Gaspar Contarini is an interesting person from the Reformation. He was a Roman Catholic whose view of Justification was more in line with the Reformers than with the Roman Catholic church's, however, he was very active as a cardinal in seeking reform from inside the church, and not from the outside. This weekend I start work in earnest on a paper that will seek the answer to why Contarini stayed in the Roman Church despite his reading of Romans.

Another interesting hisotrical study that I've been flirting with is the Colloquy of Regensburg, which was attended by Contarini, Gropper, Eck, and Pighius from the Roman Catholic side; and Melancthon and Bucer (the successors respectively to Luther and Calvin) on the other. These are big names! The agreement they came to was that there were two justifications: one forensic, and one internal. The agreement was rejected by both the Pope and by Luther, so it came to naught.

Some ecumenical movements today are based upon this colloquy, and unity minded Christians seek to exploit it. I doubt it would work, though Anglicans and Lutherans seem to find it helpful, but I don't think the Church will ever be unified again until the coming of Christ. This is unfortunate, for Paul calls us to be Christ's spotless bride. How can a bride be spotless if she is disunified?