Spiritual Authority – Who Needs It? – Paul Thigpen

In a talk from our 2009 Deep in History conference, Paul Thigpen, a former Pentecostal pastor, looks into the question of Christian authority.  If the Holy Spirit can speak to individual believers, then why have a pope?  At the same time, if it’s the same Holy Spirit speaking to all Christians, why aren’t they all on the same theological page?   Paul looks at the how reason, experience and authority play into the human concept of truth, and why all three are necessary for a true understanding of how Jesus intended his Church to operate.

Click here to purchase Dr. Thigpen’s full talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2009 Deep in History Conference.

Study Questions:

-How are personal experience and reasoning limited as sources of knowledge?

-What are the problems with authority as a source of knowledge? How does St. Augustine address the issue of authority?

-Why is authority necessary, according to Dr. Thigpen?

Vocabulary:

Manichean –An adherent of the dualistic religious system of Manes, a combination of Gnostic Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and various other elements, with a basic doctrine of a conflict between light and dark, matter being regarded as dark and evil.