Faith and WorksFire and Smoke

Now I will admit, having been a Christian for a somewhat short time as an adult, I’ve some unfamiliarity with the ins and outs of Christian controversy. Jared points tangentially to one which has puzzled me quite a bit. So I thought I’d put the question to the chorus here.

Protestants and Catholics (apparently) frequently point to the other as being in the wrong about the whole faith vs works question. But it seems to me both sides are in complete agreement.

Protestants accuse Catholics of emphasising works, for you are saved by faith alone.

Catholics will reply, yes that’s right. You are saved by faith, and faith without works is dead … so there had better be some works in your life and witness or when you face the Lord at the Judgement seat it will be hard for you.

Protestants, I think, will also agree with that counter.

Which leaves the disagreement where exactly? For it seems to this neophyte that on this issue there is no division.

Parenthetically, it seems to me one of the things with a blog like Evangel might accomplish is to separate the doctrine from the adiaphora in the divide between denominations.