Identifying and Overcoming Human Traditions in Personal Life
Human traditions, in a theological context, refer to practices or beliefs established by human authority rather than direct divine command. These traditions can be distinguished from divine law and can sometimes pose challenges to genuine faith and practice [1].
One significant concern regarding human traditions is their potential to undermine the authority of Scripture. If human traditions are elevated to the same level of authority as the Word of God, they can effectively subvert the Scriptures, becoming an interpretive lens that dictates understanding rather than being guided by it [3]. This can lead to a situation where the interpretation of Scripture is determined by tradition, rather than tradition being judged by Scripture [3].
John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, defines human traditions that ought to be repudiated by the Church as "all the laws enacted by men, without authority from the word of God, for the purpose either of prescribing the mode of divine worship, or laying a religious obligation on the conscience" [1]. He further elaborates on the "power of making laws," particularly criticizing "Popish constitutions relating to ceremonies and discipline" for their inherent vices [2]. Calvin argues that such traditions can tyrannically oppress and destroy souls by imposing obligations not found in God's Word [2].
The danger of human traditions also lies in their capacity to burden consciences. The Augsburg Confession highlights that it was impossible to keep all traditions, yet people judged these observances as necessary acts of worship [6]. This led many to despair, and some even took their own lives, feeling unable to satisfy the traditions and lacking the consolation of the righteousness of faith and grace [6]. Theologians and "summists" who gathered these traditions contributed to this burden [6].
However, not all human institutions or customs are inherently problematic. Augustine, in City of God, acknowledges that in human institutions not considered superstitious, there are elements that are superfluous, convenient, or necessary [4]. He points to examples such as distinctions in bodily dress for sex or rank, various signs essential for human interaction, and arrangements for weights, measures, and coinage, which are specific to different states and peoples [4]. These are distinct from religious traditions that impose obligations on the conscience.
The early church also recognized the role of tradition. Tertullian, for instance, noted that certain practices lacked positive Scripture injunction but were rooted in tradition, strengthened by custom, and observed by faith [7]. He argued that reason would support such traditions, customs, and faith, suggesting that some traditions, even without explicit biblical command, could be understood as having a rational basis for submission [7].
Overcoming problematic human traditions involves discerning between those that are merely cultural or practical and those that impose religious obligations without divine warrant. Charles Hodge discusses the difficulty of distinguishing the human from the divine in our experiences and the need for an "inward guide" to knowledge of the truth, which he considers second only to the Word of God in authority [8]. This inward guide helps prevent the adoption of conclusions that contradict the Spirit's teachings or one's own religious consciousness [8].
The concept of "calling" also plays a role in understanding how individuals navigate their lives without being unduly burdened by human expectations. Calvin emphasizes that God has assigned distinct duties to each person in different modes of life, distinguishing these by the name of callings [5]. This perspective suggests that individuals should respect their own calling and not overstep their proper limits, thereby avoiding confusion and rashness [5].
Sources
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 92: But if, without any regard to circumstances, you would simply know the character belonging at all times to those human traditions which ought to be repudiated by the Church, and condemned by all the godly, 584 584 Calvin on the Necessity of Reforming the Church. the definition which we formerly gave is clear and certain—viz. That they include all the laws enacted by men, without authority from the word of God, for the purpose either of prescribing the mode of divine worship, or laying a religious obligation on the conscience, as en”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 92: 2413 CHAPTER 10. OF THE POWER OF MAKING LAWS. THE CRUELTY OF THE POPE AND HIS ADHERENTS, IN THIS RESPECT, IN TYRANNICALLY OPPRESSING AND DESTROYING SOULS. This chapter treats,—I. Of human constitutions in general. Of the distinction between Civil and Ecclesiastical Laws. Of conscience, why and in what sense ministers cannot impose laws on the conscience, sec. 1-8. II. Of traditions or Popish constitutions relating to ceremonies and discipline. The many vices inherent in them, sec. 9-17. Arguments in favour of those traditions refut”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 37: hundreds of folios in which these traditions are recorded? Surely a guide to the interpretation of the latter must be far more needed than one for the Scriptures. Tradition destroys the Authority of the Scriptures. 6. Making tradition a part of the rule of faith subverts the authority of the Scriptures. This follows as a natural and unavoidable consequence. If there be two standards of doctrine of equal authority, the one the explanatory, and infallible interpreter of the other, it is of necessity the interpretation which determines the f”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 25.--IN HUMAN INSTITUTIONS WHICH ARE NOT SUPERSTITIOUS, THERE ARE SOME THINGS SUPERFLUOUS AND SOME CONVENIENT AND NECESSARY. (part 2): make in bodily dress and ornament for the purpose of distinguishing sex or rank; and the countless varieties of signs without which human intercourse either could not be carried on at all, or would be carried on at great inconvenience; and the arrangements as to weights and measures, and the stamping and weighing of coins, which are peculiar to each state and people, and other things of the same k”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 65: to have respect to our own calling. He knows the boiling restlessness of the human mind, the fickleness with which it is borne hither and thither, its eagerness to hold opposites at one time in its grasp, its ambition. Therefore, lest all things should be thrown into confusion by our folly and rashness, he has assigned distinct duties to each in the different modes of life. And that no one may presume to overstep his proper limits, he has distinguished the different modes of life by the name of callings. Every man’s mode of life, t”
- Augsburg Confession (Lutheran) “Augsburg Confession (Lutheran, 1530), 12 Thirdly, traditions brought great danger to consciences; for: 12 Thirdly, traditions brought great danger to consciences; for it was impossible to keep all traditions, and yet men judged these observances to be necessary acts of worship. Gerson writes that many fell 13 into despair, and that some even took their own lives, because they felt that they were not able to satisfy the traditions, and they had all the while not heard any consolation of the righteousness of faith and 14 grace. We see that the summists and theologians gather the traditions, and ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 3: Tertullian — CHAP. IV. (part 1): If, for these and other such rules, you insist upon having positive Scripture injunction, you will find none. Tradition will be held forth to you as the originator of them, custom as their strengthener, and faith as their observer. That reason will support tradition, and custom, and faith, you will either yourself perceive, or learn from some one who has. Meanwhile you will believe that there is some reason to which submission is due. I add still one case more, as it will be proper to show you how it was among the ancients also. Among the Jews, so us”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 103: guide to the knowledge of the truth. It has an authority second only to that of the Word of God. One great source of error in theology has always been the neglect of this inward guide. Men have formed their opinions, or framed their doctrines on philosophical principles, or moral axioms, and thus have been led to adopt conclusions which contradict the inward teachings of the Spirit, and even their own religious consciousness. The only question is, How can we distinguish the human from the divine? How can we determine what in our experien”