Patristic Consensus

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gmsod
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
G

Gmsod

Guest
How many church fathers does it’s take to establish a reason to believe a doctrine? Say 70% of church fathers we have writing from about this subject say X is true but the other 30% say it is not. I have heard about unanimous consent of the fathers establishing tradition, but how many heretics would it take until the heretics were actually the right ones. Is it just decided by whichever wins the majority over time? Thanks.

GOD bless!
 
Last edited:
It’s not an acclamation by vote thing.
It’s the guidance of the Holy Spirit with the scholarship of theologians and Sacred Tradition working in concert.
 
Last edited:
Gmsod said:
How many church fathers does it’s take to establish a reason to believe a doctrine?
Click to expand...
Zero. Truth is true, and able to be reasoned, regardless of who believes/teaches it.
Gmsod said:
I have heard about unanimous consent of the fathers establishing tradition, but how many heretics would it take until the heretics were actually the right ones.
Click to expand...
No number/percent of heretics can change what is true. Heresy is heresy, not matter how many people accept it.
 
Thanks for the replies but I guess i should rephrase this: if you have two incompatible beliefs that trace back to the early church and continue on, how do you tell which one is true? If the Apostles themselves don’t say anything about it but their predecessors disagree, how would it be resolved? Would the minority just be deemed heretics and then when they become the majority suddenly be realized as true? (Obviously not but i don’t understand how to tell) thanks and GOD a bless!
 
No, it still has nothing to do with majority/minority. It boils down to what God established, and can only be resolved by His Word. Was there something specific you had in mind?
 
I guess that could work. My premise was if it wasn’t in scripture (or the apostles didn’t speak on it), then how do you decide what GOD is revealing?
Yeah, I’m not being very subtle I guess but both orthodoxes and Catholics have competing claims but when they refer to Fathers they seem to refer to contradicting ones. Maybe I’m just misinterpreting them. Do the fathers have a consensus on certain things or is even that debatable or are some just misquoting them? Thanks
For being patient.

GOD bless
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top