Abstract

A Comparative Study of the Eschatological Differences between Roman Catholic and Baptist Traditions

Christopher Dagher

Roman Catholics and Evangelical Baptists have always theologically differed regarding end times beliefs. On one side the quasi-totality of Catholics has an Amillennial view against a large proportion of Evangelicals that opt for Dispensational Premillennialism. However, from their respective beginnings, a common set of doctrines has been Christ's Second Coming (Parousia), the bodily resurrection, and the final judgement. Numerous theologians throughout the ages have contributed their input to enrich Christianity with their eschatological perspectives, many of which have been utilized for different political endeavors. A plethora of statistics have been recorded to quantify the American sentiment on several questions. One example is that 92% of American Evangelicals “believe Jesus will return to Earth someday” versus 63% for Catholics. Finally, Evangelicals and Catholics have found common ground today to pursue ecumenical efforts against what they perceive as a growing wave of immorality in America.