Gavin Ortlund's Growing Influence Reveals the Need for more Sacramental Theology in Online Apologetics

Dr. Gavin Ortlund, a Reformed evangelical pastor and theologian, recently crossed the 100,000-subscriber milestone on his YouTube channel, Truth Unites. Ortlund is a unique figure for several reasons. For one, he is a low-church pastor with deep knowledge of the early Church—a combination that is relatively rare. For another, as a classical Protestant, he draws heavily on beliefs of the Reformers that are often unknown in low-church evangelical circles. For example, while he rejects the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, he affirms the “Real Presence” of the Eucharist, a term that he says originated within Protestantism.

While not afraid to critique Catholicism, Ortlund is careful to avoid the sharp polemics that are often associated with these kinds of debates. His knowledge of classical Protestantism allows him to bypass the less substantive arguments and revisit the deeper theological divisions of the Reformation. For Protestants, especially those who feel disconnected from Christianity prior to the Reformation, Ortlund offers a way to engage with Church history. While a person may not always agree with his conclusions, it would be hard to say that Ortlund is not theologically rigorous and historically informed. The curious onlooker might struggle to know whom or what to trust in the realm of online Christian apologetics. In this way, he tests the limits of the rigorous intellectual approach that is often used in Catholic apologetics. 

While apologetics can be helpful in addressing misconceptions, Catholics should remember that God doesn’t restrict the truths of faith to history majors or theological experts. He reveals Himself to all who sincerely seek Him through contemplation of Word and Sacrament. Dogmas are not isolated historical facts, but theological statements that are interwoven into a larger tapestry of belief that reveals the interconnectedness of Catholic doctrines. Ecumenical discussions should not reduce theological truths into opposing points and counterpoints, missing the underlying unity of the faith. For centuries, the Catholic Church has articulated doctrines and dogmas, not to contain the truth or serve as ends in themselves, but to act as entry points into the deep mystery of faith—like “connect-the-dots” for someone still learning to draw. Catholics should avoid becoming hyper-focused on the “dots” themselves or isolating one from the others. In doing so, one runs the risk of missing their interconnectedness, as well as the “white space”—the deeper reality these doctrines point to, revealing the heart of the faith.

Ortlund’s critiques of Catholicism are primarily aimed at the Church as an institution, revealing the need for Catholics to emphasize the centrality of the sacraments in Catholic theology. For Ortlund, Scripture is preeminent; so even while he affirms the Real Presence of the Eucharist, it seems secondary—as something that is strongly encouraged but not strictly essential. In Catholic theology, however, the Sacrament is primordial: the Eucharist. At the heart of the Gospel is the Eucharistic offering that Christ instituted at the Last Supper and personally entrusted to the Apostles—a personal responsibility that has been preserved in apostolic succession. This means that the heart of the Church is not the “institution” itself, but the Sacrament that the institution is meant to serve. In the wake of the Apostolic response to Christ's commands at the Last Supper, the inspired Word of God began to take shape, rooted in early Christian liturgy. It is in the Sacrament that the catholicity—the universal unity—of the Church subsists. Only by Christ drawing men to Himself in the Eucharist can the gift of unity be bestowed on humanity; unity cannot simply arise through the “coming together of men” who profess a shared creed that is decided on their own terms. Ecumenical discussions can take place within the orbit, or unifying force, of the Eucharist, but they do not serve as a foundation for unity, which is already fully realized in Christ.

It’s no coincidence that Protestantism arose during a time when the relationship between sacrament and institution was severely strained within the medieval Church. This separation between the Church’s institutional authority and its sacramental life contributed to the conditions that led to the Reformation. The abuses of the time obscured the deeper sacramental reality at the heart of the faith—a disconnect that continues to shape Catholic-Protestant discussions today. Ultimately, Ortlund’s growing influence in apologetic spaces can serve as a reminder for Catholics to move beyond a “connect-the-dot” approach to religion and embrace a deeper, more contemplative faith. Mystagogy, though a crucial part of catechesis, is often neglected today. It is an intellectual engagement with faith that is rooted in contemplation, rather than in rigorous analysis. It invites a deeper and more personal encounter with God, marked by opening oneself to the mystery instead of needing to know all the answers. Returning to the understanding of a sacramental Church doesn’t mean abandoning doctrine or institutional authority, but enables us to see their deeper purpose: to guide us into the living mystery of God’s love. In the Eucharist, we encounter the very heart of the Gospel—the whole Person of Christ.