Beyond “two source theory” and “sola scriptura”: ecumenical perspectives on scripture and tradition

R Moss

doi:10.4314/actat.v35i2.5

Abstract

A major source of doctrinal dispute between Catholicism and Protestantism over the centuries has revolved around the relationship between Scripture and Tradition. Does Scripture as the source of Revelation stand alone as in sola scriptura or does Scripture need to be interpreted and understood within the tradition from which it emerged and by which it should be understood. The Constitution, Dei Verbum, promulgated by the Second Vatican Council and the two Protestant Conferences held almost contemporaneously at Oberlin and Montreal suggest a possible convergence beyond the impasse. Protestantism needs to acknowledge the importance of tradition in biblical interpretation while Catholicism having effectively abandoned the two source theory of revelation needs criteria to distinguish between authentic tradition closely linked to scripture and an inauthentic tradition.

Highlights

Avery Dulles provides the thesis for which this paper will argue, that is, that both the standard pre- Vatican II Catholic two- source theory of revelation and the classical Protestant sola Scriptura position are untenable
Dulles argues: Since Vatican II and Montreal there has been a growing ecumenical consensus to the effect that both the ‘two-sources’ theory of Counter- Reformation Catholicism and the sola Scriptura formula of reformation Protestantism are unsatisfactory. Against the former position it is argued that Scripture and tradition are not two distinct
As Dei Verbum, two remarkable Protestant conferences took place which dealt with themes analogous to those being debated in Rome, that is, Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Avery Dulles provides the thesis for which this paper will argue, that is, that both the standard pre- Vatican II Catholic two- source theory of revelation and the classical Protestant sola Scriptura position are untenable. Dulles argues: Since Vatican II and Montreal there has been a growing ecumenical consensus to the effect that both the ‘two-sources’ theory of Counter- Reformation Catholicism and the sola Scriptura formula of reformation Protestantism are unsatisfactory. Against the former position it is argued that Scripture and tradition are not two distinct. Contemporaneous with the debates on Dei Verbum, two Protestant conferences took place, one at Oberlin, Ohio (1963) and the other at Montreal (1963) The former was a Consultation for Church Unity and the latter the Fourth World Conference on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches. The paper will assess the possible ecumenical implication of these significant developments

SCRIPTURE AND TRADITION IN THE EARLY CHURCH

SCRIPTURE AND TRADITION AND THE REFORMATION

TRENT AND TRADITION

OBERLIN AND MONTREAL ON TRADITION

DEI VERBUM ON SCRIPTURE AND TRADITION

CONCLUSION