What Catholics say… and what Protestants hear

When Catholics and Protestants discuss the Christian faith, sometimes it is not theology but definitions that pose an obstacle. Gerschwin Langeveldt suggests that by defining terms properly, we can build bridges, and looks at three often misunderstood terms in particular.

If you have ever talked faith with someone from a different Christian tradition, you know how quickly things can get confusing — even when using the same words.

As a convert from a Reformed Protestant background to Catholicism at the Easter Vigil 2021, I have seen just how big those differences can be. We say “grace”, “works”, “tradition” — but what we mean by them can be miles apart. In my experience, this is one of the biggest reasons why conversations between Catholics and Protestants sometimes go nowhere. We are using the same vocabulary but not the same dictionary.

Unlike Catholics, Protestants don’t have a single official and authoritative reference like the Catechism of the Catholic Church, nor the repository of encyclicals and other Church documents, nor Church councils that unify teachings. As a result, even within the same denomination, people might use the same word in slightly different ways.

Every conversation has to stand on its own merits, and that can make things both exciting and challenging. Here’s an analogy that helped me realise just how important this is.

Imagine two friends arguing over who is the best “football team.” One is American and is thinking of gridiron football and says Green Bay Packers or Notre Dame. The other is talking about Liverpool FC or Sundowns. They are both passionate, they both love the game — but until they stop and ask, “Wait, what do you actually mean by ‘football’?, they are never going to understand each other.

In the same way, if we seek real conversations between Catholics and Protestants, we have to pause and ask: “What do you mean by that word?” With that in mind, let’s look at just three words that often cause confusion. What do Protestants often hear, what do Catholics actually mean, and how might we bridge the gap?

Expressed with brevity, these are not comprehensive or perfect definitions, and I certainly do not claim to speak for every Christian tradition. But simply recognising that there is a difference in how we use these words is often the best place to start a dialogue. Once we know that there is a gap, we can start building a bridge.

Tradition

What Protestants often hear: “Man-made rules that override the Bible.”

For many Protestants, Tradition brings to mind the kind of legalism Jesus condemned — the Pharisees elevating human customs over God’s word. So when Catholics say “Sacred Tradition”, it can sound to Protestants as though we are saying, “The Bible isn’t enough, we need our own stuff too.”

What Catholics actually mean: “Living memory of the Church guided by the Holy Spirit.”

In Catholicism, Tradition comes in two forms: Sacred Tradition (with a capital T) and small-t traditions. This distinction often gets lost, but it is an important one.

Sacred Tradition is not a set of teachings added to Scripture. It is the handing down of the one faith that Jesus gave to his apostles — generation after generation. Before the New Testament was even canonically compiled in the 4th century — and even before it was written, Christians were already worshipping, teaching, and living the Good News through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Some examples of Sacred Tradition include:

How we understand the meaning of Scripture

The doctrine of the Trinity

Which books belong in the Bible

The celebration of Sunday (instead of Saturday) as the Lord’s Day

The structure and prayers of the Mass

The belief that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist

Many of these teachings — like the Trinity and the canon of Scripture — were not just passed down but were clarified and protected by the early Church. The Church Fathers, such as Tertullian, and the great councils of Nicaea (325 AD) and Constantinople (381 AD) helped articulate the faith in response to heresies. This process, guided by the Holy Spirit, helped ensure that what was handed down remained faithful to what the apostles had received.

It’s also worth noting that the New Testament itself wasn’t canonically compiled until the late 4th century. So for the first few centuries, Christians relied on both the inspired writings and the oral teaching of the apostles and their successors passed down through the Church (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

Then there are small-t traditions. These are devotional practices and customs that have developed over time to help Catholics live out their faith. They are beautiful and faith-building, but they are not essential and they can vary between cultures and eras. Examples of small-t traditions include the rosary, use of holy water, Lenten penances, and so on.

Protestants have both types of tradition too, even if they don’t use those words.

Capital-T-style traditions include, for example, the belief in the Holy Trinity, celebrating Christmas on December 25, or worshipping on Sunday instead of Saturday — none of these are spelled out word-for-word in Scripture and all of them are the result of the Church’s Tradition, yet they are widely held across nearly all Christian denominations and communities.

Small-t-style traditions: Having altar calls, using praise bands, preaching in a particular style, or holding Wednesday night Bible study — these are meaningful expressions of faith that have developed over time.

How to bridge the gap:

Instead of leading with the word “Tradition”, it may help to describe what we mean: “The Catholic Church believes that the Gospel was passed down both in writing and through the oral teaching of the apostles, and those who succeeded them.”

Then one can add: “This is how early Christians lived the faith before there was a complete Bible — and why things like the Trinity and the canon of the Bible make sense through both Scripture and Tradition.”

Works

What Protestants often hear: “You have to earn your way into heaven.”

This is a huge one. For many Protestants, “faith vs works” is at the heart of the Gospel — to them salvation is by grace through faith alone, not by what we do. So when a Catholic talks about “works”, it can feel as if we’re undermining a core truth.

What Catholics actually mean: “Responding to God’s grace with love and obedience.”

Catholics believe that we are saved by grace. Full stop. But grace isn’t just a cover-up for sin — it’s a transformation. It enables us to love, to serve, and to grow in holiness, as commanded by Jesus. “Works” aren’t about earning heaven — they’re the fruit of faith working through love (Galatians 5:6, James 2:17).

How to bridge the gap:

You might say something like: “Catholics believe salvation starts with grace, not us — but we are also called to cooperate with that grace, like a branch that bears fruit because it is connected to the vine” (John 15:5).

That image helps a lot — it’s scriptural and emphasises relationship, not performance.

Grace

What Protestants often hear: “God’s unmerited favour that covers my sin.”

In many Protestant traditions, especially evangelical ones, grace is all about what God does for us. It’s his kindness, his forgiveness, his generosity — undeserved by us and totally free. And that’s beautiful and true. But sometimes, Protestants assume that Catholics think grace is something we earn.

What Catholics actually mean: “God’s own life poured into our souls.”

Catholics believe grace is unearned too. But we also believe that it is more than just favour — it’s power. Grace doesn’t just pardon us, it transforms us (2 Peter 1:4). It helps us become holy. It’s like divine fuel in our spiritual engine, helping us do what we could never do alone (Philippians 2:12–13).

How to bridge the gap:

You might say: “Catholics share the belief that we are saved by grace alone — but we think grace is more than God being nice. It is him living in us, giving us the strength to love as Jesus did.”

This reframes the conversation from “earning salvation” to “cooperating with the gift”.

Ask before assuming

Words matter. But how we use them matters even more. The next time a Protestant friend raises an eyebrow at something you’ve said, pause and ask: “May I ask what that word means to you?”

You might be surprised by their answer — and they might be surprised by yours. Because underneath all the confusion, we often find shared love for Jesus, shared respect for Scripture, and shared desire to follow him with all our hearts.

That’s where the best conversations begin. Like our “football” friends from earlier, sometimes we are not actually disagreeing — we’re just playing a different game, without realising it. But once we understand what the other person means by their words, real conversation becomes possible.

And maybe, just maybe, we’ll see that we’re on the same team after all.

Gerschwin Langeveldt writes from Cape Town. He blogs at wannabecatholic.wordpress.com

Published in the February 2026 issue of The Southern Cross Magazine