Bibliolatry
Encyclopedia
Bibliolatry is the worship of a particular book. See also Idolatry
and Idolatry and Christianity.
, the term bibliolatry is used in a derogatory sense toward those who either have an extreme devotion to the Bible itself, or hold to a high view of biblical inerrancy
.. Those who esteem Biblical inerrancy point to passages such as 2 Timothy 3:16-17, stating that the Scriptures
, as received, are a perfect (and in some views, complete) source of what must be known about God. Critics of this view call the view a kind of idolatry, and point to verses such as John 5:39-40 to point out that Jesus was asking humanity to relate to God, not just seek God's rules and spurn a relationship with the God who created them.
Historic Christianity has never endorsed worship of the Bible itself, as worship is explicitly reserved only for God
. That is to say, Christians consider the Bible as a kind of signpost
which points to God, rather than considering the Bible, as a book, itself as valuable as God himself. Some Christians believe that biblical authority is derived from God as the inspiration behind the text, not the text itself . So the term is not a reference to an actual belief, but is often used as a pejorative
term to negatively label perceived practices of theological opponents. The groups to whom the term is most often applied are Protestants of a fundamentalist
and evangelical
background who hold to Biblical inerrancy
and Scripture as the only divine authority
.
Disputes exist as to whether the King James Only movement is or is not a form of bibliolatry.
writes of Unitatis Redintegratio
21, "the Second Vatican Council
of the Roman Catholic Church
of 1962-1965 could speak with a mixture of genuine admiration and ever-so-gentle reproof about a 'love and reverence, almost a cult, for Holy Scripture' among the 'separated Protestant brethren'."
ic fundamentalists and other religionists deemed excessively devoted to their holy texts.
is not simply the holy text; the text itself was proclaimed as the final Guru by the last human Guru, Guru Gobind Singh
. The grammar and syntax within the book cannot be altered, and the text has a key, central role within Sikh worship.
Idolatry
Idolatry is a pejorative term for the worship of an idol, a physical object such as a cult image, as a god, or practices believed to verge on worship, such as giving undue honour and regard to created forms other than God. In all the Abrahamic religions idolatry is strongly forbidden, although...
and Idolatry and Christianity.
Bibliolatry in Christianity
In the case of ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, the term bibliolatry is used in a derogatory sense toward those who either have an extreme devotion to the Bible itself, or hold to a high view of biblical inerrancy
Biblical inerrancy
Biblical inerrancy is the doctrinal position that the Bible is accurate and totally free of error, that "Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact." Some equate inerrancy with infallibility; others do not.Conservative Christians generally believe that...
.. Those who esteem Biblical inerrancy point to passages such as 2 Timothy 3:16-17, stating that the Scriptures
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, as received, are a perfect (and in some views, complete) source of what must be known about God. Critics of this view call the view a kind of idolatry, and point to verses such as John 5:39-40 to point out that Jesus was asking humanity to relate to God, not just seek God's rules and spurn a relationship with the God who created them.
Historic Christianity has never endorsed worship of the Bible itself, as worship is explicitly reserved only for God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. That is to say, Christians consider the Bible as a kind of signpost
Traffic sign
Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of roads to provide information to road users. With traffic volumes increasing over the last eight decades, many countries have adopted pictorial signs or otherwise simplified and standardized their signs to facilitate international travel...
which points to God, rather than considering the Bible, as a book, itself as valuable as God himself. Some Christians believe that biblical authority is derived from God as the inspiration behind the text, not the text itself . So the term is not a reference to an actual belief, but is often used as a pejorative
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
term to negatively label perceived practices of theological opponents. The groups to whom the term is most often applied are Protestants of a fundamentalist
Fundamentalist Christianity
Christian fundamentalism, also known as Fundamentalist Christianity, or Fundamentalism, arose out of British and American Protestantism in the late 19th century and early 20th century among evangelical Christians...
and evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
background who hold to Biblical inerrancy
Biblical inerrancy
Biblical inerrancy is the doctrinal position that the Bible is accurate and totally free of error, that "Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact." Some equate inerrancy with infallibility; others do not.Conservative Christians generally believe that...
and Scripture as the only divine authority
Sola scriptura
Sola scriptura is the doctrine that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. Consequently, sola scriptura demands that only those doctrines are to be admitted or confessed that are found directly within or indirectly by using valid logical deduction or valid...
.
Disputes exist as to whether the King James Only movement is or is not a form of bibliolatry.
Bibliolatry and Roman Catholicism
Catholicism traditionally looks to scripture and "sacred tradition" together as authoritative, rather than scripture alone, and thus has often implicitly accused some Protestant sects of bibliolatry. Jaroslav PelikanJaroslav Pelikan
Jaroslav Jan Pelikan was a scholar in the history of Christianity, Christian theology and medieval intellectual history.-Early years:...
writes of Unitatis Redintegratio
Unitatis Redintegratio
Unitatis Redintegratio is the Second Vatican Council's Decree on Ecumenism. It was passed by a vote of 2,137 to 11 of the bishops assembled and was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on November 21, 1964...
21, "the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
of 1962-1965 could speak with a mixture of genuine admiration and ever-so-gentle reproof about a 'love and reverence, almost a cult, for Holy Scripture' among the 'separated Protestant brethren'."
Bibliolatry and Southern Baptists
Southern Baptists in particular have in recent years been accused of practicing bibliolatry by numerous and well-respected evangelical leaders due to a wording change in the 2000 revision of the Baptist Faith and Message and the corollary purging of the ranks that removed any professors who believed that historical or archaeological findings might legitimately raise questions about a passage. During the late 1990s, hundreds of Southern Baptist seminarians and denominational officials were systematically removed from office for either claiming that cultural and archaeological findings could give a better understanding of the context of the Scriptures or (after the 2000 revision) for refusing to agree to the significant revision in the Baptist doctrine. One example of the vitriol this debate has produced is Southern Baptist William Merrell's response to the charge of bibliolatry in 2000.Bibliolatry in Islam
Though most often used in a Christian context, the charge of bibliolatry in this sense is also sometimes leveled against IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic fundamentalists and other religionists deemed excessively devoted to their holy texts.
Bibliolatry in Sikhism
In the case of Sikhism, Guru Granth SahibGuru Granth Sahib
Sri Guru Granth Sahib , or Adi Granth, is the religious text of Sikhism. It is the final and eternal guru of the Sikhs. It is a voluminous text of 1430 angs, compiled and composed during the period of Sikh gurus, from 1469 to 1708...
is not simply the holy text; the text itself was proclaimed as the final Guru by the last human Guru, Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...
. The grammar and syntax within the book cannot be altered, and the text has a key, central role within Sikh worship.
See also
- BibliomancyBibliomancyBibliomancy is the use of books in divination. The method of employing sacred books for 'magical medicine', for removing negative entities, or for divination is widespread in many religions of the world:-Terminology:...
is the use of books (sometimes the holy books of a religion) for divination. - The Guru Granth SahibGuru Granth SahibSri Guru Granth Sahib , or Adi Granth, is the religious text of Sikhism. It is the final and eternal guru of the Sikhs. It is a voluminous text of 1430 angs, compiled and composed during the period of Sikh gurus, from 1469 to 1708...
is the holy book of SikhismSikhismSikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
. The last of the Sikh Gurus left it as his successor. It is treated as a revered person. - Prima scripturaPrima scripturaPrima scriptura is a doctrine that says canonized scripture is "first" or "above all" sources of divine revelation.Implicitly, this view acknowledges that, besides canonical scripture, there are other guides for what a believer should believe, and how he should live, such as the created order,...
- Sola scripturaSola scripturaSola scriptura is the doctrine that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. Consequently, sola scriptura demands that only those doctrines are to be admitted or confessed that are found directly within or indirectly by using valid logical deduction or valid...
- Qur'an aloneQur'an aloneQuranism is an Islamic denomination that holds the Qur'an to be the only canonical text in Islam. Quranists reject the religious authority of Hadith and often Sunnah, libraries compiled by later scholars who catalogued narratives of what the Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said and done,...