Tradition in Christianity

As Anglicans, we acknowledge the importance of tradition. There are two senses in which we value tradition. The first is the sense of doing things "the old way" as you can see in our liturgy which is heavily informed by ancient practic. The second is the sense of accepting the words of the saints before us in history as a part of God's revelation to us. This is not to say that Scriptures are uneccesary or less important as a source of God's wisdom. But we do acknowledge that without the understanding that has been passed down through history, we can not properly understand the Bible. In the same way, without the Bible, the knowledge from tradition is not enough.

Christians without Tradition

It is of the utmost importance to understand the scriptures in a way that is consistent with the tradition and history of the Church. We should align ourselves with the saints through all time, and look to them for guidance. Not to do so is like a teenager looking to his peers for life advice, while ignoring the wisdom of those old enough to know what they are talking about. It is Rehoboam declaring his little finger is bigger than his father's (Solomon's) legs.

"It is no accident that we use the term 'historical Christian' to define true Christians."

Consider some of the "Christian" organizations that have come to the bible from outside the traditions of the church. Mormons, the Church of the New Jerusalem, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Christian Scientists all claim to be Christian and claim to follow the Bible (more or less). Even Islam is guided by the Bible. Yet none of these are rooted in the history of the church. None of them affirm the Nicene or Apostles creeds. We know that they are heretical, but that knowledge doesn't necessarily come straight from scripture alone: for every verse you can cite to a Christian Scientist, she has two more to cite back to you. Yet we have on our side the tradition of the church which has agreed with our interpretation consistently from the earliest times.

All Christians have aligned themselves in this way with the saints and with the tradition of the Church throughout the ages. Not just anyone who uses the word "Christian" autobiographically. But real Christians: e.g., historical Christians. It is no accident that we use the term "historical Christian" to define "true" Christians. It is the simplest rubric for orthodoxy we have: if a so called "Christian" is out of line from the rest of the Church in history, that indicates a problem. Adherence to church tradition has naturally become a part of the very definition of what it means to be Christian.

Other Revelation

We should not shut out any method of understanding God's message to us. Nor should we wait for revelation to occur in the way that we want it to. If we chose to ignore the revelation given to us through the traditions of the Church, why should God speak to us personally and directly? Recall the words of Abraham to the rich man (Luke 16:19-31), where he explains why God will not send Lazarus to speak to his relatives. "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them," he says. And again: "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."