`#QUICKTHEOLOGICALFACTS THE SOURCES OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES There are four major sources of Christian doctrines that most churches identify with. These include the Holy Scriptures, the tradition of the Church, reason and religious experience. Most evangelicals only acknowledge the Holy Scriptures as the invariable source of doctrine although the other three can be utilized as additional tools. Evangelicals are of the view that the Holy Scriptures (the Bible) is the ultimate and final court of appeal for all matters of Christian faith, conduct, doctrine and lifestyle. Hence, a Christian theologian/preacher/teacher/pastor must fully rely on the Bible to formulate any Christian teaching. Catholics on the other hand believe that Christian teachings can be formulated from both the Bible and the tradition of the Church. i. THE HOLY SCRIPTURES To evangelicals and especially Pentecostals, theology is not just an academic exercise, it is a spiritual activity generated by a desire to hear what God is saying to us through His Word today, by the help of the Holy Spirit. Pentecostals approach the Bible to hear God’s Word afresh. The Bible is the ultimate court of appeal for all matters of Christian faith, and as such a Pentecostal relies on the Bible to influence how he lives his life on earth in order to please God his Creator, Redeemer and Father. ii. THE TRADITION OF THE CHURCH The tradition of the Church is the teaching of the Church in history through the creeds and other historic confessions whose source is the Bible. At this level evangelicals also rely on the creeds and confessions in receiving guidance for formulation of Christian doctrines. The Catholic view of the tradition of the Church differs with the evangelical view in the sense that Catholics hold the tradition of the Church at the same level of authority as the Bible. Hence, in Catholic circles a doctrine that has been embraced in history for a long time is accepted as part of the Church even if it may not have biblical support. It must be noted that by relying on the historical developments of Christian doctrines we avoid delving into the same errors that men of old plunged themselves into. iii. REASON While reason has a role to play in formulating Christian doctrines it cannot be relied upon as an authoritative aspect for matters of faith. When we say reason we are talking about the philosophical aspects in matters of Christian faith. I want to agree with Gaybba (1984:112) when he contends that Philosophy plays a part in defining terms clearly, analysing the logical relationship between statements and concepts, and clarifying the rule governing debate as well as those concerning the application of human language to the sphere of the divine. It must be noted that while Christian faith goes far beyond reason it does not work against it. Faith does go far beyond reason, having access to truths and insights of revelation. Reason plays a role of building upon what is known by revelation; exploring what its implications might be. It is in this sense that theology is defined as a science; it involves rational discipline, the use of rational methods to build upon what is known by revelation. Reason in itself is inadequate, although it is not possible to believe without engaging the mind. iv. RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE Human experience of God may provide a foundational resource concerning the process of formulating Christian Theology. Religious experience begins with the actual experience of God and attempts to find the doctrines identified by that experience in Scripture. This approach is very subjective as it lacks a proper criterion for measuring the validity of that experience. Many Christians who identify themselves as belonging to the Pentecostal/Charismatic renewal movements have often used this approach to formulate doctrines and practices. #JPCNTUNTU
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 20:12:50 +0000