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class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Two principles that help in defining and understanding theology of Christian tradition</div> <p><b>Formal principle</b> and <b>material principle</b> are two categories in <a href="/wiki/Christianity" title="Christianity"> Christian</a> <a href="/wiki/Theology" title="Theology">theology</a> to identify and distinguish the authoritative source of theology (formal principle) from the theology itself, especially the central doctrine of that theology (material principle), of a <a href="/wiki/Religion" title="Religion">religion</a>, religious movement, tradition, body, <a href="/wiki/Religious_denomination" title="Religious denomination">denomination</a>, or organization. A <b>formal principle</b> tends to be texts or revered leaders of the religion, while a <b>material principle</b> is its central teaching. <a href="/wiki/Paul_Tillich" title="Paul Tillich">Paul Tillich</a> believed the identification and application of this pair of categories in theological thinking to have originated in the 19th century.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> As early as 1845 the Protestant theologian and historian <a href="/wiki/Philip_Schaff" title="Philip Schaff">Philip Schaff</a> discussed them in his <i>The Principle of Protestantism</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> They were utilized by the Lutheran scholar F. E. Mayer in his <i>The Religious Bodies of America</i> in order to facilitate a comparative study of the faith and practice of <a href="/wiki/Christian_denomination" title="Christian denomination">Christian denominations</a> in the <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This is also treated in a theological pamphlet entitled <i>Gospel and Scripture</i> by the Commission on Theology and Church Relations of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="F.E._Mayer's_findings"><span id="F.E._Mayer.27s_findings"></span>F.E. Mayer's findings</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Formal_and_material_principles_of_theology&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: F.E. Mayer's findings"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Eastern_Orthodoxy">Eastern Orthodoxy</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Formal_and_material_principles_of_theology&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Eastern Orthodoxy"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><b>Formal Principle</b> – the <a href="/wiki/Bible" title="Bible">Bible</a> and the "sacred tradition."<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><b>Material Principle</b> – Jesus Christ's work of <i>theopoiesis</i> or <i><a href="/wiki/Theosis_(Eastern_Orthodox_theology)" class="mw-redirect" title="Theosis (Eastern Orthodox theology)">theosis</a></i> (θέωσις), the ultimate deification of man. They cite <a href="/wiki/Athanasius_of_Alexandria" title="Athanasius of Alexandria">Athanasius of Alexandria</a> from his <i>Incarnation of the Word</i>: "Christ assumed humanity that we might become God."<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Roman_Catholicism">Roman Catholicism</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Formal_and_material_principles_of_theology&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Roman Catholicism"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><b>Formal Principle</b> – the <a href="/wiki/Bible" title="Bible">Bible</a>, Tradition, Reason,<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> the <a href="/wiki/Pope" title="Pope">Pope</a>, and the <a href="/wiki/Magisterium" title="Magisterium">Magisterium</a>.</li> <li><b>Material Principle</b> – "Man's soul, since it comes directly from God, is good and strives for reunion with God, realized in the beatific vision of God. Man's body is subject to sin and is alienated from God. Therefore man must be progressively justified, i.e., be made just. This result is effected when through the sacraments man enters into the 'state of grace' and observes the commandments which the church... by her 'divine commission,' imposes upon the 'faithful.'"<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Lutheranism">Lutheranism</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Formal_and_material_principles_of_theology&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Lutheranism"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><b>Formal Principle</b> – the <a href="/wiki/Bible" title="Bible">Bible</a> alone (<i>sola Scriptura</i>)<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><b>Material Principle</b> – "a synopsis and summary of the Christian truth" that people are justified by God's grace through faith in Christ alone.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Anglicanism">Anglicanism</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Formal_and_material_principles_of_theology&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Anglicanism"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><b>Formal Principle</b> in general—The <a href="/wiki/Bible" title="Bible">Bible</a>, the authority of the church, and reason.<sup id="cite_ref-Mayer-276_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mayer-276-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Specifically, for individuals of different <a href="/wiki/Churchmanship" title="Churchmanship">churchmanship</a>:</li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li>Low Church—the <a href="/wiki/Bible" title="Bible">Bible</a> as the only source and the all sufficient norm of religious truth.<sup id="cite_ref-Mayer-276_11-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mayer-276-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>High Church – "doctrinal authority rested successively in Christ, in the teaching church, in the Scriptures, and in the councils." This is called the <i>consensus fidelium</i> ("agreement of the faithful").<sup id="cite_ref-Mayer-276_11-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mayer-276-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Broad Church—along with the <a href="/wiki/Bible" title="Bible">Bible</a> and the <i>consensus fidelium</i> is included "God's self-disclosure in the religious and moral development of the human race as a whole, in the religion of Israel, the person of Christ, and the life of His mystical body, the church."<sup id="cite_ref-Mayer-276_11-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mayer-276-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul></dd></dl> <ul><li><b>Material Principle</b>:</li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li>Low Church – "the doctrine of God's grace which faith apprehends without the addition of human works."<sup id="cite_ref-Mayer-276_11-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mayer-276-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>High Church—the worship of the church and <a href="/wiki/Apostolic_succession" title="Apostolic succession">apostolic succession</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Broad Church—a life which conforms to the ethical teachings of Jesus.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul></dd></dl> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Zwinglianism">Zwinglianism</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Formal_and_material_principles_of_theology&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Zwinglianism"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><b>Formal Principle</b> – the <a href="/wiki/Bible" title="Bible">Bible</a> and direct revelation from the Holy Spirit.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><b>Material Principle</b> – absolute divine causality.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Calvinism">Calvinism</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Formal_and_material_principles_of_theology&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Calvinism"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><b>Formal Principle</b> – the <a href="/wiki/Bible" title="Bible">Bible</a> as the sole standard of all truth (<i>sola scriptura</i>).<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><b>Material Principle</b> – sinful man is justified by faith alone (<i>sola fide</i>).</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Methodism">Methodism</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Formal_and_material_principles_of_theology&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Methodism"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><b>Formal Principle</b> – the <a href="/wiki/Bible" title="Bible">Bible</a>, reason, teachings of the ancient church.<sup id="cite_ref-Mayer-289_17-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mayer-289-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><b>Material Principle</b> – the perfected man, i.e. entire sanctification.<sup id="cite_ref-Mayer-289_17-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mayer-289-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Footnotes">Footnotes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Formal_and_material_principles_of_theology&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Footnotes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Paul Tillich, <i>A History of Christian Thought from Its Judaic and Hellenistic Origins to Existentialism</i>, Carl E Braaten, ed., (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1967), 280</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Philip Schaff, <i>The Principle of Protestantism as Related to the Present State of the Church</i>, John W Nevin, trans., (Chambersburg, PA: Publication Office of the German Reformed Church, 1845), 54–94.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">FE Mayer, <i>The Religious Bodies of America</i>, 4th ed, (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing 1961), <i>passim</i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFSynod" class="citation web cs1">Synod, The Lutheran Church-Missouri. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://files.lcms.org/">"LCMS Document Library"</a>. <i>files.lcms.org</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2022-02-24</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=files.lcms.org&rft.atitle=LCMS+Document+Library&rft.aulast=Synod&rft.aufirst=The+Lutheran+Church-Missouri&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Ffiles.lcms.org%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFormal+and+material+principles+of+theology" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Mayer (1961), p. 11.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Mayer (1961), p. 13. Cf. also, <i>On the Incarnation</i> 54:3, p. 25:192B.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Mayer (1961), p. 40.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Mayer (1961), p. 47.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Mayer (1961), p. 144.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Mayer (1961), p. 144–47.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Mayer-276-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Mayer-276_11-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Mayer-276_11-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Mayer-276_11-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Mayer-276_11-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Mayer-276_11-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Mayer (1961), p. 276.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Mayer (1961), pp. 276–77.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Mayer (1961), p. 277.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-14">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Mayer (1961), p. 201–3.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Mayer (1961), p. 203.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-16">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Mayer (1961), p. 207.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Mayer-289-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Mayer-289_17-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Mayer-289_17-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Mayer (1961), p. 289.</span> </li> </ol></div></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?useformat=desktop&type=1x1&usesul3=0" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Formal_and_material_principles_of_theology&oldid=1189968314">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Formal_and_material_principles_of_theology&oldid=1189968314</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Systematic_theology" title="Category:Systematic theology">Systematic theology</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Christian_terminology" title="Category:Christian terminology">Christian terminology</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Christian_theology_of_the_Bible" title="Category:Christian theology of the Bible">Christian theology of the Bible</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_with_empty_Wikidata_description" title="Category:Short description with empty Wikidata description">Short description with empty Wikidata description</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 15 December 2023, at 03:31<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. 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