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christian-scripture-revelationfeatured in 40 works

Rule of Faith

A compass for reading Scripture rightly — the apostles' teaching summed up in a phrase

The Rule of Faith is the summary of apostolic teaching that guides the right interpretation of Scripture. Early Fathers such as Irenaeus and Tertullian appealed to it as the framework handed down from the apostles, by which the Church could distinguish faithful readings of the biblical text from distortions. It functioned as a shared confession of the faith's essentials, anchoring interpretation in the Church's living tradition.

How it traveled

  1. Dialogue with Trypho
    Rome · 165
    explains
  2. Against Heresies: Book III
    Lyons · 202
    explains
  3. Against Heresies: Book I
    Lyons · 202
    explains
  4. The Prescription Against Heretics.
    — · 220
    explains
  5. The Church History of Eusebius
    Caesarea · 339
    explains
  6. Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.)
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  7. The Letters
    Caesarea (Cappadocia) · 379
    explains
  8. The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril
    Jerusalem · 386
    explains
  9. A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  10. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  11. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  12. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  13. Homilies on First Corinthians
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  14. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and Philemon
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  15. The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and Ephesians
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  16. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  17. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  18. Jerome's Apology for Himself Against the Books of Rufinus
    Aquileia · 411
    explains
  19. The Letters of St. Jerome
    Bethlehem · 420
    explains
  20. Expositions on the Book of Psalms
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  21. Reply to Faustus the Manichæan
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  22. On Christian Doctrine
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  23. The Harmony of the Gospels
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  24. Letters of St. Augustin
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  25. City of God
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  26. Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  27. The Confessions
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  28. The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 439
    explains
  29. 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
  30. The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of Theodoret
    Cyrrhus · 458
    explains
  31. The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great
    Rome · 461
    explains
  32. The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the Great
    Rome · 604
    explains
  33. Selected Epistles of Gregory the Great
    Rome · 604
    explains
  34. Commentary on Galatians
    Wittenberg · 1546
    explains
  35. Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church
    Geneva · 1564
    explains
  36. Book First. of the Knowledge of God the Creator
    Geneva · 1564
    explains
  37. Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel
    Geneva · 1564
    explains
  38. A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts
    Northampton, Massachusetts · 1758
    explains
  39. Inquiry Concerning Qualification for Communion
    Northampton, Massachusetts · 1758
    explains
  40. Thoughts on the Revival of Religion in New England
    Northampton, Massachusetts · 1758
    explains

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Modern teachers who discuss this idea

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