The Rome Scholars Network -- An Announcement By WRF Member Leonardo De Chirico   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   

Why is the Rome Scholars Network Important?

Evangelicalism currently has an incoherent relationship with Roman Catholicism.  Many evangelicals are uncertain about what Roman Catholics actually believe.  Do they believe in the same Gospel, or something entirely different?  This question is important for leaders of evangelical churches and organizations and for hundreds of millions of evangelical believers around the world. We are convinced, in line with the historic Protestant view, that Roman Catholicism is a severely flawed system in need of a radical biblical reformation in its basic theology and practice. 

Currently there is no strategy for evangelical leaders and scholars to study Roman Catholicism from an explicitly Evangelical perspective and to equip and educate others as well. 

 Vision of the Rome Scholars Network

The Rome Scholars Network was designed to create a context for Evangelical scholars and leaders:

1)      To have access to evangelical scholars who are experts on Roman Catholicism 

2)      To study and evaluate Roman Catholic theology and practice in the heart of Roman Catholicism, Rome itself.   

3)      To be trained and equipped to be scholars, leaders and communicators of an evangelical perspective about Roman Catholicism and the biblical Gospel of salvation through faith alone.

What is the Rome Scholars Network?

The Rome Scholars Network (RSN) is a week-long program in June 25th to July 1st 2016 in Rome, Italy.  It is designed to help evangelical leaders and scholars better understand Roman Catholic theology and practice and be better equipped to communicate an evangelical perspective. The Rome Scholars Network is sponsored by the Reformanda Initiative and the Forum of Christian Leaders (foclonline.org).

The Rome Scholars Network program includes: 

1)      Text-based discussions on pre-assigned reading selections

2)      Integrated lectures on Roman Catholic theology and practice, evangelical theological distinctives, historical relations between Roman Catholics and Protestant and opportunities for dialogue, evangelism and engagement today

3)      Papers, written and submitted by participants on an evangelical perspective on Roman Catholic theology and practice which are evaluated by Rome Scholars faculty

4)      Personal mentoring between each participant and a faculty member

5)      Excursions and tours of the Vatican and other important historical sites in Rome

6)      Church involvement alongside a local Italian evangelical congregation

  

Who can attend the Rome Scholars Network?The Rome Scholars Network is invitation only. The Rome Scholars Network would welcome applications from:

1)      Evangelical Theological PhD Students

2)      Evangelical leaders (with at least an MA in theology)

 

When does the Rome Scholars Network take place?

The 2016 Rome Scholars Network will take place from Saturday, 25 June, until Friday, 1 July.

Rome Scholars Network Faculty

Leonardo De Chirico, RSN Leader

Leonardo planted and pastored an evangelical church in Ferrara, Italy, from 1997 to 2009. Since 2009, he has been involved in a church planting project in Rome and is now pastor of the church Breccia di Roma. He earned degrees in History (University of Bologna), Theology (ETCW, Bridgend, Wales) and Bioethics (University of Padova). His PhD is from King's College (London); it was published as Evangelical Theological Perspectives on Post-Vatican II Roman Catholicism (Bern-Oxford: Peter Lang 2003). His most recent book A Christian Pocket Guide to Papacy (Fearn: Christian Focus, 2015). He is a lecturer of Historical Theology at Istituto di Formazione Evangelica e Documentazione in Padova, Italy. He is also an individual member of the World Reformed Fellowship.

Gregg Allison

Gregg is professor of Christian theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Gregg received his PhD at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is secretary of the Evangelical Theological Society and a book review editor for the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. He is the author of numerous books, including Roman Catholic Theology and Practice: An Evangelical Assessment, Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine and Sojourners and Strangers: The Doctrine of the Church.

Greg Pritchard

Greg earned his MA from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School before continuing on to finish his PhD at Northwestern University. The intersection of theology, history, philosophy and sociology is Greg’s primary focus both in teaching and writing. He has taught graduate-level courses on apologetics, theology, history, leadership, the New Testament, ethics, and Christian Thought at American, European, and Asian institutions of higher learning. His book, Willow Creek Seeker Services, has been published in four languages. Previously, Greg was the Chief Operations Officer (COO) of a Chicago area investment firm. Currently, Greg serves as the President of the Forum of Christian Leaders and as the Director of the European Leadership Forum.

 and others!

What is the cost of attending the Rome Scholars Network?

 

 

 

*A limited number of partial scholarships/bursaries are available.

How do I apply to the Rome Scholars Network?

If you are interested in applying for the Rome Scholars Network, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Hear what key evangelical leaders are saying about the Rome Scholars Network?

“Today many evangelicals have a shallow understanding of the difference between the Evangelical faith and the faith of the Roman Catholic Church. This ignorance leads easily to either prejudices about or naïve affirmation of Roman Catholic theology. What is needed instead is a thorough and knowledgeable assessment of the two systems of belief. In this area of great need The Reformanda Initiative and its Rome Scholars Network provides timely and unique resources for evangelical leaders. I recommend it with great enthusiasm!”

-          Stefan Gustavsson, General Secretary, Swedish Evangelical Alliance

“In a world where image seems much more important than content in all areas, I am delighted to see a strategy like the Reformanda Initiative and its Rome Scholars Network. Its vision and strategy provide a solid foundation to understand Roman Catholicism, an approach that goes beyond appearances to dig into the Biblical principles on Christian unity. It certainly comes to fill a gap in our Evangelical world today.   As a Protestant living in a Catholic country I support the Reformanda Initiative wholeheartedly”

-     Pablo Martinez, President Emeritus, Spanish Evangelical Alliance

“For quite a long time evangelicals have been critical of the Roman Catholic Church here in Brazil. Sadly to say, most of the time without even knowing the reasons why. There has been a history of persecution of protestants by catholics since the first missionaries from the Unites States and Europe arrived in Brazil preaching the Gospel. This history has ended many years ago, but the reservations and criticism still remain. We need to know more about the Roman Catholic Church and find the best approach to our catholic friends, especially when the Reformed faith is taking a surprising turn in Brazil and growing fast among young people. The Reformanda Initiative will prove to be a powerful tool to help evangelicals to better understand and interact with Romans Catholicism”.

-          Rev. Dr. Augustus Nicodemus Lopes, vice-president of Presbyterian Church of Brazil