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Tradition:
Catholic Definition:
1. It's the RCC alone and exclusively that determines what Tradition is:
"It is the Authoritative Voice of the Catholic Church which determines what is to be accepted and rejected as Tradition." The Handbook of the Catholic Faith, page 151
2. It's the RCC itself alone that determines the meaning of this Tradition that it itself alone chooses.
"The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living, teaching office of the [Catholic] Church alone. This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the bishop of Rome." Catholic Catechism # 85
3. This "Tradition" as the RCC alone has chooses and as the RCC itself alone interprets, is not accountable to God's Scriptures but is EQUAL and supplemental to it.
"The [Catholic] Church does not derive its certainty about truth from the holy Scriptures alone. But both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments." Catholic Catechism # 82
"Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium (the Bishops) of the [Catholic] Church are so connected and associated that one of them cannot stand without the other. Working together, they all contribute...." Catholic Catechism # 95
Realize, too, that this Holy Scripture which is equal to the Tradition as the RCC itself alone as chosen as it itself alone interprets, is....
"Scripture is written principally in the heart of the [Catholic] Church rather than in documents or records, for the [Catholic] Church carries in its Tradition the living memory... ' Catholic Catechism # 113
In Catholicism, there are 3 equal "streams" of revelation: Tradition (dogmas taught by Jesus and the Apostles, much of which the Holy Spirit chose not to include in Scripture), Scripture (not the words so much as the meaning that the RCC alone knows) and Leadership of the singular, individual RCC. These "three legs of the stool" or "three streams" flow into ONE "river" - which is the Truth and is both the source and norm for all Christian truth. The 3 are fully interconnected, so that what is in one MUST be in all 3 (even if by pure implication that only the RCC can "see") since all are divine revelation. So if the Magisterium said something in 1904, that MUST be taught in Scripture since all 3 stools agree with each other.
This fundamental concept of "hidden dogmas" is key to the Catholic understanding of Tradition. It is typically called "Apostolic Tradition" because the claim is that the Apostles all taught these dogmas. The RCC is honest to admit there is zero evidence for this, the claim is not at all historical, but is a belief.
And it must be appreciated that all 3 legs of the stool or 3 streams are - essentially - the RCC itself. It's the anti-thesis of ecumenical.
Protestant Definition:
Anglicans, Lutherans, and sometimes Methodist and Reformed Protestants speak of "tradition" in several way:
1. It refers to the historic, ecumenical, consensus of God's people (the oikos of God), especially (but not exclusively) regarding the interpretation and application of Scriptures. This if often held in very high esteem, but at least a tad under God's written words, the Bible (as indeed Protestants tend to regard the words of men as under the Word of God). Examples would be the Apostles and Nicene Creeds. Lutherans hold that the Scriptures were not given to any individual person or denomination... or even generation... but to US, the whole church, the whole people of God, and so Tradition (capitol T) is ecumenical and historic.
2. The historic, consensus and generally official teachings of the specific theological community. In Lutheranism, we call this type of Tradition, "Confessions." This is not ecumenical since it may be distinctive to a faith community (such as Lutheran or Reformed or Anglican). For example, the "Lutheran Confessions" (the Book of Concord), the Reformed Confessions. The Lutheran Book of Concord (unchanged since 1580 - with no additions, revisions, developments or expansions) begins with the 3 ecumenical creeds - in a category unto themselves, then addresses the Lutheran Confessions.
3. The historic and broadly accepted customs and practices of God's people - which may be ecumenical or perhaps more limited in terms of time or community. Especially worshipping on Sundays is an example of this kind of tradition (usually a lower case "t" is used here).
- Josiah
.
Catholic Definition:
1. It's the RCC alone and exclusively that determines what Tradition is:
"It is the Authoritative Voice of the Catholic Church which determines what is to be accepted and rejected as Tradition." The Handbook of the Catholic Faith, page 151
2. It's the RCC itself alone that determines the meaning of this Tradition that it itself alone chooses.
"The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living, teaching office of the [Catholic] Church alone. This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the bishop of Rome." Catholic Catechism # 85
3. This "Tradition" as the RCC alone has chooses and as the RCC itself alone interprets, is not accountable to God's Scriptures but is EQUAL and supplemental to it.
"The [Catholic] Church does not derive its certainty about truth from the holy Scriptures alone. But both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments." Catholic Catechism # 82
"Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium (the Bishops) of the [Catholic] Church are so connected and associated that one of them cannot stand without the other. Working together, they all contribute...." Catholic Catechism # 95
Realize, too, that this Holy Scripture which is equal to the Tradition as the RCC itself alone as chosen as it itself alone interprets, is....
"Scripture is written principally in the heart of the [Catholic] Church rather than in documents or records, for the [Catholic] Church carries in its Tradition the living memory... ' Catholic Catechism # 113
In Catholicism, there are 3 equal "streams" of revelation: Tradition (dogmas taught by Jesus and the Apostles, much of which the Holy Spirit chose not to include in Scripture), Scripture (not the words so much as the meaning that the RCC alone knows) and Leadership of the singular, individual RCC. These "three legs of the stool" or "three streams" flow into ONE "river" - which is the Truth and is both the source and norm for all Christian truth. The 3 are fully interconnected, so that what is in one MUST be in all 3 (even if by pure implication that only the RCC can "see") since all are divine revelation. So if the Magisterium said something in 1904, that MUST be taught in Scripture since all 3 stools agree with each other.
This fundamental concept of "hidden dogmas" is key to the Catholic understanding of Tradition. It is typically called "Apostolic Tradition" because the claim is that the Apostles all taught these dogmas. The RCC is honest to admit there is zero evidence for this, the claim is not at all historical, but is a belief.
And it must be appreciated that all 3 legs of the stool or 3 streams are - essentially - the RCC itself. It's the anti-thesis of ecumenical.
Protestant Definition:
Anglicans, Lutherans, and sometimes Methodist and Reformed Protestants speak of "tradition" in several way:
1. It refers to the historic, ecumenical, consensus of God's people (the oikos of God), especially (but not exclusively) regarding the interpretation and application of Scriptures. This if often held in very high esteem, but at least a tad under God's written words, the Bible (as indeed Protestants tend to regard the words of men as under the Word of God). Examples would be the Apostles and Nicene Creeds. Lutherans hold that the Scriptures were not given to any individual person or denomination... or even generation... but to US, the whole church, the whole people of God, and so Tradition (capitol T) is ecumenical and historic.
2. The historic, consensus and generally official teachings of the specific theological community. In Lutheranism, we call this type of Tradition, "Confessions." This is not ecumenical since it may be distinctive to a faith community (such as Lutheran or Reformed or Anglican). For example, the "Lutheran Confessions" (the Book of Concord), the Reformed Confessions. The Lutheran Book of Concord (unchanged since 1580 - with no additions, revisions, developments or expansions) begins with the 3 ecumenical creeds - in a category unto themselves, then addresses the Lutheran Confessions.
3. The historic and broadly accepted customs and practices of God's people - which may be ecumenical or perhaps more limited in terms of time or community. Especially worshipping on Sundays is an example of this kind of tradition (usually a lower case "t" is used here).
- Josiah
.
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