Thursday, February 17, 2011

And So Beware Innovation

The soundest and safest Christian reflection consists in "what you have received, not what you have thought up; a matter not of ingenuity, but of doctrine; not of private acquisition, but of public Tradition; a matter brought to you, not put forth by you, in which you must not be the author but the guardian, not the founder but the sharer, not the leader, but the follower."

-- Vincent of Lerins, quoted in Christopher Hall, Learning Theology with the Church Fathers (Intervarsity, 2002), 27.

2 comments:

Andrew Terry said...

This is so true. Really there is nothing new under the sun and Christ's revelation is final. The best advice I received about finding "new" insights is to double check the commentators. If you have thought of it so has someone else. The Body of Christ has its own quality control.

cjbooth85 said...

Wow I needed this today...too darn easy to infuse 'me' into what I am trying to say....silly me.