Hans Heinz, Glaube, Macht und Hybris (Mundelsheim, Germany: Basista Media GmbH., 2013), 133 pp. EUR$7.90.

Hans Heinz, Th.D., spent forty years in the classroom teaching theology students in Austria (Bogenhofen) and Germany (Marienhöhe and Friedensau). He has published several books and written many articles on theology and church history. His dissertation Justification and Merit dealt with the conflict between the Roman Catholic doctrine of merit and the biblical doctrine of Righteousness by Faith.

His latest book Glaube, Macht und Hybris (Faith, Supremacy, and Hubris) has the subtitle “The Catholic Church in History and Prophecy.” It addresses the contrast between the spiritual and secular power of the Catholic Church and Christ’s renunciation of power and supremacy. The book is well written and well documented; it has a prologue, three chapters dealing with the growth of Catholicism in history and the biblical prophecies dealing with these developments, and an epilogue. The preface was written by Daniel Heinz, the author’s son, who is professor and director of the Adventist archives at Friedensau University.

The prologue raises the question how Christian the Catholic Church is, in view of the contrast between the pomp and glory of the Roman church and the simplicity of the church of Jesus at the beginning of church history. Chapter 1, titled “Roman Catholicism: Continuity and Change,” chronicles the changes that have taken place in the Christian church over the centuries. The papal church that arose in the fifth century was, in many respects, no longer the same as the church in the first few centuries (p. 18), and it continued to accept and adapt non-biblical teachings, such as the sinlessness of Mary (1854) and the infallibility of the pope (1870).

The author spends some time reviewing the Second Vatican Council (1963) that was hailed as a new Pentecost by reform-minded Catholics and as the greatest calamity of the century by traditionalists (p. 34). The Council made great progress in the areas of religious freedom and ecumenism. No longer are the Reformers and their followers described as heretics; now they are called “separated brethren,” and Catholics are encouraged to participate in ecumenical events and organizations. Likewise, the mutual ban between Rome and Constantinople from the year 1054 was lifted at the end of the Council in 1965 (pp. 32, 33). Nevertheless, in the years following the Council, tendencies to modify or reverse some of the decisions of the Council made themselves felt. Some of the reformist Catholic theologians were disciplined or lost their jobs and Pope Francis I in 2013 reiterated the concept that there is no salvation outside of the church (p. 50). The author, therefore, comes to the conclusion that in spite of the reforms of the Council, the nature of the church remains the same (semper eadem); its teachings and the claim of the infallibility of the pope when he speaks ex cathedra have not changed. Hence, the critic on this hubris remains valid (p. 51).

Today, the church still understands itself as the living Christ on earth (Christus prolongatus) who continually acts through the Scriptures and the sacraments. Consequently, it sees itself as the only salvific institution in the world. The fact that it claimed to have the authority to change God’s commandments and persecuted those who refuse to submit is based on this understanding of being the living Christ. Therefore, a truly ecumenical church will never happen because it will always be constrained by the conditions and conceptions of the Roman Catholic Church.

The second chapter, “The Claims of Rome: Prophetic Judgment and Historical Evidence” traces the apocalyptic vision of history in the books Daniel and Revelation. The focus is on the little horn, the papacy, and its activities in history. The chapter chronicles the prophesied apostasy, the deadly wound in 1798, and its healing in the twentieth century. It concludes with a reference to the prophetic word as a light that shines in a dark place (2 Peter 1:19). We need this prophetic word to be forearmed against the dangers and deceptions of the endtime (p. 88).

The third chapter investigates the teachings of the Catholic Church in light of the gospel. Addressed are such topics as salvation, the papacy, Mary, the mass, saints and reliquaries, and the issue of indulgences. The book concludes with a short epilogue summarizing the contrast between the spirit of Jesus and the claims of the Catholic Church to be God’s representative on earth. “No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 3:11 NKJ).

On the basis of the prophetic word, Seventh-day Adventists have always had a clear understanding of the role of the Catholic Church in history. This understanding, unfortunately, has diminished or been lost completely in most Protestant churches today. Glaube, Macht und Hybris, written by a preeminent Adventist theologian who has studied the Catholic Church for decades, deserves a wide circulation. It is hoped that an English translation will appear soon, so that the wider Adventist membership, as well as non-Adventists, can benefit from this important volume.