Scriptural Authority

The scriptural authority argument claims that sacred texts possess binding normative force for religious belief and practice because they originate from or are endorsed by divine revelation. This argument typically proceeds by establishing first that God has communicated with humanity, second that this communication has been preserved in specific texts, and third that these texts therefore carry divine authority that obligates believers to accept their teachings. The argument functions not merely to defend the reliability of scripture but to establish its supremacy as a source of religious knowledge and moral guidance, often positioning scriptural authority above reason, tradition, or personal experience in the hierarchy of epistemic sources.