Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition
As taught in the Catholic tradition
The dual modes of transmission of the single deposit of the Word of God.
In the Catholic tradition, the fundamental question regarding Divine Revelation is not simply "What does the Bible say?" but rather "How does God continue to speak to His people through the living Word?" For the Catholic, Divine Revelation is not a static collection of ancient documents or a closed system of philosophical propositions. Instead, it is the personal self-communication of God, reaching its definitive fullness in the Person of Jesus Christ—the Logos made flesh. The subtopic of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition answers the vital question of how this "Deposit of Faith" (depositum fidei) is preserved, transmitted, and interpreted throughout the ages without being corrupted or lost to the whims of historical contingency.
By the end of this lesson
- **Identify** the single source of Divine Revelation and the two distinct modes (Scripture and Tradition) by which it is transmitted to the faithful.
- **Distinguish** between "Sacred Tradition" (Apostolic Tradition) and "human traditions" (ecclesial customs) which can change over time.
- **Explain** the role of the Magisterium (the Church's teaching authority) in authentically interpreting the Deposit of Faith.
- **Articulate** the Catholic response to the doctrine of *Sola Scriptura*, using both biblical and historical arguments.
- **Trace** the development of the biblical canon, demonstrating how the Church's Tradition was necessary to identify the inspired books of Scripture.
- **Defend** the necessity of a "living" interpretation of the Word of God as opposed to a purely historical-critical or fundamentalist approach.
- **Apply** the principles of *Dei Verbum* to personal and communal Scripture study, ensuring a reading that is "in the heart of the Church."
- **Compare** the Catholic understanding of the "Word of God" (as a Person) with the common misconception that it refers exclusively to the printed Bible.
Scripture
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