''Nuda scriptura'', also called ''solo scriptura'', meaning "bare scripture" is a term used by some

Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

to describe the view that scripture is the only rule of faith to the exclusion of all other sources, while in contrast, '' sola scriptura'' teaches that the scripture alone is infallible, without excluding church tradition and other sources entirely, but viewing them as subordinate and ministerial.

History

A view similar to ''nuda scriptura'' was advocated by

Sebastian Franck Sebastian Franck (20 January 1499 Donauwörth, Swabia – c. 1543 Basel, Switzerland) was a 16th-century German freethinker, humanist, and radical reformer. Biography Franck was born in 1499 in Donauwörth, Swabia. Because of this he styled hims ...

, even arguing that the early Church theologians were servants of the Antichrist. ''Nuda scriptura'' was taught by a few Anabaptists such as Conrad Grebel and some

radical reformers The Radical Reformation represented a response to corruption both in the Catholic Church and in the expanding Magisterial Protestant movement led by Martin Luther and many others. Beginning in Germany and Switzerland in the 16th century, the Ra ...

, insisting that Christians should not look to tradition but to the Scripture alone. However, many radical reformers did not argue for ''nuda scriptura'', including Balthasar Hubmaier, who often quoted the Church fathers in his writings. Some

Evangelicals Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...

and many Plymouth Bretheren also teach views comparable to ''nuda scriptura''. The view is especially common within modern fundamentalism. In the 12th century,

Petrobrusians Petrobrusians were a 12th century sect that rejected infant baptism, Catholic mass, veneration of the cross and prayers for the dead. Petrobrusians are sometimes identified as a precursor to the reformation. Teachings In the system of Peter of ...

Peter of Bruys Peter of Bruys (also known as Pierre De Bruys or Peter de Bruis; ''fl.'' 1117 – c.1131) was a medieval French religious teacher. He was called a heresiarch (leader of a heretical movement) by the Roman Catholic Church because he opposed in ...

and Henry of Lausanne disputed the authority of the Church Fathers and the Roman Catholic Church.

Restorationist Restorationism (or Restitutionism or Christian primitivism) is the belief that Christianity has been or should be restored along the lines of what is known about the apostolic early church, which restorationists see as the search for a purer a ...

minister Alexander Campbell (1788–1866) also taught a view akin to ''nuda scriptura''.

References

{{Reflist, 2 Christian theology of the Bible Christian terminology

History

See also

References