Fundamental Articles (theology)
Fundamental articles was a term employed by early Protestant theologians, who wished to distinguish some essential parts of the Christian faith from non-essential doctrines. There were then a number of reasons for establishing such a distinction. Individual churches might accept or reject parts of doctrine, without forfeiting their claim to rank as parts of the universal Church. Therefore theologians might find a dogmatic basis for union between separated churches. Also, the arguments of Catholics could be answered in a polemical way.
Catholic attacks on this concept have been based on the argument that it is incoherent.
Read more about Fundamental Articles (theology): Sixteenth Century, Knott and Potter, Calixt, Bossuet and Jurieu, Waterland, Catholic View
Famous quotes containing the words fundamental and/or articles:
“What is wanted—whether this is admitted or not—is nothing less than a fundamental remolding, indeed weakening and abolition of the individual: one never tires of enumerating and indicting all that is evil and inimical, prodigal, costly, extravagant in the form individual existence has assumed hitherto, one hopes to manage more cheaply, more safely, more equitably, more uniformly if there exist only large bodies and their members.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“A dwarf who brings a standard along with him to measure his own size—take my word, is a dwarf in more articles than one.”
—Laurence Sterne (1713–1768)