Threaded Discussion #1_ Hermeneutics
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Feb 20, 2024
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PRIMARY QUESTION/ISSUE: According to Roman Catholicism there are two valid sources of
authority and interpretation: the Bible and Tradition. Moreover, when the Pope makes official pronouncements he is infallible. Why do Roman Catholics believe such things? What arguments do they use for their views and against the Protestant view of Sola Scriptura? What actually is the Protestant view of Sola Scriptura? How would a Protestant respond to the Catholic views? Submit an initial post wrestling with one or more of these issues and then respond to 2-3 other posts. Be sure that your main focus is on how Roman Catholics misinterpret Scripture to support
their doctrine. Why are they wrong hermeneutically? What Bible verses do they use?
Upon researching for this assignment I connected with one of my Catholic friends so that I could get a more hands-on approach to this discussion. For reference, I went to St. Mark Catholic Church in Clarkesville, Ga. Prior to joining my friend at his church service I prepared myself by researching some basic facts about this denomination that could help me create some questions for the interview I had scheduled with the priest.
Prior to the interview with the priest from St. Mark I researched some general information. To begin, the Catholic Church dates back to 30 AD therefore it has been active for a
long period of time. Over the centuries the Catholic Church has created and perfected traditions that they believe amplify the Word of God. One of the most significant traditions that Catholics participate in is the celebration of the Eucharist in every mass. Another tradition that Catholics partake in is the sacraments which are received in sequential order as one gets older. These sacraments are baptism, first communion, confirmation, marriage, or possibly ordination. Catholics partake in these sacraments in order to repurpose their faith, they do this in their words and actions that they also nurture so that they may strengthen their faith and ultimately reflect God’s image in everyday life. One of the most controversial traditions in the Catholic faith is that
Catholics often pray to Mary and the saints. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops this is a misunderstanding as onlookers only see what is going on at the surface
level. When a member of the Catholic Church is reaching out and praying to Mary or one of the saints they are searching for glory from God, as both Mary and the saints are a part of God’s Divine will. In a manner of speaking, God wants His followers to want to reach out to the saints and Mary to further enrich their relationship with God. Catholics support this ideology with a verse from 1 Corinthians, “there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I
have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you” (
English Standard Version
, 1 Cor. 12:20-21). Another benefit in the eyes of praying to a saint or Mary is that when they ask them to pray for them that their prayers to God are considered more fruitful. They believe that directly praying to God and Jesus is essential but that there is also importance in looking to other members of the spiritual body for help. They support this theology with a reference from James, “The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects” (James 5:16). Although there are many Catholic traditions these were just a few that I found that I thought were the most intriguing. With this newfound information I was able to walk into St. Mark’s confidently and start my research. During the mass I witnessed some of the things I had researched prior to attending which were the Eucharist and after mass confessions. Although I wasn’t completely surprised by the scenery or the environment of the church because of my past experiences in Mexico which is a Catholic dominant country. Ultimately, I thought experiencing a Catholic mass was quite interesting and educational as I love participating in different cultural experiences. After mass
my friend and I met with the priest to discuss some of the themes that this threaded discussion mentioned. My first question for father Angelo was how the Pope being considered infallible worked. He started his answer with asking me whether or not I believe that every human on earth
is sinless and I with full confidence said of course not, since human nature is inherently sinful as a result of the Fall. He responded with a smile and said that I was correct thus nobody is removed
from sinful nature except for Jesus thus, the Pope is also imperfect as he is not a part of the Trinity. He continued to tell me that the definition of infallibility is commonly misinterpreted by those who do not identify as Catholic. To further elaborate on the misinterpretation of infallibility father Angelo said that infallibility is not something that is solely designated for the Pope but rather something that is shared among the Bishops that are elected because of their ability to share the Word of God truthfully even if it means questioning some of the characteristics of Catholic theology. Essentially, Bishops help the Pope make decisions by coming together and sharing different points of view to not exclude certain ideas or methods thus, when combined the Pope and Bishops have a shared infallibility that does not exclude them
from sinful nature. Later on in the interview I asked Father Angelo how Catholics separate Bible and traditions when it comes to authority and interpretation. Father Angelo began by clarifying that Catholics believe that the Bible is infallible and inherent but that it is not the only way that God has revealed Himself. In Catholic theology it is believed that God has revealed himself through sacred tradition and what father Angelo described as the Magisterium of the Church which is basically the main educator of the Church. To put the relevance of sacred tradition and the Magisterium into perspective, Father Angelo brought up the subject of purgatory and how it is not referenced in the Bible but that the word “trinity” is not explicitly said in the Bible either. Furthermore, father Angelo discussed hermeneutics and how accurate interpretation of the Bible is essential in modern-day society where people have the tendency to inaccurently apply Biblical teachings to modern-day situations. Without any question he mentioned the Protestant Sola Scriptura and how even in Catholic beliefs there is some misinterpretation. For reference as described by GotQuestions.org the “sola scriptura means that Scripture alone is authoritative for the faith and practice of the Christian. The Bible is complete, authoritative, and true.” When I presented father Angelo with this definition he said that there is oftentimes a debate about whether or not Catholics should accept the Sola Scriptura as it is not found in the Bible but that ultimately there is always interpretations and elements that are not exclusively found in the Bible
that are valid and that the Sola Scriptura could very well be one of them. Although, father Angelo did not completely disregard the Sola Scriptura he did end this part of the interview by saying that scripture itself is infallible and should be held to a different degree in comparison to documents that were not exclusively found in the Bible. Ultimately from this interview I was able to access a more hands on approach to this discussion which I found to be more beneficial for me spiritually and culturally. I am certainly very appreciative that I was able to hear from a Catholic’s perspective on Biblical characteristics as it opened my mind to new ideas which allowed me to question my own beliefs and morals. To
summarize my actual threaded discussion response I would say that Catholics keep the Bible and
traditions in regards to authority and interpretation by putting scripture first and foremost and they use traditions as a way to interpret the Bible and keep the Word alive in everyday life. In accordance to the Pope’s infallibility this is a concept that is widely misunderstood as the Pope is
human and is still prone to sinful nature just as much as the average person but to reduce corrupt
human nature infallibility is a shared label amongst the Pope and his Bishops. Though the concept of infallibility is not one-hundred percent reliable I do appreciate how Catholicism still recognizes that each member of the Catholic Church is flawed and susceptible to sin. When it comes to the Sola Scriptura there is still heavy debate amongst Catholics when deciding if the document has any value in regards to scripture. Some of the most common reasons that Catholics
do not accept the Sola Scriptura are that it claims that Christians should not look to documents that are not infallible unless it is found exclusively in scripture and that the Sola Scriptura is not found in the Bible. The Protestant view of the Sola Scriptura is that its canon is full and it is completely authoritative just the way it is. I believe that the average Protestant would respond to Catholic beliefs by pointing fingers at some of the shortcomings of the Catholic Church. What I mean by this is that I have noticed that every religion is willing to point fingers at the flaws of other religions rather than look at their own shortcomings. Essentially, I think that a Protestant would mention the Catholic Apocrypha and how it was not written in the original scripture thus it is not infallible therefore the Catholic Bible is not the true Word of God. Among other things, a
Protestant would most likely bring up how Catholics pray to Mary and the saints rather than praying directly to God and that the tradition of daily Eucharist is not something supported by scripture. Catholics misinterpret the Bible by adding documents that were not God-intended thus they are not falliable. They support the Apocyrpha by believing that it holds historical and traditional value that can help connect scripture and tradition. However, during my interview with father Angelo he mentioned that in modern day Catholicism there has great debate about holding the Apocrypha to a lower standard than Scripture as it does hold some religious value but was not involved in the Bible exclusively. I found this interesting because the vast majority of Catholics still accept 73 books of the Bible in comparison to the 66 books of the Protestant Bible. When researching verses that are commonly used by Catholics when supporting the Apocrypha and they are Mark 4:22, Luke 8:17, and Colassians 2:3.
Upon researching for this assignment, I connected with one of my Catholic friends to get a more hands-on approach to this discussion. I went to St. Mark Catholic Church in Clarkesville, GA, for reference. Before joining my friend at his church service, I prepared by researching some basic facts about this denomination that could help me create some questions for the interview I had scheduled with the priest.
Before the interview with the priest from St. Mark, I researched some general information. The Catholic Church dates back to 30 AD and has been active for an extended period. Over the centuries, the Catholic Church has created and perfected traditions that they believe amplify the Word of God. One of the most significant traditions Catholics participate in is the celebration of the Eucharist in every mass. Another tradition Catholics partake in is the sacraments, which are received sequentially as one ages. These sacraments are baptism, first communion, confirmation, marriage, or possibly ordination. Catholics partake in these sacraments to repurpose their faith; they do this in their words and actions that they also nurture so that they may strengthen their faith and ultimately reflect God’s image in everyday life. One of the most controversial traditions in the Catholic faith is that Catholics often pray to Mary and the saints. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, this is a misunderstanding as onlookers only see what is happening at the surface level. When a member of the Catholic Church reaches out and prays to Mary or one of the saints, they are searching for glory from God, as both Mary and the saints are a part of God’s Divine will. In a manner of
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speaking, God wants His followers to want to reach out to the saints and Mary to enrich their relationship with God further. Catholics support this ideology with a verse from 1 Corinthians, “there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor
again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you” (
English Standard Version
, 1 Cor. 12:20-21). Another benefit of praying to a saint or Mary is that when they ask them to pray for them, their prayers to God are considered more fruitful. They believe that directly praying to God and Jesus is essential but that there is also importance in looking to other members of the spiritual body for help. They support this theology with a reference from James, “The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects” (James 5:16). Although there are many Catholic traditions, these were just a few that I thought were the most intriguing. With this newfound information, I was able to walk into St. Mark’s confidently and start my research. During the mass, I witnessed some of the things I had researched before attending, including the Eucharist and after mass confessions. Although I wasn’t shocked by the scenery or the environment of the Church because of my past experiences in Mexico, a Catholic-dominant country, there were some things that were noticed differently from my Church. Ultimately, I thought experiencing a Catholic mass was exciting and educational, as I love participating in different cultural experiences. After mass, my friend and I met with the priest to discuss some of the themes this threaded discussion mentioned. My first question for Father Angelo was how the Pope, being considered infallible, worked. He started his answer by asking me whether or not I believe that every human on earth is sinless, and I, with complete confidence, said of course not, since human nature is inherently sinful as a result of the Fall. He responded with a smile and stated that I was correct; thus, nobody is removed from sinful nature except for Jesus. Alas, the Pope is also imperfect, as he is not a part of the Trinity. He continued to tell me that the definition of infallibility is commonly misinterpreted by those who do not identify as Catholic. To further elaborate on the misinterpretation of infallibility, Father Angelo said that infallibility is not something that is solely designated for the Pope but rather something that is shared among the Bishops that are elected because of their ability to share the Word of God truthfully, even if it
means questioning some of the characteristics of Catholic theology. Essentially, Bishops help the
Pope make decisions by coming together and sharing different points of view in an effort to not exclude specific ideas or methods; thus, when combined, the Pope and Bishops have a shared infallibility that does not exclude them from sinful nature. Later in the interview, I asked Father Angelo how Catholics separate the Bible and traditions regarding authority and interpretation. Father Angelo clarified that Catholics believe that the Bible is infallible and inherent but that it is not the only way God has revealed Himself. In Catholic theology, it is believed that God has revealed himself through sacred tradition and what Father Angelo described as the Magisterium of the Church, which is the leading educator of
the Church. To put the relevance of sacred tradition and the Magisterium into perspective, Father
Angelo brought up the subject of purgatory and how it is not referenced in the Bible but that the word “trinity” is not explicitly said in the Bible. Furthermore, Father Angelo discussed hermeneutics and how accurate interpretation of the Bible is essential in modern-day society, where people tend to inaccurately apply Biblical teachings to modern-day situations. Without any question, he mentioned the Protestant Sola Scriptura and how, even in Catholic beliefs, there
is some misinterpretation. For reference, as described by GotQuestions.org, the “sola scriptura means that Scripture alone is authoritative for the faith and practice of the Christian. The Bible is
complete, authoritative, and true.” When I presented Father Angelo with this definition, he said that there is a constant debate about whether or not Catholics should accept the Sola Scriptura as
it is not found in the Bible but that, ultimately, there are always interpretations and elements that are not exclusively found in the Bible that are valid and that the Sola Scriptura could very well be one of them. Although Father Angelo did not wholly disregard the Sola Scriptura, he ended this part of the interview by saying Scripture itself is infallible and should be held to a different degree compared to documents not exclusively found in the Bible. Ultimately, from this interview, I was able to access a more hands-on approach to this discussion, which I found to be more beneficial for me spiritually and culturally. I appreciate that
I could hear from a Catholic’s perspective on Biblical characteristics as it opened my mind to new ideas that allowed me to question my beliefs and morals. To summarize my threaded discussion response, I would say that Catholics keep the Bible and traditions regarding authority and interpretation by putting Scripture first and foremost and using traditions to interpret the Bible and keep the Word alive in everyday life. In accordance with the Pope’s infallibility, this concept is widely misunderstood as the Pope is human and is still prone to sinful nature just as much as the average person. To reduce corrupt human nature, infallibility is a shared label amongst the Pope and his Bishops. Though the concept of infallibility is not one hundred percent
reliable, I do appreciate how Catholicism still recognizes that each member of the Catholic Church is flawed and susceptible to sin. Regarding the Sola Scriptura, there is still heavy debate amongst Catholics when deciding if the document has any value regarding Scripture. Some of the most common reasons that Catholics do not accept the Sola Scriptura are that it claims that Christians should not look to documents that are not infallible unless it is found exclusively in Scripture and that the Sola Scriptura is not found in the Bible. The Protestant view of the Sola Scriptura is that its canon is full and entirely authoritative, just the way it is. I believe that the average Protestant would respond to Catholic beliefs by pointing fingers at some of the shortcomings of the Catholic Church. What I mean by this is that I have noticed that every religion is willing to point fingers at the flaws of other religions rather than look at their shortcomings. Essentially, I think that a Protestant would mention the Catholic Apocrypha and how it was not written in the original Scripture; thus, it is not infallible; therefore, the Catholic Bible is not the true Word of God. Among other things, a Protestant would most likely bring up how Catholics pray to Mary and the saints rather than praying directly to God and that the tradition of daily Eucharist is not something supported by Scripture. Catholics misinterpret the Bible by adding documents that were not God-intended; thus, they are not fallible. They support the Apocrypha by believing it holds historical and traditional values that can help connect Scripture and tradition. However, during my interview with Father Angelo, he mentioned that in modern-day Catholicism, there is great debate about holding the Apocrypha to a lower standard than Scripture as it holds some religious value but was not involved in the Bible exclusively. I found this interesting because the vast majority of Catholics still accept 73 books of the Bible in comparison to the 66 books of the Protestant Bible. When researching verses commonly used by Catholics when supporting the Apocrypha, I found that these were frequently used: Mark 4:22, Luke 8:17, and Colassians 2:3.
[Note for both sections
: Imagine yourself as interacting in life and ministry with people, Roman Catholics and Protestants, who hold, or don't hold, to these beliefs. Be careful not to stereotype and think of continuums. Think of those you know or may know in the future. Perhaps you could contact a Roman Catholic or a Protestant acquaintance who is to the right or left of you, or check the beliefs of a nearby congregation? Remember the ancient words,
In essentials unity, in Non-Essentials Charity -- Dr. Nanfelt]
Initial post is due by Wednesday, and responses to 2-3 other students are due by Sunday. 100 points total. Begin by clicking on “Add a new discussion topic” below.
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