In the lead-up to World Youth Day in Sydney, many churches realized the importance of addressing some of the fundamental differences between Roman Catholicism and evangelical Protestantism - not only so that their congregations could understand more about what was going on, wand why they could not be involved, but also (and more importantly) so that they could take the opportunity to clarify Christian thinking about eh gospel. Anecdotal evidence suggest that many evangelical Christians are fuzzy on the difference, and if they are aware of them, many remain unsure of why they matter. I suspect that this is partly due to a lack of understanding of Roman Catholicisim, and partly due to shallow understanding of the gospel.

With this in mind, let me draw your attention to a handy DVD resource that aims to clarify: Ideas that changed the world, featuring talks by Dominic Steele from Christians in the Media.

Ideas that changed the world is a well-packaged series of talks and small group discussions on the Reformation principles of grace alone, faith alone, Bible alone and Christ alone. One of its strengths is that is includes many personal testimonies from people who grew up in Roman Catholic contexts: they share their experiences, and discuss how their understanding of these biblical truths developed and changed, thus giving everything a warm and personal touch. Dominic's own Roman Catholic background is also an asset, allowing him to speak from firsthand experience.

The talks feature key Reformation figures, and include snippets of Reformation church history, as well as clear Bible teaching. In the past, having heard various people speak on 'grace alone', I've found that their talks have really only been on grace, with the importance of the word 'alone' neglected or forgotten. However, this is the key distinction between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism: we define more clearly what we do believe when we articulate what we don't believe. On this, Ideas that Changed the World is upfront about aiming to give people a better understanding of Reformation principles and how they correspond to the gospel.

The talks and studies are very helpful in showing the distinctives between Evangelicalism and Roman Catholicism, and how biblical principles have been added to, and thus, ultimately, diminished. However, one of the difficulties for people hearing talks like these is that they many feel like they know a Roman Catholicism that looks different to what is described. They many even know a Roman Catholic who doesn't agree with everything that's stated. Dominic does acknowledge that Roman Catholicisim encompasses a spectrum of beliefs. However, my one real criticism here is that in its engagement with Roman Catholic thinking, this resource cites a number of Reformation events and declarations but very little (if any) evidence of modern Roman Catholic doctrine. The workbooks contain helpful, informative and brief summaries of the lives and works of four of the reformers, as well as some accounts of people who have discovered grace alone, etc., but it might have been helpful to include some official Roman Catholic statements of believe for the sake of balances interaction.

All up, Ideas that changed the world is a fantastic resource. Watch it with your small group, your church, or even your Roman Catholic friends and neighbours. The issues it deals with are vital ones for Christians to understand.

Reviewed by Adrian Russell. Originally published in The Briefing (September 2008, issue 360) as a double review. Reproduced with permission from Matthias Media.