Sola Scriptura: An Orthodox Analysis of the Cornerstone of Reformation Theology
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
Sola Scriptura offers an Orthodox analysis of a pillar of Protestantism: private interpretation of Scripture. Father John Whiteford argues that this doctrine is based on fallacies and explains the Orthodox approach to Holy Scripture. This text is no longer available in print, but can now become a valuable part of your Logos library.
- Presents an Orthodox viewpoint on the doctrine of sola Scriptura
- Analyzes Protestant ideas on study that don’t work from an Orthodox perspective
- Offers a Logos-integrated edition of a book otherwise out of print
- Why Scripture Alone?
- Problems with the Doctrine of Sola Scriptura
- It Is Based on False Assumptions
- The Doctrine of Sola Scripture Does Not Meet Its Own Criteria
- Protestant Interpretive Approaches That Don’t Work
- The Orthodox Approach to Holy Scripture
Top Highlights
“The Church as we know it was in place before the Bible as we know it was in place.” (Page 12)
“The Orthodox understanding, which had earlier prevailed in the West and which was preserved in the Orthodox Church, is basically that Tradition is in essence unchanging and is known by its universality, or catholicity. True Apostolic Tradition is found in the historic consensus of Church teaching. Find that which the Church has believed always, throughout history, and everywhere, and you will have found the Truth. If any belief can be shown not to have been received by the Church in its history, then this is heresy.” (Pages 20–21)
“Essentially all Protestant denominations believe that they rightly understand the Bible. And though they may disagree on what the Bible says, they generally do agree on how one is to interpret the Bible: on one’s own, apart from Church Tradition.” (Page 6)
“The primary purpose in the Church establishing an authoritative list of books which were to be received as sacred Scripture was to protect the Church from spurious books which claimed apostolic authorship, but were in fact the work of heretics, such as the ‘Gospel of Thomas.’” (Page 11)
“If Protestantism’s foundational teaching of sola Scriptura is of God, why has it resulted in the formation of over twenty thousand differing groups that can’t agree on basic aspects of what the Bible says, or even on what it means to be a Christian? If the Bible is sufficient apart from Holy Tradition, why can a Baptist, a charismatic, a Methodist, and even a Jehovah’s Witness all claim to believe what the Bible says, and yet no two of them agree on what it is that the Bible says?’” (Page 9)
Father John Whiteford serves as parish rector of St. Jonah Orthodox Church in Texas and is the author of Sola Scriptura.