Biblical Authority: Infallibility and Inerrancy in the Christian Tradition

A scholarly defense of the historic Christian doctrine of biblical authority, combining historical theology with careful analysis to uphold the traditional understanding of Scripture’s infallibility and inerrancy in matters of faith and conduct.

Biblical Authority: Infallibility and Inerrancy in the Christian Tradition examines the development and defense of the belief that the Bible is reliable and true in all that it affirms about faith and conduct. John D. Woodbridge surveys how Christians throughout history have understood and defended Scripture’s authority against challenges that would limit its trustworthiness in matters of historical or scientific detail. With clarity and precision, Woodbridge engages competing views — including positions that accept infallibility in doctrine but allow error elsewhere — and argues that the historic Christian tradition properly affirms both the Bible’s authority and its inerrancy. Supported by historical theology, careful reasoning, and a respectful yet firm engagement with alternative perspectives, this work is a key resource for students and scholars of theology, church history, and biblical studies.