Prima scriptura

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Prima scriptura is a doctrine in Christian theology that says the Bible is "first" or "above all" sources of divine revelation.

Implicitly, this view acknowledges that, besides the Bible, there are other guides for what a Christian should believe, and how he should live, such as the created order, traditions, charismatic gifts, mystical insight, angelic visitations, conscience, common sense, the views of experts, the spirit of the times or something else. Prima scriptura suggests that ways of knowing or understanding God and his will, that do not originate from the Bible, are in a second place, perhaps helpful in interpreting Scripture, but testable by the Bible and correctable by it, if they seem to contradict Scripture.

1 Practical examples
2 Contrasted with sola scriptura
3 External links

[edit] Practical examples

[edit] Roman Catholicism

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear on the full equality of Scripture and Sacred Tradition: "Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honoured with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence." The primacy of scripture over Sacred Tradition is not an authoritative Roman Catholic teaching; on the contrary, the Church is very clear that the authority of Sacred Tradition is equal to that of Scripture.

Regardless, according to some sources, prima scriptura is the normative Catholic approach. Yves Congar referred to prima scriptura as the "normative primacy of Scripture" as he described the work of Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas. Pope John Paul II in an address to academics in 1986, said, "Theology must take its point of departure from a continual and updated return to the Scriptures read in the Church." This statement by the late pope has been taken by some as support for interpreting the Church's teaching in terms of the prima scriptura perspective.

While modern theologians may argue that prima scriptura is the de facto position of the Church, the de jure teaching of the Church is that Scripture and Sacred Tradition are equal authorities.

[edit] The Wesleyan Quadrilateral

Another version of the prima scriptura approach may be the Wesleyan Quadrilateral, which maintains that Scripture is to be the primary authority for the Church, but that it is properly interpreted through the lens of Church tradition, reason, and one's personal experience. But the Bible still remains the crucial and normative authority for Christians.

[edit] Others

Additionally, the Quaker concept of the Inner light, the Pentecostal / Charismatic views of the Holy Spirit, the Mormon doctrine of the Spirit of Prophecy and the Jehovah's Witnesses Watchtower, each may be examples of the prima scriptura approach.

Others may not be as formal as these in their identification of other sources of revelation, alongside of Scripture, but speak frequently of God "speaking to", "guiding", and "telling" the believer to do or to believe specific things. If the believer treats these communications as subordinate to the Bible, leaving them open to question if they contradict the Scriptures, their practice might be described as an example of prima scriptura.

[edit] Contrasted with sola scriptura

Prima scriptura is sometimes contrasted to sola scriptura, which literally translates "by the scripture alone". The latter doctrine as understood by many Protestants teaches that only the Scriptures govern faith and practice, but that the Scriptures' meaning can be mediated through many kinds of secondary authority, such as antiquity, the councils of the Christian Church, reason, and experience.

However, sola scriptura rejects any original authority, other than the Bible. In this view, all secondary authority is derived from the authority of the Scriptures and is therefore subject to reform when compared to the teaching of the Bible. Church councils, preachers, Bible commentators, private revelation, or even a message allegedly from an angel or an apostle are not an original authority alongside the Bible in the sola scriptura approach.