Church
First Church of Christ, Scientist
Church of Christ, Scientist · Fairbanks: a neutral profile of what this congregation describes about its beliefs.
Where to find them
Public details for this congregation.
TraditionChurch of Christ, ScientistAbout →
Sourcing statusTradition default
Beliefs on file227 positions
Statement of faithNot on file
Where they stand
Each position below is labelled by how it was sourced, so you can weigh it for yourself.
VerifiedConfirmed by the church
From their statement of faithEstimated, not verified
Tradition defaultEstimated, not verified
God & the Trinity
- Arian Son First CreatureStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe Son is the first and highest created being, brought into existence by the Father before all else, and therefore had a beginning.Estimated, not verified
- Exhaustive Foreknowledge FutureAffirmsTradition defaultGod infallibly and exhaustively knows the entire future, including all future free choices, as settled certainties.Estimated, not verified
- God ExistsStrongly affirmsTradition defaultA personal God who is the creator and sustainer of all things truly exists, independent of human belief.Estimated, not verified
- God Immaterial SpiritStrongly affirmsTradition defaultGod is an immaterial spirit, without a physical body of any kind.Estimated, not verified
Show 12 more in God & the Trinity
- God Is Love EssentiallyStrongly affirmsTradition defaultLove is essential to who God is in himself, grounded in the eternal love among the persons of the Trinity, not merely something God does toward creatures.Estimated, not verified
- God Responds To PrayerStrongly affirmsTradition defaultGod genuinely hears and responds to petitionary prayer, sometimes acting differently than he otherwise would have.Estimated, not verified
- HomoousiosStrongly rejectsTradition defaultThe Son is of the very same essence (consubstantial) as the Father, not merely of a similar essence.Estimated, not verified
- OmnipotenceStrongly affirmsTradition defaultGod is omnipotent: able to do anything that is logically possible and consistent with his nature.Estimated, not verified
- OmnipresenceStrongly affirmsTradition defaultGod is fully present everywhere in his being, not merely in knowledge or power.Estimated, not verified
- OmniscienceStrongly affirmsTradition defaultGod knows all true propositions, including all of the actual past and present, exhaustively.Estimated, not verified
- One God NumericallyStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThere is exactly one God, numerically a single divine being.Estimated, not verified
- Persons Not ModesStrongly affirmsTradition defaultFather, Son, and Spirit are genuinely distinct persons, not merely three modes, masks, or roles of a single person.Estimated, not verified
- Spirit Is Impersonal ForceStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe Holy Spirit is God's active power or influence, not a distinct divine person.Estimated, not verified
- Three Persons One Essence BalanceRejectsTradition defaultThe three persons are fully equal in deity, power, and glory, with no person greater or lesser than another in being.Estimated, not verified
- The TrinityStrongly Non-Trinitarian (e.g. Oneness)Tradition defaultEstimated, not verified
- Trinity Three PersonsStrongly rejectsTradition defaultThe one God exists eternally as three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.Estimated, not verified
Christ
- Bodily Resurrection Same BodyStrongly affirmsTradition defaultJesus rose bodily in the same (transformed) body that was crucified.Estimated, not verified
- Christ Retains Humanity ForeverRejectsTradition defaultThe Son remains permanently incarnate: he retains a glorified human nature forever.Estimated, not verified
- Christ Was SinlessStrongly affirmsTradition defaultJesus committed no sin during his life.Estimated, not verified
- Faith In Christ Alone RequiredStrongly affirmsTradition defaultRight relationship with God comes specifically through Jesus Christ and not through any other name/mediator.Estimated, not verified
Show 18 more in Christ
- Father Son Spirit One Person ModesStrongly rejectsTradition defaultFather, Son, and Spirit are one single person manifesting in three modes or roles.Estimated, not verified
- Fully Human Real BodyStrongly affirmsTradition defaultJesus had a complete, real human body of flesh.Estimated, not verified
- Hypostatic Union One PersonStrongly affirmsTradition defaultDeity and humanity are united in one single person (hypostasis) in Christ.Estimated, not verified
- Jesus Called God DirectlyStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe New Testament directly identifies Jesus as "God" (e.g. John 1:1; 20:28; Titus 2:13).Estimated, not verified
- Jesus Is YhwhStrongly affirmsTradition defaultJesus Christ is identified with the LORD (YHWH) of Israel.Estimated, not verified
- Mary TheotokosRejectsTradition defaultMary may rightly be called "Theotokos" (God-bearer / Mother of God) because the one she bore is God.Estimated, not verified
- Son A Created BeingStrongly rejectsTradition defaultThe Son was created/originated by God and is therefore a creature, however exalted.Estimated, not verified
- Son Distinct Person From FatherStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe Son is a distinct divine person from the Father (not merely a mode or role of one person).Estimated, not verified
- Son Homoousios With FatherStrongly rejectsTradition defaultThe Son is "of the same essence" (homoousios) as the Father, not merely of a similar essence.Estimated, not verified
- Son Is Fully GodStrongly affirmsTradition defaultJesus Christ is fully and truly God, sharing the one divine essence with the Father.Estimated, not verified
- Son Personally Pre ExistentStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe Son existed as a divine person before his human birth, prior to and apart from creation.Estimated, not verified
- Son Proper Object Of WorshipStrongly affirmsTradition defaultJesus is rightly given the worship due to God.Estimated, not verified
- Son Subordinate In EssenceStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe Son is essentially/ontologically subordinate to the Father (lesser in being, not merely in role).Estimated, not verified
- There Was When Son Was NotStrongly rejectsTradition defaultThere was a state or "time" in which the Son did not exist.Estimated, not verified
- Titles Lord Son Of God Imply DeityRejectsTradition defaultThe titles given to Jesus ("Lord," "Son of God," "Word") connote true deity, not merely a high human office.Estimated, not verified
- Two Natures After UnionStrongly affirmsTradition defaultAfter the incarnation Christ exists "in two natures," divine and human, each retaining its own properties.Estimated, not verified
- Union At Conception Not LaterRejectsTradition defaultThe union of divine and human in Christ occurred at the moment of conception, not at a later point such as baptism.Estimated, not verified
- Virgin ConceptionStrongly affirmsTradition defaultJesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary, without a human father.Estimated, not verified
Sin & the fall
- Adams Sin Brought Physical DeathStrongly affirmsTradition defaultPhysical death entered the human race as a consequence of Adam's sin; humans were not originally subject to death.Estimated, not verified
- Evil Arises From Creaturely FreedomAffirmsTradition defaultMoral evil arises necessarily from the gift of genuine creaturely free will, which God could not give without the possibility of its misuse.Estimated, not verified
- Fall Historical EventStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThere was a real, primeval historical event ("the Fall") in which the first humans disobeyed God and lost an original state of integrity.Estimated, not verified
- Fall Symbolic Of Human ConditionStrongly rejectsTradition defaultThe Genesis Fall narrative is best read as a symbolic or mythic depiction of the universal human condition, not a report of a singular past event.Estimated, not verified
Show 9 more in Sin & the fall
- Historical Adam EveStrongly affirmsTradition defaultAdam and Eve were real, historical individuals from whom humanity descends.Estimated, not verified
- Original Sin RealStrongly affirmsTradition defaultAdam's first sin has real, inherited consequences for all his descendants (an "original sin"), not merely a bad example.Estimated, not verified
- Satan Real Personal AgentStrongly affirmsTradition defaultSatan is a real, personal spiritual being who tempts and opposes God, not merely a symbol or personification of evil.Estimated, not verified
- Sin Became Human Substance FlacianRejectsTradition defaultAfter the Fall sin is so deep that it has become the very substance/essence of fallen human nature.Estimated, not verified
- Sin Is Primarily Relational BreachLeans toward affirmingTradition defaultSin is most fundamentally a rupture of relationship/covenant with God and neighbor, more than law-breaking or substance-corruption.Estimated, not verified
- Sin Is Transgression Of LawStrongly affirmsTradition defaultSin is fundamentally the transgression of God's law/command (an offense against a divine standard).Estimated, not verified
- Sin Is Ultimately Self Idolatry PrideAffirmsTradition defaultThe root of all sin is pride / inordinate self-love (turning from God to self).Estimated, not verified
- Sin Requires Voluntary ActAffirmsTradition defaultProperly speaking, something counts as sin only if it is voluntary (chosen knowingly and willingly).Estimated, not verified
- Sin Total In Degree Perfectionism DeniedRejectsTradition defaultNo one in this life (apart from special exception) is wholly free from sin; the regenerate continue to sin.Estimated, not verified
Salvation
- Assurance Of Salvation PossibleRejectsTradition defaultA believer can have a settled present assurance that they are saved.Estimated, not verified
- Baptism Is Symbolic OnlyRejectsTradition defaultBaptism is a symbol/ordinance that publicly signifies a salvation already received by faith and does not itself convey saving grace.Estimated, not verified
- Eternal Conscious TormentStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe finally unsaved suffer conscious punishment in hell that never ends.Estimated, not verified
- Eternal Security Once SavedStrongly rejectsTradition defaultA person who is genuinely saved can never lose their salvation ("once saved, always saved").Estimated, not verified
Show 11 more in Salvation
- Faith Plus Works RequiredAffirmsTradition defaultBoth faith and good works (cooperating with grace) are jointly necessary as the means by which one is finally justified before God.Estimated, not verified
- Good Works Necessary For Final SalvationStrongly affirmsTradition defaultGood works/holiness are necessary not merely as evidence but as a real condition of final salvation.Estimated, not verified
- Justification Is ForensicStrongly affirmsTradition defaultJustification is a forensic, declarative act in which God legally pronounces the sinner righteous, distinct from the inner process of being made holy.Estimated, not verified
- Justified By Faith AloneRejectsTradition defaultA person is justified by faith alone (sola fide), apart from any contribution of their works to the ground of justification.Estimated, not verified
- Lordship SalvationAffirmsTradition defaultSaving faith necessarily includes submission to Christ as Lord and a commitment to repent/obey, not mere intellectual assent.Estimated, not verified
- Penal SubstitutionStrongly rejectsTradition defaultOn the cross Christ bore the penalty/punishment that sinners deserved, satisfying God's justice in their place (penal substitution).Estimated, not verified
- Repentance Required For SalvationStrongly affirmsTradition defaultRepentance (a real turning from sin) is required for salvation.Estimated, not verified
- Righteousness ImputedRejectsTradition defaultThe righteousness by which a believer is justified is Christ's own righteousness credited/imputed to them, external to and not produced by the believer.Estimated, not verified
- Salvation Can Be LostStrongly affirmsTradition defaultA genuine believer can fall away and forfeit salvation (apostasy / conditional security).Estimated, not verified
- Salvation Is Lifelong ProcessAffirmsTradition defaultSalvation is fundamentally a lifelong process of being saved rather than a single completed event.Estimated, not verified
- Salvation Is MonergisticStrongly rejectsTradition defaultSalvation is accomplished by God alone working in the person (monergism); the human will does not cooperate in the new birth.Estimated, not verified
The Holy Spirit
- Blasphemy Against Spirit UnforgivableStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThere is a specific sin against the Holy Spirit that is unforgivable.Estimated, not verified
- Filioque Double ProcessionStrongly rejectsTradition defaultThe Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father AND the Son (filioque).Estimated, not verified
- Filling Is Repeatable CommandRejectsTradition defaultBeing "filled with the Spirit" is a repeatable, commanded experience distinct from the one-time indwelling.Estimated, not verified
- Fruit More Than Gifts Is The EvidenceAffirmsTradition defaultThe fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.) is the truest evidence of the Spirit's presence, more than the spectacular gifts.Estimated, not verified
Show 15 more in The Holy Spirit
- Oneness One Person Three ManifestationsStrongly rejectsTradition defaultGod is one indivisible person who manifests successively or simultaneously as Father, Son, and Spirit, rather than three eternally distinct persons.Estimated, not verified
- Sinless Perfection AttainableAffirmsTradition defaultBy the Spirit, a believer may reach a state of entire freedom from conscious/willful sin in this life.Estimated, not verified
- Spirit Baptism At ConversionLeans toward rejectingTradition defaultBaptism in/with the Holy Spirit happens at conversion and is identical with becoming a Christian: not a separate later event.Estimated, not verified
- Spirit Baptism For Empowerment Not SalvationRejectsTradition defaultSpirit-baptism is primarily for power/empowerment for witness and service, distinct from the saving work that makes one a believer.Estimated, not verified
- Spirit Distinct HypostasisStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe Spirit is a distinct hypostasis/person, genuinely other than the Father and the Son, not merely a mode or aspect of the one God.Estimated, not verified
- Spirit Eternal And UncreatedStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe Holy Spirit is eternal, without beginning, and shares the one uncreated divine nature.Estimated, not verified
- Spirit Gives Gifts Sovereignly Not By SeekingAffirmsTradition defaultThe Spirit distributes gifts sovereignly as He wills, so believers cannot simply claim or work up a particular gift.Estimated, not verified
- Spirit Grace Irresistible In ElectRejectsTradition defaultThe Spirit's saving, regenerating grace is ultimately irresistible in those God has chosen.Estimated, not verified
- Spirit Guarantees Church InfallibilityAffirmsTradition defaultThe Spirit so guides the Church's official teaching that it can be preserved from error (infallibility) on matters of faith.Estimated, not verified
- Spirit Homoousios With Father SonStrongly rejectsTradition defaultThe Spirit is of the same essence (homoousios) as the Father and the Son.Estimated, not verified
- Spirit Inspired ScriptureStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe Holy Spirit is the divine author who inspired the writers of Scripture.Estimated, not verified
- Spirit Is Fully GodStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe Holy Spirit is fully and truly God, equal in divine essence to the Father and the Son.Estimated, not verified
- Spirit Is Personal AgentStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe Holy Spirit is a distinct personal agent (who can be grieved, speaks, wills, and intercedes), not merely an impersonal force or energy.Estimated, not verified
- Spirit Seals Believer PermanentlyLeans toward rejectingTradition defaultThe Spirit "seals" the believer as a permanent guarantee of final salvation that cannot be undone.Estimated, not verified
- Spirit Works Savingly Outside Visible ChurchLeans toward affirmingTradition defaultThe Spirit works savingly in people who are outside the visible institutional church, including beyond explicit Christian profession.Estimated, not verified
The Church
- Apostolicity Is Doctrinal Not SuccessionalRejectsTradition defaultApostolicity consists primarily in fidelity to apostolic DOCTRINE, not in an unbroken chain of ordinations from the apostles.Estimated, not verified
- Bishop Of Rome Has Universal PrimacyStrongly rejectsTradition defaultThe bishop of Rome (the pope) holds a divinely instituted primacy of jurisdiction over the whole church.Estimated, not verified
- Church Discipline Should Be PracticedStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe church should formally practice corrective discipline, up to exclusion, against unrepentant serious sin among members.Estimated, not verified
- Church Is ApostolicAffirmsTradition defaultThe church is apostolic: it must stand in genuine continuity with the apostles' teaching and mission.Estimated, not verified
Show 23 more in The Church
- Church Is Body Of ChristStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe church is the mystical Body of Christ, organically united to him as its head.Estimated, not verified
- Church Is Catholic UniversalStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe church is catholic (universal): the whole company of Christ's people across all times and places, not confined to one nation, culture, or congregation.Estimated, not verified
- Church Is Divinely InstitutedStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe church is a divine institution founded by Christ, not merely a voluntary human association of like-minded believers.Estimated, not verified
- Church Is Essentially VisibleStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe church is essentially a single concrete, visible communion; "invisible church" is a misleading abstraction.Estimated, not verified
- Church Is HolyAffirmsTradition defaultThe church is holy (set apart and sanctified by Christ) even though its members remain sinners.Estimated, not verified
- Church Is Mixed BodyLeans toward rejectingTradition defaultIn this age the visible church is a mixed body containing both genuine believers and the unregenerate (wheat and tares, sheep and goats together until the end).Estimated, not verified
- Church Is OneStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe true church is essentially ONE (a single body) despite outward divisions.Estimated, not verified
- Church Is Provisional Until KingdomLeans toward affirmingTradition defaultThe institutional church is a provisional, this-age reality that will give way to the consummated Kingdom, rather than itself being the final goal.Estimated, not verified
- Connectional Polity Above LocalStrongly affirmsTradition defaultLocal churches are properly bound together under a wider connectional structure (conference, synod, communion) with real authority over them.Estimated, not verified
- Denominations Are Acceptable DiversityStrongly rejectsTradition defaultDenominations are a legitimate and acceptable expression of Christian diversity, not a scandal to be overcome.Estimated, not verified
- Exclusive Organization Is Gods Only ChannelStrongly affirmsTradition defaultGod works and dispenses truth/salvation today through ONE specific visible organization, and being rightly related to it is essential.Estimated, not verified
- Great Apostasy Then RestorationStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe true church largely apostatized after the apostolic age and had to be RESTORED in modern times through a new movement/prophet.Estimated, not verified
- Living Magisterium Authoritatively InterpretsAffirmsTradition defaultA living teaching office (magisterium) authoritatively and bindingly interprets Scripture and Tradition for the whole church.Estimated, not verified
- Membership In Visible Church NecessaryStrongly affirmsTradition defaultBelonging to the visible, organized church is normally necessary for the Christian life, not an optional add-on to private faith.Estimated, not verified
- Mission Is Primarily Evangelism And Disciple MakingStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe church's central mission is to proclaim the gospel and make disciples (the Great Commission as its defining task).Estimated, not verified
- Other Churches Have Real Grace And SacramentsStrongly rejectsTradition defaultChristian bodies outside our own communion possess real (if imperfect) grace, valid baptism, and genuine churchly reality.Estimated, not verified
- Our Communion Is The One True ChurchStrongly affirmsTradition defaultOur own communion IS the one true church Christ founded; others are separated or deficient bodies, not equal branches.Estimated, not verified
- Outside The Church No SalvationStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThere is no salvation outside the (visible) church (extra ecclesiam nulla salus), strictly understood.Estimated, not verified
- Pope Is InfallibleStrongly rejectsTradition defaultThe pope, under defined conditions (ex cathedra, on faith and morals), teaches infallibly.Estimated, not verified
- Priesthood Of All BelieversAffirmsTradition defaultEvery believer is a priest with direct access to God, with no need for a mediating human priest.Estimated, not verified
- Scripture Is Sole Final AuthorityRejectsTradition defaultScripture is the sole final authority for the church's faith and practice (sola scriptura); all other authorities are subordinate and fallible.Estimated, not verified
- True Church Existed Unbroken Through HistoryStrongly rejectsTradition defaultChrist's true church has existed continuously and visibly in every age since Pentecost, never wholly apostatizing.Estimated, not verified
- Unity Is Visible InstitutionalStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe church's God-willed unity must be a VISIBLE, institutional, communion-and-sacramental unity, not merely a spiritual bond among believers.Estimated, not verified
Sacraments & ordinances
- Baptism Mode Immersion RequiredStrongly affirmsTradition defaultValid baptism requires full immersion of the body in water.Estimated, not verified
- Baptism Mode IndifferentStrongly rejectsTradition defaultThe mode of baptism (immersion, pouring, or sprinkling) is a matter of indifference and does not affect validity.Estimated, not verified
- Exactly Two OrdinancesStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThere are exactly two ordinances/sacraments instituted by Christ: baptism and the Lord's Supper.Estimated, not verified
- Memorialism Symbol OnlyStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe Supper is purely a memorial; the bread and wine remain only symbols that prompt remembrance, with no presence or reception of Christ.Estimated, not verified
Show 5 more in Sacraments & ordinances
- Ordinance Obedience OnlyRejectsTradition defaultBaptism and the Supper are primarily acts of human obedience and public testimony rather than channels of divine grace.Estimated, not verified
- Real Presence In SupperRejectsTradition defaultChrist is truly and really present in the bread and wine of the Supper, not merely symbolized.Estimated, not verified
- Sacraments Strengthen Seal FaithLeans toward rejectingTradition defaultSacraments function chiefly to confirm, seal, and strengthen a faith already given, rather than to originate grace.Estimated, not verified
- Seven SacramentsStrongly rejectsTradition defaultThere are seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation/chrismation, Eucharist, penance, anointing of the sick, holy orders, and matrimony.Estimated, not verified
- Trinitarian Formula RequiredStrongly affirmsTradition defaultValid baptism must use the Trinitarian formula "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."Estimated, not verified
Worship & liturgy
- Contemporary Worship Music EmbracedRejectsTradition defaultContemporary worship music (CCM, praise-and-worship bands, modern choruses) is fitting and desirable for the gathered church.Estimated, not verified
- Tithes Offering As Worship ActLeans toward affirmingTradition defaultThe collection of tithes and offerings is itself an act of worship within the service.Estimated, not verified
- Weekly CommunionStrongly rejectsTradition defaultThe Lord's Supper should be celebrated every Lord's Day.Estimated, not verified
- Worship Form IndifferentRejectsTradition defaultThe outward form and style of worship is largely a matter of indifference (adiaphora) to be decided by culture, pastoral wisdom, or preference.Estimated, not verified
Show 2 more in Worship & liturgy
- Worship Is EvangelisticNo firm positionTradition defaultA primary purpose of the worship service is evangelism and calling outsiders to conversion.Estimated, not verified
- Worship Should Be Culturally AccessibleNo firm positionTradition defaultWorship should be deliberately shaped to feel familiar and accessible to outsiders and the unchurched.Estimated, not verified
Last things
- Apocalyptic Prophecy Read Literally FuturisticallyStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe prophecies of Daniel and Revelation should be read primarily as literal predictions of still-future events.Estimated, not verified
- Christ Returns Before The MillenniumAffirmsTradition defaultChrist returns bodily before the millennial kingdom and personally inaugurates it on earth.Estimated, not verified
- Christ Returns Personally BodilyStrongly affirmsTradition defaultJesus Christ will return personally, visibly, and bodily to the earth at a future point in history.Estimated, not verified
- Conscious With Christ After DeathStrongly affirmsTradition defaultAt death the believer's soul consciously enters the presence of Christ and remains aware while awaiting the bodily resurrection.Estimated, not verified
Show 8 more in Last things
- Final State Is Earthly EmbodiedStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe eternal destiny of the redeemed is embodied life on a renewed earth, not a disembodied existence in a non-material heaven.Estimated, not verified
- Future Seven Year TribulationRejectsTradition defaultA specific future seven-year period of unprecedented tribulation (often tied to Daniel's seventieth week) remains to be fulfilled.Estimated, not verified
- Hell Is Eternal Conscious TormentStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe finally unrepentant suffer conscious punishment in hell that continues without end.Estimated, not verified
- Millennium Is Literal Thousand YearsStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe thousand-year reign of Christ (Revelation 20) denotes a literal, future, earthly period of roughly a thousand years.Estimated, not verified
- No Separate Rapture DoctrineStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThere is no distinct "rapture" doctrine at all; the New Testament describes one return of Christ at which the living and the dead are gathered together.Estimated, not verified
- Observable Signs Will Signal The Nearness Of The EndStrongly affirmsTradition defaultIdentifiable signs (wars, earthquakes, gospel preached to all nations, rise of deception) will mark the approach of the end and can be discerned.Estimated, not verified
- Parousia Accompanied By Cosmic SignsRejectsTradition defaultChrist's return will be accompanied by literal cosmic upheaval: darkened sun, falling stars, and visible glory seen by all.Estimated, not verified
- Return Is Imminent Any MomentRejectsTradition defaultChrist's return could occur at any moment, with no remaining prophecy that must be fulfilled first.Estimated, not verified
Scripture
- Authority Sola ScripturaStrongly affirmsTradition defaultScripture is the sole infallible rule of faith and practice for the Church.Estimated, not verified
- Canon Protestant 66Strongly affirmsTradition defaultThe canon of Scripture consists of exactly the 66 books of the Protestant Bible.Estimated, not verified
- Inerrancy Historical Narratives FactualStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe historical narratives of Scripture (e.g., the exodus, the conquest, the bodily resurrection) record events that actually happened in space and time.Estimated, not verified
- Inspiration Extends To WordsStrongly affirmsTradition defaultInspiration extends to the actual words of the original text, not only to the general ideas or concepts.Estimated, not verified
Show 3 more in Scripture
- Inspiration Holy Spirit AuthorStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe Holy Spirit is properly called the divine author of Scripture.Estimated, not verified
- Inspiration Plenary WholeStrongly affirmsTradition defaultAll parts of Scripture are equally inspired, not merely the doctrinally central or "religious" portions.Estimated, not verified
- Inspiration Supernatural OriginStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe Christian Scriptures originated through a genuine act of God, not merely human religious reflection.Estimated, not verified
Revelation, creation & science
- Creation Ex NihiloStrongly affirmsTradition defaultGod created the universe out of nothing (ex nihilo), not from pre-existing matter.Estimated, not verified
- General Revelation RealStrongly affirmsTradition defaultGod genuinely reveals something of himself through the natural world and the created order, apart from Scripture.Estimated, not verified
- Genesis Intended As HistoryStrongly affirmsTradition defaultGenesis 1-3 is intended as an account of actual historical events, not primarily as theological symbol, poetry, or myth.Estimated, not verified
- Historical Adam EveStrongly affirmsTradition defaultAdam and Eve were real, historical individuals, the literal first human beings.Estimated, not verified
Show 6 more in Revelation, creation & science
- Historical Fall EventStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe fall of humanity into sin was a real historical event by the first humans, not merely a symbol of the universal human condition.Estimated, not verified
- Miracles Continue TodayAffirmsTradition defaultGod still performs miracles today (healings, signs, answered prayer beyond natural explanation) as he did in biblical times.Estimated, not verified
- Miracles Possible In PrincipleStrongly affirmsTradition defaultGod can and does act in the world in ways that supersede or suspend ordinary natural causes (genuine miracles are possible).Estimated, not verified
- Natural Knowledge Of God Saving InsufficientStrongly affirmsTradition defaultWhatever knowledge of God nature provides is insufficient for salvation; saving knowledge requires special revelation in Christ and Scripture.Estimated, not verified
- Special Revelation NecessaryStrongly affirmsTradition defaultA clear and reliable knowledge of God and his saving purposes requires God's special, verbal self-revelation, not merely general revelation.Estimated, not verified
- Theistic Evolution Evolutionary CreationRejectsTradition defaultGod created living things, including humans, by means of the evolutionary process, including common descent.Estimated, not verified
Life & bioethics
- Abortion Gravely Wrong In PrincipleLeans toward affirmingTradition defaultDeliberately ending a pregnancy by killing the unborn is in itself a grave moral wrong.Estimated, not verified
- Abortion Permitted To Save Mothers LifeAffirmsTradition defaultAbortion is morally permissible when continuing the pregnancy would directly threaten the mother's life.Estimated, not verified
- Abortion Prohibited No ExceptionsRejectsTradition defaultAbortion is impermissible in all circumstances, including rape, incest, fetal anomaly, and threat to the mother's life.Estimated, not verified
- Bodily Autonomy SupremeRejectsTradition defaultA competent adult's autonomy over their own body is the decisive moral consideration in life-and-death medical choices.Estimated, not verified
Show 13 more in Life & bioethics
- Capital Punishment Legitimate In PrincipleNo firm positionTradition defaultThe state may, in principle, justly impose the death penalty for the gravest crimes.Estimated, not verified
- Euthanasia Always WrongAffirmsTradition defaultDeliberately ending a patient's life to relieve suffering (active euthanasia) is always morally wrong.Estimated, not verified
- Image Of God Grounds LifeStrongly affirmsTradition defaultHuman life possesses a special, inviolable dignity because human beings are made in the image of God.Estimated, not verified
- Intentional Killing Innocent Always WrongStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe direct, intentional killing of an innocent human being is always gravely wrong, with no exceptions.Estimated, not verified
- Life Belongs To God StewardshipStrongly affirmsTradition defaultHuman life is a gift over which we are stewards, not owners; we may not dispose of it (our own or another's) at will.Estimated, not verified
- Ordinary Contraception Morally AcceptableAffirmsTradition defaultNon-abortifacient contraception (barrier/hormonal methods that prevent fertilization) is morally acceptable for married couples.Estimated, not verified
- Organ Donation After Death PraiseworthyAffirmsTradition defaultDonating one's organs after death is a morally good and praiseworthy act of charity.Estimated, not verified
- Personhood From ConceptionNo firm positionTradition defaultA distinct human person, bearing full moral status, exists from the moment of conception/fertilization.Estimated, not verified
- Physician Assisted Suicide PermissibleRejectsTradition defaultA physician may permissibly help a competent, terminally ill patient end their own life at the patient's request.Estimated, not verified
- Post Birth Termination PermissibleStrongly rejectsTradition defaultIn some cases (e.g., severe anomaly), ending the life of a newborn could be ethically comparable to late abortion.Estimated, not verified
- Quality Of Life Can OverrideNo firm positionTradition defaultWhen a life involves sufficient suffering or loss of function, considerations of "quality of life" can outweigh the duty to preserve it.Estimated, not verified
- Self Defense Killing PermissibleStrongly affirmsTradition defaultUsing lethal force to defend oneself or others from a deadly attacker is morally permissible.Estimated, not verified
- Suicide Is Morally WrongStrongly affirmsTradition defaultSuicide (taking one's own life) is morally wrong.Estimated, not verified
Sexuality & marriage
- Church Should Bless Same Sex UnionsNo firm positionTradition defaultThe church should liturgically bless and solemnize same-sex unions.Estimated, not verified
- Gay Christians Called To CelibacyNo firm positionTradition defaultChristians who experience exclusive same-sex attraction are called to lifelong celibacy or to a mixed-orientation marriage with the opposite sex.Estimated, not verified
- Interfaith Or Mixed Marriage AcceptableRejectsTradition defaultIt is acceptable for a Christian to marry a non-Christian (or to marry across major faith lines).Estimated, not verified
- Marriage Is Lifelong MonogamousStrongly affirmsTradition defaultMarriage is by nature a lifelong, exclusively monogamous union.Estimated, not verified
Show 12 more in Sexuality & marriage
- Marriage Is Male Female By DefinitionNo firm positionTradition defaultBy definition and divine design, marriage is the union of one man and one woman.Estimated, not verified
- Polygamy Is ImmoralStrongly affirmsTradition defaultPolygamy (one man, multiple wives) is morally wrong for Christians.Estimated, not verified
- Premarital Sex Always WrongStrongly affirmsTradition defaultPremarital sex (fornication) is always sinful, even between an engaged or committed couple.Estimated, not verified
- Same Sex Acts Always SinfulNo firm positionTradition defaultSexual acts between two people of the same sex are always morally wrong.Estimated, not verified
- Same Sex Attraction Is DisorderedLeans toward rejectingTradition defaultSame-sex sexual attraction is an objective disorder of desire even when not acted upon.Estimated, not verified
- Same Sex Marriage Is True MarriageNo firm positionTradition defaultA covenanted union between two people of the same sex can be a true marriage in God's sight.Estimated, not verified
- Scripture Norms Sexual EthicsLeans toward affirmingTradition defaultScripture provides binding, authoritative norms for sexual conduct that the church is not free to revise.Estimated, not verified
- Sex Is Fixed Binary GivenNo firm positionTradition defaultA person's sex is a fixed, binary, God-given reality determined at conception, not something that can be changed.Estimated, not verified
- Sex Reserved For MarriageAffirmsTradition defaultSexual intercourse is morally reserved exclusively for marriage.Estimated, not verified
- Sexual Ethics Are A Salvation IssueStrongly affirmsTradition defaultOne's stance and conduct on sexual ethics bears on salvation/standing before God, not merely on discipleship maturity.Estimated, not verified
- Sexual Sin No Worse Than Other SinRejectsTradition defaultSexual sins are not categorically graver than other sins and should not be singled out for special emphasis or discipline.Estimated, not verified
- Women May Be Ordained PastorsStrongly rejectsTradition defaultWomen may be ordained as pastors/priests and hold the church's highest teaching/governing office.Estimated, not verified
Society & politics
- Christ Lord Over Every Sphere TransformationNo firm positionTradition defaultChrist's lordship extends over every sphere of life (politics, economics, art, science) and Christians are called to bring all of them under his rule.Estimated, not verified
- Christians Should Seek Public OfficeLeans toward affirmingTradition defaultIt is fitting for Christians to seek and hold civil office in order to govern justly.Estimated, not verified
- Christians Should Vote And Engage CivicallyLeans toward affirmingTradition defaultActive civic participation (voting, advocacy, holding office) is a positive Christian duty in a free society.Estimated, not verified
- Civil Government Ordained By GodAffirmsTradition defaultCivil government is divinely instituted, and obedience to lawful authority is a Christian duty (Romans 13).Estimated, not verified
Show 6 more in Society & politics
- Gospel Is Chiefly Personal Not SocialAffirmsTradition defaultThe gospel is essentially a message of individual reconciliation with God, and social transformation is at most a secondary by-product, not part of its core content.Estimated, not verified
- Lethal Violence Ever JustifiedStrongly affirmsTradition defaultIt can be morally legitimate for Christians to use lethal force under some circumstances (e.g. defense of the innocent, just war).Estimated, not verified
- Racism Is SinAffirmsTradition defaultRacism (partiality and contempt on the basis of race or ethnicity) is a sin contrary to the gospel.Estimated, not verified
- Sanctity Of Life Top Political PriorityAffirmsTradition defaultOpposing abortion and protecting unborn life should be among the highest priorities of Christian political engagement.Estimated, not verified
- Scripture Binding Social Political NormsAffirmsTradition defaultScripture provides binding, authoritative norms not only for personal conduct but for the ordering of society, economics, and the state.Estimated, not verified
- Welcome The Stranger Binding DutyAffirmsTradition defaultScripture's command to welcome the foreigner and care for the sojourner imposes a real Christian duty toward immigrants and refugees today. (This question does not consider any political orientation's specific definition of what constitutes a legitimate "immigrant" or "refugee.")Estimated, not verified
Angelology Demonology
- Angelology Must Be Strictly BiblicalStrongly affirmsTradition defaultBeliefs about angels and demons should be limited to what Scripture plainly teaches, rejecting speculative hierarchies, named extra-biblical angels, and elaborate demonologies.Estimated, not verified
- Angels Are CreatedStrongly affirmsTradition defaultAngels are created beings, made by God, and are not eternal or self-existent.Estimated, not verified
- Angels Are Personal Intelligent AgentsStrongly affirmsTradition defaultAngels possess intellect and will: they know, choose, and act as persons.Estimated, not verified
- Angels Are Symbolic OnlyStrongly rejectsTradition defaultBiblical "angels" are best understood as symbols, personifications, or mythological language for God's action and human experience, not as actually existing spirit-persons.Estimated, not verified
Show 8 more in Angelology Demonology
- Angels Can Appear In Bodily FormStrongly affirmsTradition defaultAngels can assume visible, bodily appearances to interact with humans.Estimated, not verified
- Angels Real Personal BeingsStrongly affirmsTradition defaultAngels are real, personal, created beings who actually exist, not merely literary symbols or pre-scientific imagery.Estimated, not verified
- Demons Are Real Personal SpiritsStrongly affirmsTradition defaultDemons are real, personal evil spirits (fallen angels or their kind), not merely symbols of disease, vice, or social evil.Estimated, not verified
- Demons Face Eternal Conscious TormentStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe devil and his angels will suffer eternal, conscious punishment in the lake of fire.Estimated, not verified
- Nine Orders DionysianStrongly rejectsTradition defaultThe traditional ninefold scheme of angelic orders (seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels, angels) reflects a real heavenly order.Estimated, not verified
- Satan Is A Fallen AngelStrongly affirmsTradition defaultSatan is a fallen angel (a created good being who rebelled) not an independent evil principle or co-eternal power.Estimated, not verified
- Satan Is A Personal BeingStrongly affirmsTradition defaultSatan/the devil is a real, personal spirit-being, not merely a symbol or personification of evil.Estimated, not verified
- Some Angels FellStrongly affirmsTradition defaultA portion of the angels rebelled against God and fell from their original state.Estimated, not verified
Anthropology
- Body Essential To PersonStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe body is essential to being a complete human person, not an accidental or dispensable container for the soul.Estimated, not verified
- Historical AdamStrongly affirmsTradition defaultAdam and Eve were real, historical individuals who are the biological ancestors of all humanity.Estimated, not verified
- Imago Is RealStrongly affirmsTradition defaultHuman beings are created in the image of God.Estimated, not verified
- Original Sin InheritedStrongly affirmsTradition defaultHuman beings inherit a corrupted nature (original sin) from Adam, prior to and apart from any actual sins they commit.Estimated, not verified
Show 2 more in Anthropology
- Soul Naturally ImmortalStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe human soul is by nature immortal and continues to exist consciously after the death of the body.Estimated, not verified
- Soul ReincarnationStrongly rejectsTradition defaultHuman souls pass through multiple successive earthly lives (reincarnation).Estimated, not verified
Covenant Law Israel
- Dietary Food Laws No Longer BindingAffirmsTradition defaultThe Old Testament clean/unclean food laws are no longer binding, and all foods are permitted.Estimated, not verified
- Full Torah Observance For BelieversRejectsTradition defaultFollowers of Jesus, at least those of Jewish background, should continue to observe the full Torah (dietary law, festivals, Sabbath, circumcision).Estimated, not verified
- Levitical Sacrifices Permanently EndedStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThe Levitical sacrificial system has been permanently ended and fulfilled by the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ.Estimated, not verified
Mariology Saints
- Christ Sole MediatorStrongly affirmsTradition defaultThere is exactly one mediator between God and humanity (Jesus Christ) and no creature shares in that mediating office.Estimated, not verified
- Immaculate ConceptionStrongly rejectsTradition defaultMary was preserved free from the stain of original sin from the very first moment of her own conception.Estimated, not verified
- Mary Queen Of HeavenStrongly rejectsTradition defaultMary now reigns as Queen of Heaven, crowned and exalted above all the angels and saints.Estimated, not verified
- Perpetual Virginity Post PartumStrongly rejectsTradition defaultMary remained a virgin throughout her whole life and never had marital relations or other children after Jesus ("ever-virgin").Estimated, not verified
Show 3 more in Mariology Saints
- Theotokos Mother Of GodAffirmsTradition defaultMary may rightly be called "Theotokos" / "Mother of God" (God-bearer) because the one she bore is truly God incarnate.Estimated, not verified
- Virginal Conception Of JesusStrongly affirmsTradition defaultJesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit while Mary was a virgin, without a human father.Estimated, not verified
- We May Ask Saints To PrayStrongly rejectsTradition defaultIt is good and proper to ask the saints in heaven to pray to God on our behalf.Estimated, not verified
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