Papal Infallibility: A Protestant Evaluation of an Ecumenical Issue - Paperback

by Mark E. Powell (Author)

First major book-length study on this subject written by a Protestant in more than a century.

The dogma of papal infallibility has become increasingly problematic for Roman Catholics, and it is a major point of division in Christian ecumenical dialogue -- arguably the key issue separating Catholics and other Christians today. Mark Powell here contends that papal infallibility has inevitable shortcomings as a way to secure religious certainty. After introducing the doctrine, he illustrates those limitations in the life and writings of four prominent Catholic theologians: Henry Edward Cardinal Manning, John Henry Cardinal Newman, Avery Cardinal Dulles, and Hans Kung.

The book concludes with a fresh proposal for conceiving religious epistemology, ecclesial authority, and ecumenical agreement. Powell's Papal Infallibility is an accessible, critical study for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

Author Biography

Mark E. Powell is the lead minister of Donelson Church of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee. Previously, he served as dean and professor of theology at Harding School of Theology, where he taught for twenty-two years. He holds degrees from Lipscomb University, Emory University, and Southern Methodist University, and continues to teach as an adjunct professor in Harding's doctor of ministry program.