When the news broke about Dr. Ulf Eckmans conversion to Catholic faith many in Taiwan did not understand his decision. His coming to Taiwan stirred up a lot of questions. More about it under: Conversion of Sweden's Most Influential Pastor Causes
'Pain and Disillusion'
While discussions and inquiring notes filled the facebooks and Christian magazines it became apparent what moved Eckman: the lacking knowledge about the theology of this large group in the Latin Rite Church tradition. - In Taiwan the Christian media had a hard time to explain his conversion from positive perspective. Unfortunately, the missing historic background of the growth of Christianity had its toll. Although he led his church in Sweden during its growth to the size of 3,200 members he apparently never spent enough time to study the Roman Catholics Church teaching background. - The more he found out about the outside commonalities in a friendship with Catholics between Protestant Faith and Catholic Faith the more he got interested. He looked for a way to somehow "harmonize" both theologies, yet failed. - He should have been given some help on this road. It is a pity, that he saw no other way to find answers to his questions but to leave his church. - He himself felt he was theologically "ill equipped" to face the questions of Roman Catholics (There are many non Roman Catholic churches too, which are not part of this discussion). How to know what is right? How can one know without studying for years what is different? -
How to advise? While really exploring the details always needs time, the following website of Richard Bennet, a former Catholic priest, could make it easier for the start to see "behind the curtain" and especially punish the idea of organized "fragmentalization" of Christ's body by the Protestant church camp, with its several denominations as contrary to Reformed Theology. http://www.bereanbeacon.org/en/
The website of course shares his views, as a contribution from a former insider they show how old characteristic Roman Catholic Convictions and beliefs are applied in the RCC's in the modern day context. Bennet has a list of interesting topics published on the web to just serve this type of need.http://www.bereanbeacon.org/articles/
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