Within the very broad church of Protestantism (viewed as a single entity in the abstract) there are at least many dozens of denominations and many thousands of independent churches. This leads to the question, "why are there so many separated churches?".
In brief the answer appears to be the separate development of theologies based on independent interpretations of the Holy Scriptures**. That is to say, it comes down to Sola Scriptura* in practise rather than in theory. In practise sola scriptura means each person or group of persons ought to be able to interpret scripture for themselves applying reasonable rules of interpretation.
The rules of interpretation are derived from the practise of interpreting other documents, such as histories, poems, songs, other religious texts, and so on. In theory the scriptures are thought to be clear (perspicuous) and consistent. That is the theory but the practise is different.
In practise there appears to be ambiguity in the text of scripture and even a consistent application of the allegedly reasonable rules of interpretation does not resolve the ambiguity. And ambiguity leads to differences in interpretation. And differences in interpretation leads to differences in theological emphasis which leads to different doctrines. And different doctrines can lead to divisions that separate one group from another.
The divisions within Protestantism arose as soon as Protestantism itself arose. From the very beginning there were differences and divisions. The broad divisions that arose then persist to our own time. The Lutheran and Lutheran like churches differ from the Anabaptist and Anabaptist like churches which in turn differ from the Zwinglian and Zwinglian like churches, Calvinist and Calvinist like churches, Anglican and Anglican like churches, Baptist and Baptist like, Quaker and Quaker like, and so on through several dozen groupings.
So if this approach, that is to say if Sola Scriptura*, is sound and true then why are there so many denominations and independent churches in the broad abstract grouping that is regarded as Protestant?
Is Sola Scriptura the root cause of divisions among the churches which adhere to it as a founding principle?
* Sola Scriptura implies both the perspicuity and the consistency of the holy scriptures which implies that there is one message and one truth taught by the holy scriptures and that truth is discoverable through a reasonable interpretation of the Holy Scriptures taking into account the history of the scriptures, the way it was understood in ancient times and in the ancient cultures in which were composed. And the traditions that were present as the underlying interpretive framework of the languages in which the holy scriptures were composed.
** Holy Scripture is for Protestants the 66 books counted as canonical and present in the KJV (for example) and a number of Apocryphal books that are variously regarded as either valuable for teaching Christians good conduct and manners to live by, or as pseudepigraphical works that are of little value, and several views in between these two.
In brief the answer appears to be the separate development of theologies based on independent interpretations of the Holy Scriptures**. That is to say, it comes down to Sola Scriptura* in practise rather than in theory. In practise sola scriptura means each person or group of persons ought to be able to interpret scripture for themselves applying reasonable rules of interpretation.
The rules of interpretation are derived from the practise of interpreting other documents, such as histories, poems, songs, other religious texts, and so on. In theory the scriptures are thought to be clear (perspicuous) and consistent. That is the theory but the practise is different.
In practise there appears to be ambiguity in the text of scripture and even a consistent application of the allegedly reasonable rules of interpretation does not resolve the ambiguity. And ambiguity leads to differences in interpretation. And differences in interpretation leads to differences in theological emphasis which leads to different doctrines. And different doctrines can lead to divisions that separate one group from another.
The divisions within Protestantism arose as soon as Protestantism itself arose. From the very beginning there were differences and divisions. The broad divisions that arose then persist to our own time. The Lutheran and Lutheran like churches differ from the Anabaptist and Anabaptist like churches which in turn differ from the Zwinglian and Zwinglian like churches, Calvinist and Calvinist like churches, Anglican and Anglican like churches, Baptist and Baptist like, Quaker and Quaker like, and so on through several dozen groupings.
So if this approach, that is to say if Sola Scriptura*, is sound and true then why are there so many denominations and independent churches in the broad abstract grouping that is regarded as Protestant?
Is Sola Scriptura the root cause of divisions among the churches which adhere to it as a founding principle?
* Sola Scriptura implies both the perspicuity and the consistency of the holy scriptures which implies that there is one message and one truth taught by the holy scriptures and that truth is discoverable through a reasonable interpretation of the Holy Scriptures taking into account the history of the scriptures, the way it was understood in ancient times and in the ancient cultures in which were composed. And the traditions that were present as the underlying interpretive framework of the languages in which the holy scriptures were composed.
** Holy Scripture is for Protestants the 66 books counted as canonical and present in the KJV (for example) and a number of Apocryphal books that are variously regarded as either valuable for teaching Christians good conduct and manners to live by, or as pseudepigraphical works that are of little value, and several views in between these two.
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