Skip to content
Wellsprings
christian-scripture-revelationfeatured in 7 works

Development of Doctrine

The seed was planted once; how much may the tree be allowed to grow?

This idea holds that the Church's understanding of revealed truth grows and is clarified over time, even as the truth itself remains constant. Vincent of Lerins offered early criteria, and John Henry Newman developed an influential theory of authentic development. The concept is contested: it is central to Catholic self-understanding, while other traditions debate how far doctrine may legitimately develop without departing from its origins.

How it traveled

  1. The Prescription Against Heretics.
    — · 220
    explains
  2. On Monogamy.
    — · 220
    explains
  3. The Church History of Eusebius
    Caesarea · 339
    explains
  4. City of God
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  5. The Confessions
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  6. Letters of St. Augustin
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  7. The Commonitory of Vincent of Lérins, For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of All Heresies
    Lérins · 445
    explains

Key passages(0)

No passages match your filters.

Modern teachers who discuss this idea

Modern and living teachers whose books take up Development of Doctrine. These works are still in copyright, so we can’t show the text here — each links out to the book.