Luther, of course, was quite impatient with this line of thought, because Aristotle, he said, had introduced into the Church a theory of natural virtue that took insufficient account of sin. It allowed its followers to find in their moral accomplishments and character formation a basis for laying claim to God s salvation. On the Protestant side, therefore, matters of moral principle were discussed differently. Wells sees the Reformation divide as the necessary starting point for moral theology, given the Reformers commitment to sola scriptura . It is not with the priority of Scripture that this reviewer takes issue, but rather with evangelicals understanding and application of the sola scriptura slogan.
Scripture is authoritative in every age and cultural context.
Yet, in every age and cultural context Scripture must be interpreted, consensually, by the Christian community. For this reason, it is more appropriate to speak of prima scriptura which more adequately represents historic Christian orthodoxy while preserving Scripture s normative place in doing moral theology. Without denying the place that Protestant reformers occupy in evangelical faith, it should be said that classic Christian teaching, whether in the realm of doctrine or ethics, is best defined not against the backdrop of the sixteenth century, but rather in the light of the broader apostolic tradition. This living tradition includes the early creeds, the ecumenical councils, and the writings of the Fathers of the Church. Doctrinal as well as ethical reforms are thus best undergirded by historic Christian orthodoxy.