This was a character who was (blessedly) unknown to me prior to the advent of the theo-blogosphere: the guy (and it’s almost invariably a guy) who is constantly berating his fellow Protestants for not being “catholic” enough. That is, not being in touch with the larger Church and the Great Tradition, being antinomian, relativistic, individualistic, “liberal Protestant,” etc. etc. And yet these fellows never seem quite able to bring themselves to take the obvious step and become Catholiic. Could it be because if they did they’d be just one more humble Catholic and not someone with a mission to tell his fellow Christians everything they’re doing wrong?

Now I personally have a great attraction to Catholicism, though it’s an attraction to Catholic piety and Catholicism’s intellectual and social tradition rather than any desire for an authoritative church. But I’m just not going to become Catholic for a variety of reasons, so I try not to go around insisting that Protestants be “more Catholic” (whatever that might mean) to suit me. I do think we might consider being better Protestants though.