evangelicals/ catholics NOT together

The new issue of Christianity Today arrived in the mail this week. It contains an article titled "Not all Evangelicals and Catholics Together." The article explores the renewed debate on justification between the two facets of the faith.

It brought to mind something I have long tried to comprehend. Despite my play-acting on this blog, I am no theologian and I have a difficult time grasping the nuiansces between Protestant and Catholic views of salvation. I am hoping to give a brief sketch of my thoughts here and the I will stand back and wait for some of my friends (Adam, Doc, Aaron) to weigh in on the matter and set me straight!

I think this is an important issue because I sense that the two sides see the issue more differently than the vast majority of people realize. I also think its important because we need to understand what is believed in each camp to make sound judgments regarding who is a (duh,duh,duh) heretic. Through the years each side has accussed the other of being outside the true faith. I am undecided on the issue of whether or not I think Catholicism is unbiblical. Dialogue here may help sway me one way or the other.

I have a rudimentary understanding of this...

In Protestant theology, we are saved by grace alone thru faith alone in Christ alone. That is determined to mean that by God's grace, Christ died and took our sin upon himself for punishment, then he rose from the grave after conquering death and "imputed" his righteousness to us as a holy covering. In this imputation he doesn't just forgive us for being dirty as we stand before him dirty - he actually washes us and declares that we were never dirty. This declaration is the "justification" of our soul before the Father as worthy to be in his family. Its a one time deal, many Protestants can refer to that moment of "justification" in their life when they were "saved" by God...in obedient response to Christs work they expressed their faith.

So, everything that is done in Protestant soteriology is done by Christ, we have no part to play in our "justification" other than subsequent, declaratory, affirmation of what has been done for us . Afterwards, as we still live out our mortal drama, we stand as "justified sinners" - relying upon the Holy Spirit to guide our lives into a more Christ-like model. This is explained as "santification." Finally, upon our death, we come into the presence of God and all affects of sin are removed as we become wholy clean, in body and spirit, before the Father. That is our "glorification." Thus is my understanding of the basics regarding Protestant salvation.

On the other hand, I understand the Catholic view to be that Chirst does remove our sin on the cross and then he "infuses" his righteousness to us. That is, he doesn't give us his holiness that we might be seen in Gods eyes as pure as he is, he gives us his power to cooperate with God's grace. Here is why so many Catholics are accussed of seeing salvation as being of "faith and works."

This means, at least as I get it, that justification is not a one time deal. Catholics run justification and sanctification together. I think that they would argue that we are never declared pure before God until after our death - when we have finished a life of divine cooperation and when we have been purged of the last bit of our sin.

I wonder if I understand the Catholic view correctly - they say they espouse "salvation by grace alone thru faith alone," but the teaching of cooperation with grace as a necessity for salvation appears to contradict that view. If you have to cooperate, thats an addition to grace/ faith - a "Jesus plus______" position on getting saved.

SO...

Where did I get it wrong, in either view, and how can I better understand this issue?