Rule of Faith


The rule of faith is the name given to the ultimate authority or standard in religious belief. It was used by Early Christian writers such as Tertullian. The phrase is sometimes used for early creeds.

Meaning

As a standard for adherence to orthodoxy, rule of faith originally referred to the Old Roman Symbol, which was an earlier and shorter version of the Apostles' Creed and other later statements of faith. As a historical standard for adherence to orthodoxy, rule of faith may also refer to other statements of faith including the Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, Augsburg Confession, Articles of Dort, Westminster Confession and others, the inner light of the spirit, as among mystics.
The rule of faith is the name given to the ultimate authority or standard in religious belief, such as the Word of God as contained in Scripture and Apostolic Tradition, as among Catholics; theoria, as among the Eastern Orthodox; the Sola scriptura, as among some Protestants; the Wesleyan Quadrilateral of faith, which held that Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience, as among other Protestants; and reason alone, as among Rationalist philosophers.

Second century usage

The original rule of faith in the Early Christian Church as Irenaeus knew it, included:
On The Apostolic Preaching by St. Irenaeus p. 41 "Therefore, lest we suffer any such thing, we must keep the rule of faith unswervingly…" the footnote: A common expression in Irenaeus, designating the [model of faith which is received in baptism, and which epitomizes the "order and connection of the Scriptures." Cf. Note to Dem. 1; AH 1:8 1–10:3.

Third century usage

uses the phrases "rule of faith" and "rule of truth" in On Prescription Against Heretics:

Catholic usage

in Humani generis uses the term analogy of faith to say that Holy Scripture should be interpreted according to the mind of the Church, not that the teaching of the Church and Fathers should be interpreted by some theorised norm of the Scriptures.
In the Catholic Church, the Bible and sacred tradition are considered a rule for all believers for judging faith and practice. The current Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "all that has been said about the manner of interpreting Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgement of the Church which exercises the divinely conferred commission and ministry of watching over and interpreting the Word of God
The Baltimore Catechism used the phrase "rule of faith":
In Verbum Domini, Pope Benedict XVI wrote:

Protestant usage

In some Protestant theology, it is a hermeneutical rule of interpreting the Bible that scripture is to interpret scripture. It is an understanding that enforces the Bible as the inspired Word of God, and it is therefore consistent and coherent since God cannot contradict himself.

Orthodox usage

The Troparion for Saint Nicholas extols him as a rule of faith, a pastoral living standard.
You were revealed to your flock
as a measure of faith.
You were the image of humility
and a teacher of self-control.
Because of your humble life,
heaven was opened to you.
Because of your poverty,
spiritual riches were granted to you. O holy Bishop Nicholas
we cry out to you:
Pray to Christ our God
that our souls may be saved.