Sola Scriptura: Hindrance or catalyst for church unity?

Abstract

In the Reformed tradition sola Scriptura remains a central tenet in the search for truth.Scripture bears witness to the variety of ways in which God has acted in history. It attests to God’s presence in the world and how God transcends the boundaries of human creations. The article focuses on how the Bible is interpreted differently by Christians from various traditions and even amongst Christians of the same tradition. Different hermeneutical approaches, confessional traditions and cultural contexts lead to different conclusions. Especially with regard to controversial ethical issues, different approaches to biblical reasoning lead to greatly differing results. The article reflects on whether sola Scriptura could provide a key to addressing both diversity and ethics more adequately.

Keywords

• World Communion of Reformed Churches
• Global Network of Theologians
• sola Scriptura
• unity and diversity
• hermeneutical premises
• confessional traditions
• cultural contexts
• diversity and ethics