The Reformation pillar of private Scripture interpretation hasn’t just caused disunity among Christians–it has left a legacy of moral and societal chaos.
Many Christians have experience with the theological fruit of Martin Luther’s principle of sola scriptura: a splintering among Christian denominations as different groups find their own meaning in the words of the Bible. But in his unique new book, Twisted Unto Destruction, Donald J. Johnson says that the damage goes much further.
In the first century, St. Peter warned of those who “twist” the words of the Bible “to their own destruction” (2 Pet. 3:16). Johnson shows that the same is happening today, with an array of modern evils–including racism, sexual and moral confusion, crimes against human life, and the soul-killing vices of greed and consumerism–rooted in or amplified by Christians’ self-serving abuse of God’s word.
“Ideas have consequences,” says Todd Aglialoro, director of publishing for Catholic Answers Press. “When you spend 500 years insisting that Christians can interpret the Bible for themselves, it’s going to change how the world works. People can make Scripture appear to support any harmful or perverse thing they want–and who can say they’re wrong?”
In contrast to the errors spawned by sola scriptura, Johnson (a former Evangelical who once believed it) shows how the authoritative wisdom of the Catholic Church is the key to interpreting the Bible and combating the ills of the modern world.
About the Author:
Donald J. Johnson is a Catholic author and documentary filmmaker and the founder of Don Johnson Evangelistic Ministries.
SOURCE Catholic Answers
CONTACT: Kerry Beck, 619-387-7200, kbeck@catholic.com