Supreme Authority of Scripture



			75th General Convention: June 13-21, 2006 in Columbus, OH

* FINAL VERSION - Concurred

Resolution D069
Title: Supreme Authority of Scripture
Topic: Bible
Committee: Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music
House of Initial Action: Bishops
Proposer: The Rev. Dr. Kendall Harmon (South Carolina)
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention acknowledge the authority of the triune God, exercised through Scripture.

EXPLANATION
The language of this resolution derives from paragraph 53 of the Windsor Report:
"Central among these [aspects of our common life] is scripture. Within Anglicanism, scripture has always been recognized as the Church's supreme authority, and as such ought to be seen as a focus and means of unity. The emphasis on scripture grew not least from the insistence of the early Anglican reformers on the importance of the Bible and the Fathers over against what they saw as illegitimate mediaeval developments; it was part of their appeal to ancient undivided Christian faith and life. The seventeenth and eighteenth century divines hammered out their foundations of "scripture, tradition and reason"; in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries we have seen the 'Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral', in which scripture takes first place….The Bible has always been at the centre of Anglican belief and life, embodied and exemplified by the fact that the reading and singing of scripture has always been at the centre of Anglican worship."
It has become too common in recent times among Episcopalians to hear that Anglicans believe in a three legged stool of Scripture, Tradition and Reason, an idea alleged to be derived from the thought of Richard Hooker. Richard Hooker does not use the image of the stool, however, and he defines the three sources of authority for the Church in a different order than the one often stated. Further, Hooker is quite clear that Scripture is the Church's supreme authority.
One also hears often today in The Episcopal Church that of the three sources of authority which Richard Hooker does mention, each of the sources is to be given equal weight. This false notion is rebuffed by this resolution, which allows us to reclaim our Anglican heritage in accordance with the Windsor Report.

* The final language, as well as the final status of each resolution, is being reviewed by the General Convention office. The Journal of the 75th General Convention and the Constitution and Canons will be published once the review process has been completed.