
Why I Left the Catholics, and How We Misunderstand Them - Stephen Russell
From Anabaptist Perspectives by Anabaptist Perspectives
April 16, 2026 · 1h 14m · Episode 315
About this episode
Stephen Russell discusses his journey from Roman Catholicism to Anabaptism, highlighting key doctrinal differences and misunderstandings about Catholic theology.
Stephen Russell was raised a Roman Catholic and had ambitions of becoming a priest but ultimately left and joined the Anabaptists. In this episode, he explains the key doctrines that caused him to leave and where the Catholic church got several important points wrong. Mr. Russell explains some of the core Catholic beliefs, such as prayer to the saints and the Eucharist, while also showing how we oftentimes misunderstand key points of Catholic theology. "The Nicene Creed Guards the Bedrock of Our Faith" The Creed in the Ausbund This is the 315th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought. Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured content! Join us on Patreon or become a website partner to enjoy bonus content! Visit our YouTube channel or connect on Facebook . Read essays from our blog or listen to them on our podcast, Essays for King Jesus Subscribe on your podcast provider of choice Support us or learn more at anabaptistperspectives.org . The views expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anabaptist…
People in this episode
Guest: Stephen Russell
Topics covered
- Catholicism
- Anabaptism
- theology
- doctrinal differences
- misunderstandings
- faith
- religious beliefs
Keywords
- Catholic Church
- Eucharist
- prayer to saints
- Nicene Creed
- Anabaptist beliefs
- theological misunderstandings
- religious conversion
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Anabaptist Perspectives, Wellspring Mennonite Church, Roman Catholic, Anabaptists
Books & works: The Nicene Creed, the Ausbund
More episodes of Anabaptist Perspectives
- I Was Born Hindu in India’s Lowest Caste. The Gospel Brings Persecution. - Markus Meena · June 11, 2026 · 1h 15m
- What’s Actually Worth a Church Split? We Need Theological Triage - Paul Lamicela · June 4, 2026 · 51 min
- We Need Catechesis! Quit Baptizing People Before They Are Ready! - Stephen Russell · May 28, 2026 · 1h 4m
- I Was the Result of Abuse. God Gave Me Purpose and Helped Me Forgive My Biological Dad - Grant Bontrager · May 21, 2026 · 54 min
- Is the World Actually Getting Better? - Jaran Miller & Marlin Sommers · May 14, 2026 · 56 min
- The Human Way God Gave Us the Bible. What About the Apocrypha? - Stephen Russell · May 7, 2026 · 1h 41m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Anabaptist Perspectives podcast page.