{"id":1163,"date":"2015-11-25T07:33:46","date_gmt":"2015-11-25T06:33:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vaticanfiles.org\/?p=1163"},"modified":"2015-11-25T07:38:00","modified_gmt":"2015-11-25T06:38:00","slug":"the-gospel-in-italy-an-interview-on-the-gospel-coalition-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vaticanfiles.org\/es\/2015\/11\/the-gospel-in-italy-an-interview-on-the-gospel-coalition-website\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gospel in Italy. An Interview on The Gospel Coalition website"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>November 25th, 2015<\/em><\/p>\n<p>by Ivan Mesa<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"T0aQxQMj6y\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegospelcoalition.org\/article\/the-gospel-in-italy\/\">The Gospel in Italy<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thegospelcoalition.org\/article\/the-gospel-in-italy\/embed\/#?secret=T0aQxQMj6y\" data-secret=\"T0aQxQMj6y\" width=\"525\" height=\"296\" title=\"&#8220;The Gospel in Italy&#8221; &#8212; The Gospel Coalition\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Home of the pizza, battery, piano, espesso machine, barometer, typewriter,\u00a0violin, and MP3,\u00a0Italy is replete with interesting cultural history.<\/p>\n<p>This peninsular country, nestled in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea,\u00a0became a nation-state in 1861 (with the establishment of a monarchy)\u00a0until the Fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini during WWII. Since 1946 Italy has been a democratic republic and today boasts the fourth-largest national economy in Europe.<\/p>\n<p>Almost twice the size of Georgia and slightly larger than Arizona, Italy has a population of 61 million\u2014just a little less than France and the United Kingdom.\u00a0Two sovereign nations exist within the Italy itself, including the Vatican.\u00a0It should come\u00a0as\u00a0no surprise, then, that upwards\u00a080 percent\u00a0of its population identifies as\u00a0Roman Catholic with a meager 1 percent\u00a0identifying as evangelical.<\/p>\n<p>Continuing our series highlighting\u00a0how the gospel is at work in various countries, I reached out to\u00a0Leonardo de Chirico, pastor of\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.brecciadiroma.it\/\">Breccia di Roma<\/a>\u00a0church\u00a0in Rome\u00a0and lecturer of historical theology at the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ifeditalia.org\/\">Istituto di Formazione Evangelica e Documentazione<\/a>\u00a0(IFED).\u00a0A keen observer\u00a0of the Roman Catholic Church, Chirico discusses\u00a0the state of the church in Italy today, what it\u2019s like to be an evangelical in Rome,\u00a0recent Vatican intrigue, and more.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>In a hundred words or less, how would you describe the state of church in Italy?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As the Protestant Reformation was suffocated in the 16th\u00a0century by\u00a0a powerful Roman Catholic church, the evangelical community in Italy has always been a tiny persecuted\u00a0minority\u00a0until the second half of the 20th century. Having learned to survive, churches are made of solid believers who nonetheless tend to be inward-focused\u00a0and suspicious of others.\u00a0However, these difficult conditions didn\u2019t prevent the gospel\u00a0from spreading,\u00a0especially in the southern regions of the country. Evangelicals\u00a0represent roughly\u00a01 percent\u00a0of Italy\u2019s\u00a061 million people. So the work ahead of us is massive.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What most encourages you about the evangelical church in your country?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The faithful evangelical witness of past generations\u00a0in\u00a0difficult circumstances is inspiring. The gradual growth of cooperative efforts\u2014for instance, in advocating for religious freedom or mercy ministries\u2014is also encouraging.\u00a0There are more solid books being translated into Italian\u00a0(e.g., authors like\u00a0Don\u00a0Carson, Tim\u00a0Keller, John\u00a0Piper, John\u00a0MacArthur, Mark\u00a0Dever), and conferences and training initiatives are available for the Italian public. Recently the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Evangelical-Dictionary-Theology-Reference-Library\/dp\/0801020751?tag=thegospcoal-20\"><em>Dictionary of Evangelical Theology<\/em><\/a>, a 900-page volume with more than 600 entries, was edited by Italian theologians and had to be reprinted\u2014something unthinkable even\u00a0a\u00a0few years ago. There are 120 students following a non-residential five-year course in Reformed theology at the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ifeditalia.org\/\">Istituto di Formazione Evangelica e Documentazione<\/a> (IFED); this is also encouraging.<\/p>\n<p>In the past, Italian theologians have significantly contributed to the cause of the gospel worldwide: I think of Peter Martyr Vermigli (1499\u20131562), peer to John Calvin and Heinrich\u00a0Bullinger, whose\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Commonplaces-Loci-Communes-Philip-Melanchthon\/dp\/0758644450\/?tag=thegospcoal-20\"><em>Loci Communes<\/em><\/a>\u00a0(<em>Common Places<\/em>) were standard works for generations of\u00a0Protestant pastors. I think of Francis Turretin (1623\u20131687), whose\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Institutes-Elenctic-Theology-3-Set\/dp\/0875524567\/?tag=thegospcoal-20\"><em>Institutes of Elenctic Theology<\/em><\/a>\u00a0is a crown of Reformed orthodoxy that served as\u00a0the theology textbook at old Princeton Seminary. So\u00a0while\u00a0there\u2019s still much to be translated,\u00a0I\u2019m convinced\u00a0of the need for Italians\u00a0themselves to write and develop contextually appropriate resources.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s also a growing desire to\u00a0see a shift\u00a0from the survival mentality of the past to a missional mindset for the glory of God and the good of the nation. Without negating our struggles and problems, there is a sense of a coming momentum for the gospel. Efforts to help the Italian church from abroad have largely tended to either bypass national Italian church leadership or support autonomous\u00a0individuals. I think we are becoming more credible partners to work with in promoting the gospel in our country.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the biggest challenges facing the evangelical church in Italy?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As my senior colleague at IFED Pietro Bolognesi rightly argues, we have three main challenges: (1) identity, (2) unity, and (3) training. In a struggling\u00a0minority situation, Christian <em>identity<\/em>\u00a0has been\u00a0largely defined\u00a0not\u00a0by\u00a0who\u00a0we are\u00a0but by who we<em> <\/em>are<em>\u00a0not<\/em> (e.g., not religiously Roman Catholic, not theologically liberal, not culturally secular).\u00a0The overall perception\u00a0has been\u00a0that evangelicals\u00a0are\u00a0a cult. There is a need, then,\u00a0to better grasp our evangelical identity based on core gospel essentials rather than on subcultural features.<\/p>\n<p>Then there\u2019s\u00a0<em>unity<\/em>. Secondary distinctives have produced too much fragmentation. We need to do together what\u2019s biblically possible, knowing that most\u00a0of the\u00a0challenges ahead of us (e.g.,\u00a0public witness, church planting, quality training) cannot be faced on a local\u00a0level alone.<\/p>\n<p>Lastly there\u2019s\u00a0<em>training<\/em>. In struggling and small churches, formation\u00a0haven\u2019t been\u00a0viewed as\u00a0a priority. Most leaders are self-taught and self-trained. Cultural engagement is often shallow. The situation won\u2019t improve if leaders\u00a0don\u2019t emerge who are better equipped for\u00a0ministry and if we don\u2019t have Christians\u00a0better\u00a0prepared for\u00a0how to be faithful and missional in their vocations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A few years ago TGC published two pieces by Italian ministers. While one bemoaned\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thegospelcoalition.org\/article\/the-biggest-problem-facing-italian-churches\">the scarcity of spiritual leaders<\/a>, the other lamented\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thegospelcoalition.org\/article\/needed-exegetes-for-italy\/\">the shortage of Italian exegetes<\/a>. In one sense, they were calling for the same thing: faithful, qualified, and able ministers of the Word of God. Would you agree with their take? Would you add anything?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>They certainly describe a real need. God\u2019s\u00a0church exists where God\u2019s Word\u00a0is faithfully\u00a0preached. We need preachers who aren\u2019t only exegetes but\u00a0also men\u00a0of the Word\u00a0to raise the profile of Christian ministry in the country. We also need churches\u00a0prepared to move beyond extreme independence\u00a0and develop the ability to operate\u00a0in networks. We also need to nurture a vision for gospel impact on the whole country, not just maintenance of our\u00a0own little tribes. Our dream should be to see God grant\u00a0a time of biblical reformation\u00a0that boldly confronts\u00a0the idolatry of the nation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For many years you\u2019ve maintained a blog titled the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vaticanfiles.org\/\">Vatican Files<\/a>\u00a0(also appearing on Reformation21) where you write on the Vatican and Roman Catholic issues from an evangelical perspective. How did this begin? And what has the response been over the years?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As a theologian living in Rome I thought one way I could serve and contribute to the efforts of\u00a0the global church would be to provide ongoing reports and assessments\u00a0of\u00a0Roman Catholicism. The allure\u00a0and appeal of unity with Rome is as enticing\u00a0as ever. Yet\u00a0the need is to understand Roman Catholicism as a system\u00a0governed by spurious principles\u00a0such as optimistic\u00a0anthropology, synergistic salvation, abnormal ecclesiology,\u00a0and ambiguous church-state\u00a0identity\u00a0which lies\u00a0at the heart of\u00a0the\u00a0church. The Vatican Files are tools\u00a0designed to help grasp the theological system binding\u00a0the whole of Roman Catholicism\u2014and\u00a0it attempts to go beyond simplistic and superficial understandings\u00a0of it. I\u2019ve received encouraging\u00a0feedback\u00a0from around the world saying the Vatican Files are useful. Today, the contribution that Italian theology can\u00a0make\u00a0to the global evangelical family perhaps lies\u00a0in\u00a0helping it\u00a0to frame\u00a0a biblically robust assessment of Roman Catholicism.\u00a0More than ever\u00a0this is\u00a0at the top\u00a0of the\u00a0list of the global evangelical agenda.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/at-vatican-synod-outreach-pushback-and-stuggles-over-soul-of-the-church\/2015\/10\/22\/6da0a5c6-71b9-11e5-ba14-318f8e87a2fc_story.html\">Various\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0indicate that a conservative dissent has been brewing in the Roman Catholic Church\u2019s hierarchy as Pope Francis has sought,\u00a0contrary to Roman Catholic doctrine, to grant divorced and remarried Catholics entrance both to the Church and to communion. As an evangelical in Rome, what\u2019s your take?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Pope Francis is working hard to change the overall narrative of the Roman Catholic faith, wanting it to be marked by mercy and inclusivity instead\u00a0of tradition and rules. He\u2019s pitting the \u201cletter\u201d against the \u201cspirit\u201d\u00a0of Roman Catholicism, pushing the latter over the former. This explains the concerns of certain\u00a0traditional quarters about <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncregister.com\/blog\/edward-pentin\/pope-francis-closing-speech-of-synod-on-the-family\">ambiguities in his language<\/a>,\u00a0also present in the final document of the recent Synod on the family.<\/p>\n<p>Pope Francis wants to overcome the letter of canon law with a merciful spirit\u00a0that welcomes all without challeging anyone. This is why he\u2019s so loved by secular people. Everyone feels affirmed\u00a0and no one feels questioned by what he says. But the biblical good news is that\u00a0Jesus has come to pay for our sins and calls\u00a0all persons to repent and believe. If you miss one bit of the gospel, you miss it all. The Pope uses language that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncregister.com\/blog\/edward-pentin\/pope-francis-closing-speech-of-synod-on-the-family\">resembles the gospel<\/a>, but the meaning of what he says is far from it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How can we pray for the evangelical church in Italy?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Please pray for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a growing appreciation for gospel centrality in all we are and do;<\/li>\n<li>a stronger sense of being part of the historical and global church of Jesus Christ;<\/li>\n<li>a deeper sense of unity based on gospel truth;<\/li>\n<li>a new enthusiasm in church planting and evangelism, especially in urban centers;<\/li>\n<li>a support\u00a0of\u00a0training initiatives that are biblically sound and culturally relevant;<\/li>\n<li>a peer-to-peer gospel partnership between the Italian church and the global church wanting to help us; and<\/li>\n<li>a renewed gospel-centered engagement\u00a0of\u00a0society\u00a0that addresses\u00a0the bankruptcy of both religious and secular illusions in the hope God will move powerfully in the country.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/dot.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"Email\",\"Print\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"medium\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"The%20Gospel%20in%20Italy.%20An%20Interview%20on%20The%20Gospel%20Coalition%20website\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>November 25th, 2015 by Ivan Mesa The Gospel in Italy Home of the pizza, battery, piano, espesso machine, barometer, typewriter,\u00a0violin, and MP3,\u00a0Italy is replete with interesting cultural history. This peninsular country, nestled in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea,\u00a0became a nation-state in 1861 (with the establishment of a monarchy)\u00a0until the Fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vaticanfiles.org\/es\/2015\/11\/the-gospel-in-italy-an-interview-on-the-gospel-coalition-website\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;The Gospel in Italy. An Interview on The Gospel Coalition website&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,10],"tags":[122,121,123,120,14],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vaticanfiles.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1163"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vaticanfiles.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vaticanfiles.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vaticanfiles.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vaticanfiles.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1163"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vaticanfiles.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1163\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1165,"href":"https:\/\/vaticanfiles.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1163\/revisions\/1165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vaticanfiles.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vaticanfiles.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vaticanfiles.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}