Robert Sungenis
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Robert A. Sungenis (born 1955), is a controversial American Catholic apologist and founder of Catholic Apologetics International. He is known for his apologetics books dealing with famous Protestant ideas (Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura) and his sometimes critical views on the current state of the Church and its authority figures.
Biography
Sungenis was raised in a Catholic family, but became a Protestant in 1974, aged nineteen. He held various posts in several Reformed churches, including a stint with radio preacher Harold Camping of Family Radio. He also gained an M.A. in theology from Westminster Theological Seminary in 1982.Sungenis converted to Catholicism in 1992, aged thirty seven. He co-authored a book on eschatology in reply to Camping titled Shockwave 2000: The Harold Camping 1994 Debacle (New Leaf Press, 1994). His conversion story is chronicled in the first of the Surprised By Truth (Basilica Press, 1994) books edited by Catholic apologist and author Patrick Madrid. He has debated many evangelical and Reformed Protestant apologists, including James R. White and Michael Horton, on doctrinal, theological, and historical issues such as Sola Scriptura, the Papacy and papal infallibility, Salvation and Justification.
He founded the Catholic Apologetics International website to promote his views, and is also currently studying for a PhD at the Maryvale Institute in Birmingham, England.
Theological works and views
Three of Sungenis' best-known works are Not by Faith Alone (1997) on the doctrine of justification by faith alone, Not by Scripture Alone (1997) rebutting the Protestant doctrine of sola scriptura, and Not by Bread Alone (2000) on the Eucharist. A fourth "Not...Alone" book, Not by Science Alone, is yet to be released. In June 2006, [Was Wrong] was released. A second volume dealing with the Church position of the issue is forthcoming.In addition to his own works, he has also contributed essays to various Catholic apologetics collections, participated in two EWTN series on television (on Justification, and another with Patrick Madrid on the authority of Scripture and Tradition), engaged many Protestants and other opponents of the Catholic faith in moderated debate, and is a prominent member of the Catholic Young Earth creationism group, the Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation.
Many of his views have brought him into conflict with other Catholic apologists, such as Karl Keating, the director of Catholic Answers. However, unlike some traditionalist Catholics, who regard the Second Vatican Council as a heresy or apostasy from the true faith, he maintains that the Second Vatican Council, when interpreted correctly, is fully orthodox. Likewise, he accepts the validity of the present pope, Benedict XVI, and accepts the Novus Ordo Mass as valid, although he prefers the Tridentine Latin Mass.
Geocentrism controversy
In early 2002, Robert Sungenis came under much criticism for publicly postulating a geocentric worldview. This view is akin to the Tychonic system worldview, which holds that the universe was created with earth at its center, a view that is in direct conflict with the scientific opinion of physics and astronomy since the seventeenth century. Robert Sungenis bases much of his argument on science as well as the testimony of the early Church Fathers especially in relation to their interpretation of Scripture and the authoritative declarations of three popes of the Catholic Church, Paul V, Urban VIII, Alexander VII. Robert Sungenis does not claim these decrees met the level defined in Vatican I required for papal infallibility, but should be considered binding on the conscience of the faithful. The Catholic Church Herself had come to historically accept both views as acceptable explanations of the universe, allowing schools universally to teach either theory as being harmless to the Faith. Robert Sungenis disagrees with such tolerance, demanding that only one explanation, that which he holds, is the one not dangerous to the Faith.On his web site he announced a challenge to pay $1000 for proof that the Earth revolves around the sun, while restating his proof, via scripture, that the Earth is the center of the universe. However, the terms for disproving their geocentric worldview included the statement that "CAI will be the sole judge of whether you have successfully proven your case." Many people have seriously accepted the challenge, some more than once. Nobody to-date has won the prize.
Other Controversy
In 2002, Sungenis responded to a document from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, "Reflections on Covenant and Mission." A summary of Catholic-Jewish dialogue since the Second Vatican Council, this document suggested that God's covenant with the Jews remains valid. Robert Sungenis argued that this was a non-binding document and at odds with Catholic Doctrine. He also wrote articles critical of Zionism and the Talmud. In his response to Sungenis' articles William Cork accused him of anti-semitism and plagiarism ([link]). However, Sungenis has denied these charges and pointed out that the controversy bore many of the features of a smear campaign.External links
- [Catholic Apologetics International], Robert Sungenis's Catholic apologetics site.
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