Editing Reformation (section)

====Sources of authority====

The sources of religious authority included the Bible and its authoritative commentaries, [[sacred tradition|apostolic tradition]], decisions by ecumenical councils, [[scholasticism|scholastic]] theology, and papal authority. Catholics regarded the [[Vulgata|Vulgate]] as the Bible's authentic Latin translation. Commentators applied several methods of interpretations to resolve contradictions within the Bible.{{refn|group=note|For instance, Catholic commentators read the [[Law of Moses]] in a symbolic or mystical sense thinking that the Jewish ceremonies and laws were irrelevant for Christians.{{sfn|Hamilton|2003|p=29}}}} Apostolic tradition verified religious practices with unclear Biblical foundations or which required deduction, such as [[infant baptism]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Grass |first1=Tim |title=Bible, Church and Tradition in the 16th Century Reformation |journal=Journal of European Baptist Studies |date=2003 |volume=3 |issue=2}}</ref>{{rp|22,23,28}} The ecumenical councils' decisions were binding to all Catholics. The crucial elements of mainstream Christianity had been first summarised in the [[Nicene Creed]] in 325. Its western text contained a [[Filioque|unilateral addition]] which contributed to the [[East–West Schism|schism between]] Catholicism and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodoxy]].{{sfn|Hamilton|2003|pp=24–31, 140}} The Creed contained the dogma of [[Trinity]] about one God uniting three equal persons: [[God the Father|Father]], [[God the Son|Son]], and [[God the Holy Spirit|Holy Spirit]].{{sfn|MacCulloch|2003|p=180}}{{sfn|Hamilton|2003|p=15}} Church authorities acknowledged that an individual might exceptionally receive direct [[revelation]]s from God but maintained that a genuine revelation could not challenge traditional religious principles.{{refn|group=note|A notable example was the Dominican nun [[Catherine of Siena]] (d. 1380) whose revelations convinced Pope {{nowrap|Gregory XI}} to return his seat from Avignon to Rome.{{sfn|Hamilton|2003|p=32}}}}{{sfn|Hamilton|2003|pp=31–32}} Preaching was an [[Bible_translations_in_the_Middle_Ages#Oral_and_extemporised_translation|important part]] of bishops' and priests' responsibilities.{{refn|group=note|There are over 140,000 sermons, given or transcribed into Latin, still extant just from 1150 to 1350.<ref name=introbib/>{{rp|214}}}}