Have You Ever Talked Theology with a Roman Catholic?
As a Protestant, you might have found yourself frustrated in such conversations. When you ask a Catholic where a particular belief is found in Scripture, and they can’t point to chapter and verse, you might feel like you’ve cornered them. Surely, they must either prove their belief biblically or abandon it, right? Once you demonstrate that something isn’t in the Bible, you might think the discussion is over—you’ve won!
The Three-Legged Stool
Not so fast. Catholics operate with a different framework of authority. Unlike Protestants, who hold to sola Scriptura (the belief that the Bible is the sole inspired and ultimate authority), Catholics embrace a three-legged stool of authority: Sacred Scripture (the Bible), Sacred Tradition (unwritten tradition), and the Magisterium (the teaching authority of the Church). Each leg is considered authoritative and inspired by God. The Magisterium, as one leg, interprets both Scripture and Tradition infallibly.
The Catholic Dilemma
However, Catholic theology recognizes some tension in understanding how Divine Revelation was transmitted by the apostles. There are two theories about the relationship between Scripture and Tradition, neither of which has been dogmatically defined. The key question is: Did the apostles transmit all Divine Revelation in the Bible, or is some of it preserved in unwritten Tradition? Catholics often point to 2 Thessalonians 2:15, where Paul writes, “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.”
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Partim-Partim
One theory is the partim-partim view, which holds that Divine Revelation is transmitted partly through Scripture and partly through Tradition. Neither is complete on its own. For instance, while Christ’s teachings in the Sermon on the Mount are found in the Bible, doctrines like the Marian Dogmas (e.g., Mary’s perpetual virginity and Assumption) are found in unwritten Tradition. This approach represents a significant departure from the Protestant emphasis on Scripture alone.
Material Sufficiency
The alternative view is the material sufficiency theory, which posits that all Divine Revelation is contained in Scripture, either explicitly or implicitly. Tradition, in this view, is necessary for correctly interpreting and articulating what is already present in Scripture. For example, some Catholics argue that the Assumption of Mary can be seen in scriptural typology, such as the imagery of the Ark of the Covenant in Revelation 12:1, where the Ark is interpreted as a type of Mary.
Catholic Apologetics and Material Sufficiency
Many Catholics who hold to material sufficiency engage in doctrinal debates with Protestants by appealing to Scripture as the foundational source of doctrine. Tradition, in this context, serves to clarify and expand on Scripture. This approach is common among Catholic apologists today.
Official Roman Catholic Teaching
The Catholic Church’s official position, as articulated in Dei Verbum (a document from the Second Vatican Council), is that both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal devotion and reverence. Together, they form a single sacred deposit of the Word of God, which the Church is tasked with preserving, interpreting, and transmitting. However, Dei Verbum does not explicitly endorse either the partim-partim or material sufficiency view, leaving room for Catholics to adhere to either theory.
Conclusion
While Protestants and Catholics both affirm the importance of Scripture, Catholics place equal emphasis on Tradition and the Magisterium. This results in a different understanding of authority and how doctrine is derived. Whether one leans toward partim-partim or material sufficiency, the Catholic Church insists that Scripture and Tradition are intimately connected, forming one sacred deposit of the Word of God. So, Next time you cannot figure out why your Catholic buddy is not swimming to this side of the Tiber (a fun way to say “convert” to a Catholic or vice-versa), this could be it.
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