Affirms
Scripture is divinely inspired, authoritative, and fully trustworthy
The Amish affirm the full divine inspiration and authority of Scripture. The Bible is God's Word and is to be obeyed. While the Amish do not engage with academic debates about inerrancy, their practice assumes Scripture's complete reliability — it is read, memorized, preached, and obeyed as the authoritative standard for faith and community life.
The Amish suspicion of higher education and academic theology means that the inerrancy debates of evangelical academia are largely outside their purview. Their posture is one of straightforward submission to Scripture as the Word of God, interpreted within the community tradition.
Key Distinctions
- Inerrancy scope:
- Scripture is fully God's Word; practical rather than scholastic approach to inspiration
- Hermeneutic approach:
- plain reading; Luther Bible tradition; ministerial teaching
Scripture References
Sources
- Dordrecht Confession of Faith (1632)
- John A. Hostetler, Amish Society (4th ed., 1993)