Abstract
In this interesting (but brief) volume, Edith Humphrey tackles the very ancient and complex problem about the relationship between Scripture and tradition. After exploring the complexities and nuances of the Scripture-tradition debate in the introduction, Humphrey uses chapter one to point out how some groups (particularly Protestant ones) show a bias against both the term and concept of ‘tradition,’ despite the fact that the Bible itself speaks regularly of tradition and even contains tradition. In chapter two, she reminds us that the distinction between tradition and Scripture is not as simple as the distinction between ‘oral’ and ‘written.’ Indeed, Paul makes it clear that his ‘tradition’ should be received whether delivered by mouth or delivered by letter. Chapters three through five, in one way or another, focus on how tradition is transmitted within the body of believers. Here Humphrey is keen to make the point again and again that the entire community plays a role, not just the apostles. In the sixth and final chapter, Humphrey explores the key question of how we distinguish immutable traditions from mutable ones, and then offers several examples of the latter.
There are many positives about this volume. Humphrey is correct that many Protestants have unfortunately ignored or downplayed tradition for the sake of a one-dimensional understanding of sola Scriptura (though she could have done more to explain the more balanced version of this doctrine). And she is certainly right to show that the New Testament itself values ‘tradition’ and that this oral tradition actually preceded the writing of the New Testament. Moreover, Humphrey refreshingly uses her commitment to tradition as a basis for refusing to follow modern cultural trends like the use of gender-neutral language for the trinity (pp. 153-154).
However, if the goal of the volume was to bring clarity to the Scripture-tradition debate, it ends up falling short. While attempts were made to provide a definition for ‘tradition’ and ‘Tradition’ (e.g., p. 15), and to distinguish these from ‘Scripture,’ the volume proves to be quite confusing when one dives deeper into the details. At the core of this confusion is Humphrey’s repeated downplaying of the distinctive role of the apostles. While she is certainly right that the New Testament is the embodiment of tradition (much of which was oral), she could have done more to clarify that this tradition is specifically apostolic tradition. The absence of this clarification allows Humphrey to push more and more authority onto the church community as a whole (e.g., p. 119). While this may raise the profile of the church, one might wonder whether it ends up lowering the profile of the Scriptures.