called Masoretic texts) whereas Catholics follow the Tradition, i.e., they use the books that were used by the Christians in the Roman Empire, based on the Greek Septuagint. First I will give a brief overview of Church history starting from the early beginnings until about 500 A.D., followed by a brief explanation of the Reformation (1521 and later). I will try to uncover the discussion points and influences that led to the re-investigation of Christianity’s origins and the decisions being made as a result of that investigation. After doing so I will summarise both the Roman Catholic rationale for these choices as well as the Reformed rationale. I will conclude with my own point of view.
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