ABSTRACT

RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY Because religions typically offer gui-

dance in matters of doctrine and life-

style, some source of authority is needed

for this purpose. Sources of authority

are various: a religious community may

claim to rely on supernatural authority,

the authority of a human leader or lea-

ders, or a set of sacred texts. These

sources of authority intertwine: Chris-

tianity acknowledges a human leader,

but accords divine status to him, and

has defined an authoritative set of

scriptures that record his life and teach-

ing, and – in the case of the Christian

Old Testament – allegedly point to him

prophetically. Additionally, a religion

may hold that its authority rests in its

community, or part thereof, or with

some aspect of the self, such as reason

or conscience.