If you believe "SOLA FIDE" is unbiblical, can you remain a protestant?

[suupah]

I have a friend who finally came to the conclusion that being saved by “Faith Alone” is not biblical. She came to this conclusion after reasearching calvinism vs. armenianism. She discovered something called discipleship salvation.

But since Sola Fide is a pillar of the protestant faith, can one stay a protestant if they no longer believe Sola Fide?

 

[jmcrae]

I have a friend who finally came to the conclusion that being saved by “Faith Alone” is not biblical. She came to this conclusion after reasearching calvinism vs. armenianism. She discovered something called discipleship salvation.

But since Sola Fide is a pillar of the protestant faith, can one stay a protestant if they no longer believe Sola Fide?

You couldn’t remain in any of the Calvinist or Lutheran branches of Protestantism.

You could be some variety of Anglican or Methodist (including Holiness Pentecostal), though.

The best thing would be to become Catholic, of course.

 

[Ahimsa]

But since Sola Fide is a pillar of the protestant faith, can one stay a protestant if they no longer believe Sola Fide?

Sure. To be “Protestant” simply means that you protest. So you can protest against “Sola Fide”!

 

[Legal_Eagle]

But since Sola Fide is a pillar of the protestant faith, can one stay a protestant if they no longer believe Sola Fide?

The church of Christ (you know, the denomination that says they’re not a denomination) doesn’t accept Sola Fide. I think that just about the only thing that all Protestant denominations have in common is Sola Scriptura. Once you give that up, it’s Tiber swimmin’ time.

 

[Ahimsa]

The church of Christ (you know, the denomination that says they’re not a denomination) doesn’t accept Sola Fide. I think that just about the only thing that all Protestant denominations have in common is Sola Scriptura. Once you give that up, it’s Tiber swimmin’ time.

Methodists aren’t “sola scriptura”. John Wesley was heavily influenced by the Early Church Fathers and German Pietism.

 

[JohnnyReb]

Methodists aren’t “sola scriptura”. John Wesley was heavily influenced by the Early Church Fathers and German Pietism.

Wesley believed in the Wesleyan quadrilateral, although he did not explicitly say so himself. It has been constructed from scholars who have read his writings. Wesley believed that scripture was the foundation and cornerstone of faith. He said he was a man of one book, the Bible. He also believed in the other two braches of the Anglican triangle, reason and tradition. Wesley added experience to complete the quad.

Before deciding to become Catholic, I thought being Wesleyan would keep me Protestant. I could accept tradition in as far as it agreed with the Bible. But again, that is not better than sola scriptura. I could accept all traditions of the early church except those that supported Catholic doctrine. But what grounds did I have for making an arbitrary cut off? Do I get to pick and choose what traditions to accept and reject?

 

[Publisher]

Friends aren’t sola scriptura or sola fide.

 

[Syele]

sola fide is a pillar of the reformation not of Protestantism. The Remonstrants (Arminians) argued against the Reformers. Both Reformers and Remonstrants are Protestants.

You friend will have to join a Protestant Church that is not Calvinist if she wants to stay protestant. That would be a non-denominational church (have both Reformers and remonstrants in the same church), Methodist, Anglican etc.

 

[Zooey]

"suupah:

I have a friend who finally came to the conclusion that being saved by “Faith Alone” is not biblical. She came to this conclusion after reasearching calvinism vs. armenianism. She discovered something called discipleship salvation.

But since Sola Fide is a pillar of the protestant faith, can one stay a protestant if they no longer believe Sola Fide?

Sola Fide isn’t really a pillar of Protestantism. It’s a Calvinist view.
The real core belief is more like “grace alone”. Oddly, you rarely hear this…I think that we are all using the same word to mean different things, & different words to mean the same thing.

Methodists aren’t “sola scriptura”. John Wesley was heavily influenced by the Early Church Fathers and German Pietism.

And Eastern Orthodoxy…

Wesley believed in the Wesleyan quadrilateral, although he did not explicitly say so himself. It has been constructed from scholars who have read his writings. Wesley believed that scripture was the foundation and cornerstone of faith. He said he was a man of one book, the Bible. He also believed in the other two braches of the Anglican triangle, reason and tradition. Wesley added experience to complete the quad.

The Quadrilateral, as handy as I have found it for a way to explain myself, would probably have come as a surprise to John Wesley, just as you point out here. I suspect that Charles Wesley might well have rejected it altogether…
But its true, that Methodism is quite different from most Protestants in our recognition of other authorities than Scripture, most notably the ECFs.

 

[truthnlight]

I have a friend who finally came to the conclusion that being saved by “Faith Alone” is not biblical. She came to this conclusion after reasearching calvinism vs. armenianism. She discovered something called discipleship salvation.

But since Sola Fide is a pillar of the protestant faith, can one stay a protestant if they no longer believe Sola Fide?

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source Prot·es·tant (prŏt’ĭ-stənt) Pronunciation Key
n.
A member of a Western Christian church whose faith and practice are founded on the principles of the Reformation, especially in the acceptance of the Bible as the sole source of revelation, in justification by faith alone, and in the universal priesthood of all the believers.
A member of a Western Christian church adhering to the theologies of Luther, Calvin, or Zwingli.
One of the German princes and cities that supported the doctrines of Luther and protested against the decision of the second Diet of Speyer (1529) to enforce the Edict of Worms (1521) and deny toleration to Lutherans.
protestant also (prə-těs’tənt) One who makes a declaration or avowal

 

[O.S.Luke]

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source Prot·es·tant (pr?t’?-st?nt) Pronunciation Key
n.
A member of a Western Christian church whose faith and practice are founded on the principles of the Reformation, especially in the acceptance of the Bible as the sole source of revelation, in justification by faith alone, and in the universal priesthood of all the believers.
A member of a Western Christian church adhering to the theologies of Luther, Calvin, or Zwingli.
One of the German princes and cities that supported the doctrines of Luther and protested against the decision of the second Diet of Speyer (1529) to enforce the Edict of Worms (1521) and deny toleration to Lutherans.
protestant also (pr?-t?s’t?nt) One who makes a declaration or avowal

Pretty bad definition. That means that Anglicans and Methodists are not Protestants. Hmmm.

 

[suupah]

I guess i learn something new everyday! I always thought the three legged stool that protestantism stood upon was sola fide, sola scriptura and personal interpretation of scripture.

thanks.

 

[O.S.Luke]

I guess i learn something new everyday! I always thought the three legged stool that protestantism stood upon was sola fide, sola scriptura and personal interpretation of scripture.

thanks.

Scripture, reason, and tradition is the three-legged stool of Anglicanism. Methodism integrated experience to make a “quadrilateral.” Both models are more unofficial than official, but fairly accurate.

 

[Alexius]

At the “non-denominational” church my family to attended when I was very young, none of us had ever heard of the “Sola’s” or Luther or Calvin. They were all foreign to us. So not all “Protestants” accept the Sola’s…

Prayers and petitions,
Alexius

 

[Syele]

At the “non-denominational” church my family to attended when I was very young, none of us had ever heard of the “Sola’s” or Luther or Calvin. They were all foreign to us. So not all “Protestants” accept the Sola’s…

Prayers and petitions,
Alexius

This is very true. I had vaguely heard the name Luther and Calvin but didn’t know much about them until I studied them on my own. I learned of the 5 solas of the reformation the first time I was on CAF. (My registration date and posts were lost in the forum crash)