In the controversy that followed the posting of Luther’s 95 theses in 1517, it is readily apparent Luther and his opponents are vast distances from one another on the question of interpretive authority. Luther’s opponents agreed with him on the infallibility or inerrancy of Scripture (the nature of being free from error) and its authority, … Continue reading Luther’s Sola Scriptura Part 1 – Inerrancy and Authority
Tag: Reformation
Central to Luther's doctrine of Scripture was the claim that Scripture was clear; from this doctrine of the clarity (or perspicuity) of Scripture came Luther's method of interpretation (or hermeneutic). Because the clarity of Scripture is a property of the text itself on account of God’s authorship, Luther’s primary hermeneutical approach is prayerful mediation upon … Continue reading Luther’s Hermeneutic
Buy from Amazon In the section Structures of Authority in his essay, The Problem of Authority in the Church, Carl E. Braaten argues that the Reformation was catholic in the way it viewed the relationship between Scripture and the church. Braaten argues beforehand that the church needs a way to identify and denounce heresy; to … Continue reading Some Thoughts on Braaten and Jenson, The Catholicity of the Reformation