Scripture and tradition
- S07.1 Scripture the supreme and sufficient norm of doctrine, read within the apostolic rule of faith; unwritten customs honoured (Basil) but not a second source of doctrine (medium–high)
- S07.2 Split: Hebrew canon plus books ‘read’ (Athanasius, Cyril) vs. wider canon (Augustine, Carthage) (medium)
- S07.3 Interpretation within the apostolic churches’ rule of faith and their councils; no single infallible office (medium)
From the study it came from: Largely agree: Scripture supreme, interpreted in the church; neither measure supports a second co-equal source of doctrine or an infallible single office.
Two separate measures, shown side by side; neither is combined with the other (confidence-weighted, out of 4; counts show how many of this doctrine's 3 questions each rests on). This doctrine is second-order (tier weight 2). How scoring works · Scripture and tradition · Glossary · Every score with its citation
Closeness to Scripture
Closeness to the fathers
Charts: closeness to the fathers by question, and timeline
- c. 180 Irenaeus S07.1
- c. 180 Irenaeus S07.3
- c. 205 Tertullian S07.3
- c. 335 Athanasius S07.1
- c. 335 Athanasius S07.2 · fathers varied
- c. 350 Cyril of Jerusalem S07.1
- c. 350 Cyril of Jerusalem S07.2 · fathers varied
- c. 370 Basil S07.1
- c. 415 Augustine S07.2 · fathers varied
- c. 434 Vincent of Lérins S07.1
- c. 434 Vincent of Lérins S07.3
- 1577 Formula of Concord Lutheran
- 1646 Westminster Confession Presbyterian
- 1646 Westminster Confession Reformed Baptist
- 1672 Confession of Dositheus Orthodox
S7 · Scripture and tradition
Sola scriptura, or Scripture with tradition and magisterium; canon.
Tier: Second-order (scoring weight 2). How the tiers were set: theological triage. Site structure: structure.
Questions
- S07.1 Supreme and sufficient norm (was
scripture-and-tradition/C1) - S07.2 Canon (was
scripture-and-tradition/C2) - S07.3 Rule of faith and interpretation (was
scripture-and-tradition/C3)
Verdicts and trace
S07.1 · Supreme and sufficient norm
| Question | Verdict | Confidence | Reasoning | Key sources | Scripture (benchmark) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S07.1 | Scripture the supreme and sufficient norm of doctrine, read within the apostolic rule of faith; unwritten customs honoured (Basil) but not a second source of doctrine | Med–high | S07.1.1 · S07.1.3 weighing | irenaeus-sct-s1 · athanasius-sct-s1 · cyril-of-jerusalem-sct-s1 · basil-sct-s1 · vincent-of-lerins-sct-s1 | S07.1.4: medium-high |
S07.2 · Canon
| Question | Verdict | Confidence | Reasoning | Key sources | Scripture (benchmark) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S07.2 | Split: Hebrew canon plus books ‘read’ (Athanasius, Cyril) vs. wider canon (Augustine, Carthage) | Medium | S07.2.1 · S07.2.3 weighing | athanasius-sct-s3 · cyril-of-jerusalem-sct-s2 · augustine-sct-s1 | S07.2.4: low-medium |
S07.3 · Rule of faith and interpretation
| Question | Verdict | Confidence | Reasoning | Key sources | Scripture (benchmark) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S07.3 | Interpretation within the apostolic churches’ rule of faith and their councils; no single infallible office | Medium | S07.3.1 · S07.3.3 weighing | irenaeus-sct-s3 · tertullian-sct-s1 · vincent-of-lerins-sct-s2 | S07.3.4: medium |
Post-750 development
Which of this doctrine’s questions each tradition stays closest to, or departs from. Each row links to the tradition’s notes.
| Tradition | Closest to the fathers on | Departs or sharpens on |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | partly S07.1; partly S07.2; S07.3 | partly S07.3 |
| Orthodox | S07.1; partly S07.2; S07.3 | — |
| Oriental Orthodox | S07.1; partly S07.2; S07.3 | — |
| Lutheran | partly S07.1; partly S07.2; partly S07.3 | — |
| Anglican | S07.1; partly S07.2; S07.3 | — |
| Presbyterian | partly S07.1; partly S07.2; partly S07.3 | — |
| Reformed Baptist | partly S07.1; partly S07.2; S07.3 | partly S07.3 |
| General Baptist | S07.1; partly S07.2; partly S07.3 | — |
| Anabaptist | S07.1; partly S07.2; S07.3 | partly S07.1; partly S07.3 |
Origin
Plan, overall verdict and verification status of the former scripture-and-tradition category (shared with the other doctrines that came from it)
Scripture and tradition: canon and authority
Method and conventions: docs/conventions.md. Reasoning: scripture-and-tradition reasoning. Traditions’ sources: confessional sources.
1. Plan
Questions: C1 is Scripture the supreme norm, or co-equal with unwritten tradition?; C2 the Old Testament canon (Hebrew canon or the wider canon); C3 who interprets Scripture: rule of faith, councils, an infallible office? Scripture: 2 Tim 3:15–17; 2 Thess 2:15; Jude 3; Acts 15; Acts 17:11; Gal 1:8; Luke 24:44; Rom 3:2. Fathers: Irenaeus, Against Heresies III.1–4; Tertullian, Prescription; Athanasius, Festal Letter 39; Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechesis 4; Basil, On the Holy Spirit 27; Augustine, Christian Doctrine II.8; Vincent of Lérins, Commonitory 2. Traditions: Trent IV and Vatican I (Catholic); Dositheus 2 (Orthodox); Formula of Concord Epitome (Lutheran); Articles VI, XX and XXI (Anglican); WCF I (Presbyterian); 1689 ch. 1; Orthodox Creed 37–39; Dordrecht V. Developmental questions: none.
2. Verdicts and trace
Weighed under the source-proximity principle: Scripture first, then the father tiers T1–T4.
3. Post-750 development
4. Overall verdict
C1: the fathers treat Scripture as the supreme and sufficient norm, read within the apostolic rule of faith. On Scripture, the traditions that make it the only norm of doctrine while receiving the creeds (Anglican, General Baptist) fit both measures best. C2 is split in the fathers, and Scripture’s evidence leans toward the Hebrew canon. C3: interpretation within the churches’ rule and councils; papal infallibility lacks early support.
5. Verification status
Trent IV, Dositheus 2, Vatican I, WCF I.3/I.6/XXXI.4 and the Formula of Concord wording are quoted from standard editions but were not rechecked in this pass (WCF I.10 and 1689 1.1 were). Orthodox Creed 37’s book list and art. 39 are to verify.