The Sola Slogans
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
"Sola" is a Latin adjective that means "alone." When someone sings solo, that person is singing "all alone."
Wikipedia lists "five solas" that sum up essential features of Protestantism.
| Latin | English | Catholic view |
|---|---|---|
| Sola fide | By faith alone | Faith acts in love: "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:20-26). |
| Sola scriptura | By Scripture alone | Tradition produced and interprets the canon of the Scriptures. "Sola scriptura" is not a Scriptural teaching. |
| Sola gratia | By grace alone | Grace cooperates with nature. God's grace empowers our free response. |
| Solus Christus[1] Solo Christo |
Christ alone By Christ alone |
Catholics agree that we are saved by Jesus' death on the Cross. If the slogan is taken to deny the need for saints, sacraments, virtues, or the works of faith, then that interpretation of the slogan must be denied. |
| Soli Deo gloria | Glory to God alone | Catholics agree that God alone is the object of worship, but God has chosen to glorify the saints. |
Notes
- ↑ "Solus Christus" is in the nominative case. "Solo Christo" is in the ablative case, as are the first three sola slogans.