by Nick Becar

Created on: September 19, 2009   Last Updated: September 21, 2009

This is really a three part question. The area of doctrine is the principles, the framework if you will, of the faith. Moral laws are the interpretation of how we should live out those doctrines. Finally, ritual is the form of worship in which you practice the observance of your faith. These descend in importance from Doctrine, to application of Moral Law, and finally to the observance of Ritual, and accordingly the authority and scope of the bodies to whom it is given to establish these forms descend in importance and increase in specificity. For example, the question of the deity of Christ is an important issue of doctrine. Whether it is moral to partake of alcohol in moderation is a question of moral law. Whether one should sing only Psalms or include religious hymns from outside Scripture, or use a guitar and drums is a question of ritual. There are groups which have historically been the arbiters of each of these spheres of Christian life, and we will examine them in turn.

Within each of the latter two groups, some denominations leave more to discretion on the part of congregations and individuals, while others are more strict in their determinations. Note this article will deal with the question within the Protestant Church. While many Catholics will no doubt agree with many of the same conclusions, the emphasis on Apostolic Succession and the authority of the Pope in Catholicism lead to answers that are in many cases different for Roman Catholics.

Doctrine:

Doctrines of the faith can be thought of as having two sub groupings. For ease of reference, we can refer to them as Capital D and lowercase d doctrines-"Doctrine" and 'doctrines.'

Doctrine with a Capital D:

The Doctrine of the faith is the principles on which all Christians can agree. They are typically found in the generally recognized Creeds of the Faith, two of the oldest, most common and broadly accepted being the Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed. These Doctrines have been accepted throughout the history of the Church, and are not often changed. Interpretation of Scripture relating to Doctrines rests with ecumenical councils of the Church, representing the various denominations with a goal to establish the orthodoxy of the Church in ways that a Lutheran, a Methodist, a Baptist and a non-denominational or independent church can accept. These councils were often the means by which the Creeds were codified in the first place. A prime example would be the sinless nature of Christ. These Doctrines

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