A Novel Doctrine? An Evaluation of Sola Scriptura in Patristic and Medieval Thought

Abstract

This thesis examines the question of historical continuity between the sixteenth century Protestant Reformers and patristic/medieval theologians relative to the doctrine of sola scriptura. This principle, that the canonical scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were the highest and final authority for matters of the Christian faith, became one of the major points of conflict between Roman Catholics and the emerging Protestant movement. This study will evaluate primary source material spanning the patristic period to the late Middle Ages to determine if sola scripture was a novel invention of Martin Luther and his fellow Protestants, or if it had been a known and accepted principle prior to the Reformation. It will be argued that the although the doctrine became a source of controversy during the Reformation, it was in fact an established and little contested principle throughout the preceding fifteen hundred years.