The Authority of Scripture and the Doctrine of Salvation in the Patristic Period (original) (raw)

The central issue in the Reformation, according to both Protestants and Catholics, was justification by faith. 1 Despite Catholics claiming to teach, as do Protestants

Two Opposite Gospels in the Adventist Church, 2014

, "that the whole of justification is the work of God's grace, " 2 there are five areas of difference on the issue of justification: (1) the meaning; (2) the basis; (3) the means; (4) the effect; and (5) the nature of sin and depravity. Ellen White says that Martin Luther clearly taught "justification by faith;" 3 it was central to the 1888 message and "is the third angel's message. " 4 "Seventhday Adventists see themselves as heirs of and builders upon the Reformation … teaching on justification by grace through faith alone. " 5 The Council of Trent (1545-1563) formulated the Roman Catholic Church's doctrine of justification, in opposition to the Reformers' teachings. To the question "How can a sinner stand before God's holy law in the judgment and be acquitted?" came two radically different answers. For the Reformers it was by being "declared righteous, " based on the finished work of Jesus. For the Council of Trent it was by being "made righteous, " through the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. According to Adventist pastor and former professor Dennis Priebe, "The gospel lies at the heart of Christianity, " and "there are two versions of the gospel being

Faith and Theology: Basic Insights of the Reformation in Ecumenical Debate

Since the beginnings of Christianity, there has been a fundamental tension between faith and theology (if theology is understood as a rational reflection of faith which is internally coherent and can be communicated in intersubjective discourse). The Reformation, with its principle of sola fide on the one hand and its institutionalisation of a Scripture-based academic theology on the other hand, drew particular attention to the tension between faith and theology and suggested new answers to that problem. That effort contributed to a fundamental transformation of academic theology within the faculties of Protestant Theology which emerged as a result of the movement. On the occasion of the anniversary of the Reformation, it is fitting to acknowledge the achievements of academic theology in the Reformers' tradition. In the past decades, however, academic theology has come under considerable pressure. In much of Europe and North America, the process of secularization has led to a massive decline in religious education and – partially as a reaction to this – to a trivialization of theology in many areas of Church life. Academic theology has been widely denounced as dogmatism and even obscurantism. This raises the question as to what extent academic theology itself has encouraged this rejection. At the same time, one can observe a global proliferation of evangelical and Pentecostal groups. These groups sometimes display a certain indifference towards academic theological training, or even reject it altogether, in an effort to defend the inspiration and inerrancy of the Holy Scriptures and to propagate a 'simple' faith instead. Generally speaking, an uncritical biblical hermeneutic seems to be proliferating around the world, and has even taken root in traditional academic institutions. It largely ignores the historical-critical methods of scriptural exegesis as developed by the western Enlightenment and sometimes replaces it with an insufficiently self-critical dogmatism and moralism, thereby disguising considerable claims to social control. The traditional Greater Churches (Großkirchen) which, under the influence of the Enlightenment, were inspired by an educational optimism have hitherto favoured the autonomy of the religious individual. They have, therefore, little to offer in opposition to the formation of antirationalist sets of spiritual values which aim at forming close-knit communities of believers and which are often characteristic of these evangelical and Pentecostal groups. They must, therefore, ask themselves to what extent the relationship between faith and theology as defined in the wake of the Reformation will in future continue to be religiously productive and may thus serve the churches and their congregations. By way of summary, the Wittenberg Conference wishes to reflect critically on the standards of academic theology and its current challenges from an ecumenical perspective. It proposes to do so in three hermeneutical steps:  The conference aims, first, to take stock of the worldwide impact of Protestant theology—its contents, standards, and methods—in various political, social, and religious contexts.

Ancient Discipline and Pristine Doctrine: Appeals to Antiquity in the Developing Reformation

M.A. Thesis in Theology (Church History), 2007

This thesis examines the changing attitudes of Protestants toward Church History. The primary evidence surveyed is statements made within major Protestant confessional documents, as well as the views of selected Reformers. By focusing on how Protestant confessions either quote the church fathers, or affirm continuity with the ancient creeds of the Church, this thesis presents a general overview of how some Protestants have related to Church History.