PRIMA SCRIPTURA

'''Prima scriptura''' is a doctrine that says canonized scripture is "first" or "above all" sources of divine revelation.
Implicitly, this view acknowledges that, besides canonized scripture, there are other guides for what a believer 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 canonized scripture, are in a second place, perhaps helpful in interpreting Scripture, but testable by the canon and correctable by it, if they seem to contradict Scripture.

Contents

Practical examples

Roman Catholicism

Wesleyan Quadrilateral

Others

Contrasted with ''sola scriptura''

References

External links

Practical examples

Roman Catholicism

The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' is clear on the total equality of Scripture with Catholic tradition: "Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honoured with ''equal sentiments of devotion and reverence''" (emphasis added).^[1] 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.

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. According to the United Methodist Church, which adheres to this notion:

Others

Additionally, the Quaker concept of the Inner light, the Pentecostal / Charismatic views of the Holy Spirit and the Mormon doctrine of the ''Spirit of Prophecy'', 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''.

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—particularly Evangelicals—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.

References

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External links

★ The Tradition Temptation: Why we should still give Scripture pride of place by Roger Olson (Baptist)